The best smartwatches may track your sleep, show you notifications and generally make life easier, but does the Apple Watch Series 8 have Mario racing around the screen in his cart? Does looking at the Pixel Watch give you a little burst of joy as you see everybody's favourite plumber racing around? They do not, but the TAG Heuer Formula 1 X Mario Kart Limited Edition collection does.
This is the second Mario collection from the watchmaking legend, who previously launched the TAG Heuer Connected x Super Mario Limited Edition in 2021. This year's collection features two models, the Chronograph and the Chronograph Tourbillon, and they're limited to 3,000 pieces of the former and just 250 of the latter.
The Mario Kart watch is a very smart watch
I really love these: TAG Heuer has taken some genuinely iconic watches and added a little bit of extra joy to them, so for example on the Chronograph model there are little Mario Easter eggs that appear in the date window at 3 o'clock to feature the likes of the Banana or Bullet Bill. The Mario Kart logo is etched on the back and Mario's logo is etched in red on the crown.
The Chronograph Tourbillon is slightly larger at 45mm compared to 44mm, and boasts a titanium case rather than the Chronograph's stainless steel. And the tourbillion cage – it's an extra mechanical complication in the watch face that's designed to deliver even more accuracy, as well as to look fantastic – showcases Mario in his kart alongside the Spiny Shell and Bullet Bill.
Both collections will be available in TAG Heuer boutiques as well as online "in select countries" from 20 October 2022. And if you have to ask the price, you probably can't afford it: the Chronograph has a price tag of $4,300 (about £3,550 / AU$6,282 ) and the Tourbillon is $25,600 (£21,250 / AU$37,400).
