Vox Populi: Gears, Gas, and Guts

Precision, design, performance, engineering, emotion, these topics only begin to touch on the abundant overlaps between an appreciation of fine automobiles and fine watches. It is a natural fit, and probably the most common shared passion between collectors. At Watchonista, we are constantly fascinated by the relationship.

With that in mind, we went to a few members of our community with the following questions:

Which watch brands and models stand out as really “getting” the relationship between cars and watches? And, what needs to happen to make that connection even stronger?

Philadelphia-based collector Drew Coblitz confesses to having a meaningful passion for cars, watches, and cuisine. However, based on his Instagram account, we spotted a particular fondness for Porsche and Vacheron Constantin (among others). While his preferences all lean into both worlds’ leading makers, his views are flavored by elements of heritage and materials.
 

“Two models come to mind that fit in somewhat different ways,” he told us. “The Rolex Daytona (from any year) for being the quintessential racing-heritage inspired chronograph. And then the Richard Mille RM 67-02, which is the ultimate lightweight, high-impact-resistant super-sports watch. The first is more classic, while the second is absolutely cutting edge…both perfectly embody motorsports to me.”
 

As for tightening the watch/car connection even more, materials and indirect branding are important factors for him: “My advice to car and watchmakers is to think less about the branding and more about the collector who likes both things and what they may enjoy in BOTH.

“For me, I’m far more interested in lighter, more impact-resistant watches (even if in a classic style) than I am anything even remotely bulky with a car brand on it.
 

“Also, co-branding is rarely a great thing on a dial directly. The best don’t need it, but I agree, they should still celebrate that they both worked on it. IWC, for example, did this very well with the F1 movie by coming out with that green dial special edition Ingenieur that tied into the movie but has zero visible co-branding on the dial/outward parts of the watch.”
 

You can get more of a road feel for what Drew Coblitz is all about via his Instagram account, @coblitz.

Frequent Watchonista readers will recognize London-based collector Paul Blandford from his harrowing tale of a grail watch lost, then found, which we published last week on Halloween (after all, isn’t the thought of having your long-sought grail watch stolen, a terrifying prospect?). The story has a happy ending, and his recovery of a beloved MB&F HM 9 is certainly worth the read. Aptly, Max Busser’s artful collaborative brand plays a big part in his responses here.
 

“As far as understanding the connection, the best example surely has to be the MB&F Legacy Machine Sequential EVO! Possibly the most accurate chronograph ever made in a sporty case,” he shared with us. “Although I can make a compelling argument for my HM9 being the perfect driver’s watch with the display angled in such a way that you can see the time without needing to move your hands from the wheel (and the ‘road’ version HM9 having a dial based on the speedometer of a vintage Mercedes).”
 

As for the way forward, Blandford has insightfully spotted why these collabs can be so hard to get right: “This is a really tough question as I think serious collectors of either cars or watches will focus on the brand behind the car or the watch and want whatever they see as ‘the best’ of each.

“For example, I am looking at adding a Richard Mille to my collection, but even as a McLaren owner, none of the McLaren editions appeal to me. I chose the car I wanted to buy based on its specifications as a car; I do the same with my watches.”
 

You can become better acquainted with Paul Blandford via his Instagram, @f1ptb.

This “Man of Mystery” continues to prefer anonymity, but his path last crossed with Watchonista in this article from last year, which also speaks to the compelling automotive/timepiece connection.

“I would say, as outlined in my Watchonista article, that Richard Mille captures the spirit of the automotive world best, which, given where the brand came from, is not surprising,” he contributed.
 

He continued: “It is expressed through the use of materials (carbon fiber), the focus on resilience to gravitational forces, the display of mechanics (most RM watches are skeletonized/open-worked), the focus on performance, and the close involvement with motor sport (and performance sport in general). The collaborations it has done both with Ferrari and McLaren are equal proof of that.”

If I were a watchmaker or carmaker contemplating collaboration, I would heed his advice on how to strengthen a partnered product very closely: “What is needed is proper co-engineering and co-design with true innovation that could only be achieved out of the partnership. In far too many cases, it’s just a marginal design change, i.e., the color of the car brand/racing team applied to an existing watch.
 

“I think it would be much more interesting if a car manufacturer’s and a watch company’s engineering, material science, and design teams worked as one team to develop and build the watch. For instance, certain components/materials could be supplied by the car manufacturer. For most cases, it seems it’s more of a brand licensing/marketing deal rather than a true joint engineering and passion project.

“That’s why most of these collaborations lack appeal, at least to me.”
 

For now, you can keep an eye out on Watchonista for more from this London-based collector down the road.

If you are an opinionated Watchonista reader interested in sharing your thoughts on a variety of watch topics, please send us an email at contact@watchonista.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

(Cover image by Krishan)