Although the two sporting brands have been closely intertwined in enthusiast circles for decades, the relationship between TAG Heuer and legendary German automaker Porsche has moved into high gear (no pun intended) since the announcement of an official co-branding partnership in early 2021. The partnership has already yielded several themed chronograph designs, but while both brands still place an emphasis on traditional sporting models (namely automatic chronographs and series like the 911 and 718 Cayman), each also has an eye towards a high-tech electrified future. In Porsche’s case, this takes the form of the dynamic, high-performance Taycan electric sports car, while TAG Heuer places a substantial weight of effort behind its Connected E4 luxury smartwatch line. For its latest release, TAG Heuer combines these two future-facing designs with a host of unique complications designed to pair directly with Porsche owners’ vehicles. Although it’s far from the first uniquely-themed release in the Connected line, the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition offers an intriguing new layer of connectivity for the smartwatch line, intended to act as an easy, intuitive on-demand interface between car and driver.
Like the standard Connected Calibre E4, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition’s case measures in at a substantial 45mm-wide. The matte blasted Grade 2 titanium case takes on a sportier cast in images thanks to a full black DLC treatment. However, the overall form shares the standard model’s softened take on the modern Carrera silhouette including the faceted lugs and more flowing, curvaceous chamfered case sides. The most eye-catching addition to this case design, though, is the use of the pale, futuristic Frozen Blue hue used by Porsche on the Taycan. The rounded, tapering pushers and the signed rubberized crown all feature generous Frozen Blue accents in images, while the polished black ceramic bezel adds Frozen Blue lacquered touches at the 12 o’clock “100” marker as well as the engraved Porsche emblem at 6 o’clock. Around back, TAG Heuer adds a commemorative engraving surrounding the caseback sensor suite. As with other members of the Connected Calibre E4 family, the Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition offers a broad range of sensors including a heart rate monitor, a compass, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, and a microphone, along with an embedded NFC chip for seamless use with touch-free pay systems. Although the 50 meter water resistance rating may not be spectacular from a watch enthusiast perspective, this is largely in line with the current smartwatch market.
The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition’s OLED touchscreen dial offers the same bright, high-contrast display as mainline Calibre E4 models, but adds a suite of dramatic exclusive options. First up is the bespoke “Circuit” face option, which blends visual cues from both electrical circuits and race tracks to celebrate TAG Heuer and the Porsche Taycan’s dual commitment to motorsports and an electrified future. The Frozen Blue highlights above the layers of complex linear designs make the “Circuit” an immediate standout in images, although this same complexity may lead to legibility issues in practice. Along with the unique face design option, the Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition adds a series of bespoke complications for Porsche owners who pair their car to the watch. Available for most 2022 and newer Porsche models, these complications include total car mileage, a shortcut to adjusting the car’s heating and air conditioning controls, current car battery percentage (for the Taycan and current plug-in hybrid models), current vehicle range before the battery depletes, and for gas-powered models, current range until the fuel tank is empty. Beyond these new touches, the Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition offers wearers the same wide spectrum of functions as the standard variant, including full smartwatch capability, a chronograph, countdown timer, alarms, and TAG Heuer’s custom Sports Watch App, which offers sports tracking suites designed for golf, running, cycling, swimming, and general fitness.
TAG Heuer powers the Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ processor, shared with the rest of the Calibre E4 family of smartwatches. Equipped with Google’s Wear2 operating system running a series of custom TAG Heuer-designed apps, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ is a solidly modern smartwatch powerplant. TAG Heuer claims a 24 hour battery life after a 90 minute full charge, even when using up to five hours of the power-hungry golfing app. Thanks to Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, the Snapdragon Wear 4100+ offers competitive data transfer speeds as well. To complete the design, TAG Heuer pairs the Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition with a textured carbon-effect strap in tapering black calfskin. This rubber-lined strap keeps the futuristic sporting feel of the rest of the design alive in images, thanks in large part to double rows of Frozen Blue accent stitching flanking a recessed central segment in the same hue.
As the luxury smartwatch market continues to expand, the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition both offers a unique tribute to the cutting-edge Porsche Taycan and presents a potential window into the future of the Connected series with more specialized, niche hardware and software options tailor-made to different lifestyles. The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition will be available through authorized dealers in September 2022. MSRP for the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 – Porsche Edition stands at $2,750 USD as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.
