Tech
Tag Heuer’s Porsche smartwatch puts your car’s vitals on your wrist
Porsche owners can use the timepiece to see their vehicle’s mileage, gas levels, and temperature.
Tag Heuer is making it possible for Porsche owners to wear their car on their wrists. The brand’s Connected Calibre E4 Porsche Edition watch allows wearers to connect to compatible Porsche models and view statistics including battery percentage, gas levels, and mileage. The heating and air conditioning of the vehicle can also be controlled from the timepiece.
Sleek design — Inspired by the design of the all-electric Porsche Taycan — one of the most popular electric vehicles in history — the Connected Calibre E4 watch features a polished ceramic bezel done up in the same shades of “frozen blue” and gray used on the car. Its 45mm case is made of black Grade 2 titanium topped off with a diamond-like carbon coating and treated with a sandblasted finish. Nodding again to the palette of the Taycan, two black and blue pushers sit on the right-hand side of the watch.
A flat sapphire crystal sits atop the Connected Calibre E4 to protect its OLED display. Dubbed the “Circuit,” the exclusive feature pays tribute to the electric circuits used within both the Taycan and the smartwatch, as well as to actual racing circuits. This theme continues outside of the watch face: “Tag Heuer x Porsche” comes engraved on the back of the timepiece’s case to mark its release, while its leather and rubber strap mirrors the interior of a Porsche.
Take it for a test drive — Three stopwatch-esque dials on the watch face display information from compatible Porsche models. The first shows how much of the car’s battery is available; the second indicates its battery percentage and gas levels; and the third is a shortcut to the Wear OS My Porsche app, which allows Porsche owners to control the heating and air conditioning in their cars. Below these three dials, the car’s mileage is also on display.
Porsche owners will need more than a fancy car and watch, however, to view this information. A Porsche ID, Porsche Connect subscription, and the My Porsche app — downloaded on both the Connected Calibre E4 and a phone — are needed to unlock the watch’s high-tech features. Models able to connect to the Tag Heuer timepiece include the Porsche Panamera (G2), the 911, the Cayenne (E2 II), the 718, and the Macan, as well as a select few others.
Besides its car-related features, the Connected Calibre E4 goes above and beyond typical watches. The timepiece promises a battery life of one full day and can fully charge in less than two hours. Sensors within the watch detect its wearer’s heart rate and can double as a microphone for phone calls. A Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear processor and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity deliver high-speed performance, while the timepiece’s Wear by Google operating system allows owners to access apps on their wrist.
Granted you already own a Porsche, you can buy the Connected Calibre E4 Porsche Edition watch now on Tag Heuer’s website. The high-tech timepiece retails for $2,750, or about 3 percent of what a Porsche Taycan costs, and delivery is slated for September.
