There are a lot of things I don’t necessarily understand about car culture—probably because it traditionally comes from a more traditionally masculine point of view, which leaves me wondering why photos of nudie women with cars have been a requirement for so long—but there’s one big thing that I don’t understand. Why is there so much crossover between car enthusiasts and watch enthusiasts?
I have to ask because TAG Heuer and Porsche have teamed up to create a $6,000 watch, called the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph. It looks cool. It has a cool Porsche inscription. The leather strap looks nice. But I don’t understand why this crossover has to happen in the first place, or why so many car people I follow on Twitter are so obsessed with watches.
So, I’m turning it to you fine folks. Help me understand because I genuinely don’t get it. Is it the technology crossover? Are gears just cool no matter where you find them? It is the subtle flex of owning a very nice watch that only other watch people will understand, the same way rich people like to buy their subtle rich people cars? Is it the unattainability? Is it the thrill of collecting?
I simply refuse to believe that there isn’t some logical reason as to why watches and cars seem to go hand-in-hand in a way that, like, 1990s Norwegian black metal and cars simply do not. There has to be a reason, but I don’t know if I’m cultured enough to understand it.
Like, I understand that there’s a history of watches serving as race car sponsors, but the same thing has been true for other fashion brands, alcohol companies, and oils, but I don’t see people obsessing over the newest Miller beverage the way I do with new watches.
Please help me understand. I am lost.