Carbon-fibre-cased Aston Martin watch is a winner — and it’s affordable

Fans of the modern-day Aston Martin will know that watch partnerships have played a significant role in its development during the past two decades, starting with a deal with Jaeger-LeCoultre that lasted from 2004-16. Perhaps you remember the JLC AMVOX transponder watch that could unlock your DBS from afar.
When that arrangement petered out, Aston hopped into bed with Richard Mille – but so briefly that no watches were ever produced, leaving TAG Heuer to take up the reins in 2018 before 007’s favourite carmaker shifted to Girard-Perregaux three years later.

That collaboration continues and has undoubtedly led to some of the best-looking and most interesting AM watches of the past 10 years. But since all of the above are ‘luxury’ dial names, the only way to wear your love for the contemporary Aston Martin on your sleeve has (until now) been to spend at least four figures, and often five.

That all changes with the launch of two new Aston-branded watch ‘families’ – one based around the road cars, the other around the F1 team – all of which are being produced under licence by what is probably the world’s most famous affordable watchmaker: Timex. Under the deal, Aston has granted Timex the right to use its name on watches designed with its approval, but not with significant design input (not the case with the Girard-Perregaux).

Readers of a certain age and with good memories will know that Aston entered into a similar arrangement once before, way back in 1980 when recently arrived chairman Victor Gauntlett was looking for all possible ways to drag the ailing marque out of the red. As well as selling the one-off Bulldog (my book about this ‘hypercar’, Aston Martin Bulldog, is due out imminently), Gauntlett commissioned a ‘white label’ watchmaker to create a limited series of ultra-slim, quartz-powered timepieces bearing the name of either Aston Martin or Lagonda.

The new Timex efforts are far more ‘sports’ than ‘dress’, with our favourite being the DWF chronograph from the Aramco F1 collection, above. At 43mm it’s on the large side but it allows for a generous dial and, since the case is made from carbon fibre, it’s ultra-light.

The dial centre is coloured in Podium Green while the raised tachymeter scale is finished in sharply contrasting Lime Essence, making it easy to keep track of the bright orange central chronograph hand. The colours are picked-up in a NATO-style nylon strap.

Made in China but fitted with a decent-quality Japanese movement, it’s a cool-looking chronograph that, at the price, you won’t mind wearing whether you’re watching a race or up to your elbows in nuts and bolts in your garage. In other words, it’s a win – and affordable too.

Aston Martin F1 Team DWF NATO Strap Watch, £265.50. shop.astonmartinf1.com

Although the Carrera driver’s watch has been around since 1963 and produced in hundreds of variations, never before could you buy one with a split-seconds chronograph movement, allowing the individual timing of two separate events (e.g. the first and second cars across a line). A 42mm titanium case was designed to house the 350-part movement, which was developed in partnership with Vaucher and features a pushpiece at nine o’clock for activating the split function.
A sapphire crystal back allows this mechanism to be seen in all its glory.

TAG Heuer Carrera Split Seconds, £105,000 (approx). tagheuer.com

Porsche Design launched its Custom-built Timepieces programme in 2020 to enable buyers to use a car-type configurator to create watches that matched their 911s. Now the service has been extended to attract owners of the new electric Cayenne SUV – meaning the same colours used on Cayenne bodies and the same interior leathers and stitching can be specified on both chronograph and Globetimer watches. With a choice of two case finishes, three types of winding rotor and two hand styles available, the chances of meeting another Cayenne driver wearing exactly the same watch should be slim.

Porsche Design Chronograph Cayenne, from £5225. porsche-design.com