It has been 16 years since the last time Nissan participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, but for 2015 they're coming in with a car unlike any other participants and TAG Heuer has marked the occasion both in and with time, quite literally. Introduced June 9 in a press release is the TAG Heuer Carrera "NISMO" Caliber 16 Day-Date Chronograph Special Edition, a timepiece created to recognize the phenomenon that is the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO. The avant-garde nature of both the car and TAG Heuer make them an obvious pairing, and the design and color schemes of the watch and NISMO tie them together beautifully.
Nissan GT-R NISMO LM - Le Mans 2015
“We want innovation, audacity, and courage to return to the Le Mans course. Nissan NISMO is the perfect challenger, a pioneer when it comes to the technology in their cars, and also particularly in the way they communicate with young people using their massive social media presence," said Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and Chairman of LVMH Group's Watch Division, in the release. "Just take a look at this car, it's powerful, different, and breaks the mould." Jay Leno recently spent some time with the GT-R LM NISMO on an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, with Nissan Chief Engineer Zack Eakin talking through some of the finer points of its design. As we mentioned in a June 2 article, one of the key reasons this car is so unique to Le Mans is that it's a front-wheel-drive vehicle, rather than the usual rear-wheel-drive set up.
Making it similarly unique, the TAG Heuer Carrera "NISMO" timepiece comes in titanium and has been micro-blasted with titanium carbide, a material lighter than steel that's incredibly resilient and resistant. A tachometer records your average speed, and the NISMO decal can be found on the face, bezel and caseback. The strap comes in soft touch matt alligator with red detail stitching.
Set to kick off June 13, the 24 Hours of Le Mans remains a large event for TAG Heuer - the release tells us, they'll be present on the track with Team Nissan NISMO, on Patrick Dempsey's wrist and represented by LMP2 drivers Ho-Pin Tung and Karun Chandhock, described as "two friends of the brand."
The Nissan GT-R LM NISMO in action at the Le Mans test day
Check out the photos of this stunning timepiece, the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO and TAG Heuer's brand friends in the gallery below, and stay with us for more updates from the automotive world.
