The Low-down

Nintendo and TAG Heuer have joined forces for a long-term collaboration, and they’ve come out of the gate strong, with a limited Connected celebrating the Japanese games company’s most famous property, Mario.

The beloved plumber is a natural fit for this inaugural edition, recognised and loved by generations. Likewise, TAG Heuer’s smartwatch, the Connected is the perfect vehicle to showcase the digital superstar.

IMHO

At this point, the Connected is a pretty well-established entity. The large 45mm watch has been refined over the years, and the slimmer case and well-executed buttons of the current iteration is what we expect from a maker like TAG Heuer. The internals are about what we’d expect, too — Google’s WearOS is providing the smarts, and the bright screen, all-day battery, and 50 metres of water resistance is good. What makes this collaboration stand out, though, are the Mario touches. On the hardware side there’s a red-accented leather strap and red rubber alternative, co-branded packaging (which is legit cool), and the bezel engraved with mushroom, warp pipe and star where you’d expect to find 3, 6 and 9, as well as an ‘M’ on the folding buckle.

It’s the software side where the partnership really comes together. Mario is an integral part of the watch face, either dominating the whole screen or hanging out in a digital subdial. But he’s not a passive observer. Instead, Mario moves with you. As the wearer meets their set step, movement and activity goals, Mario gets more animated, working out with you. He’s an expat Italian plumber with a side hustle as a personal trainer. It’s very endearing. And, in a very video game-style easter egg, whenever you hit your target, you’re treated to an animation of Mario doing his famous flagpole routine.

This TAG Heuer X Mario Connected is a great way to kick off a collaboration between the two brands. We can only hope that over time we’re treated to similar collabs featuring Luigi, Princess Peach and the gang, but also other properties from the worlds of Pokemon and Zelda. And while the Connected is a natural home, I, for one, think that a Mario Kart-themed Carrera set would be on point.

Tech Specs

Digital content: TAG Heuer Connected watchfaces, TAG Heuer x Super Mario animated watchface , TAG Heuer x Super Mario interface and reskin watchfaces (exclusive to the Limited Edition)
Case: 45mm by 13.5mm steel case; 5 ATM water-resistance; 430 mAh battery
Strap: Quick-change system black leather strap on red rubber; Additional perforated rubber strap in Super Mario red; Steel folding clasp engraved with M symbol of Mario
Price and Availability: Limited to 2000 pieces; USD 2150