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Tag Heuer has announced a new partnership. Following on from successful collaborations with Manchester United, Porsche, and golfer Tommy Fleetwood, the new stablemate is no less iconic – it’s Mario, the rotund Italian plumber who lives in Mushroom Kingdom, star of at least 200 Nintendo games. His catchphrase is appropriate: “Oh yeah! Mario time!”
The TAG Heuer Connected x Super Mario Limited Edition uses the third generation of the Swiss watchmaker‘s smart watch and adds a number of Mario-themed twists.
The interface has been redesigned in Super Mario’s colors. The bezel graduation, push buttons and crown logo are lacquered in his red hat color, while Mario greets you each morning with a welcoming salute. Your steps progress through the day is then marked by unlocking “rewards” at 25 percent, 50 percent, 75 percent, and 100 percent of your daily goal – when a different animation plays out on the dial.
These take the form of Super Mario objects: the Super Mushroom that makes Mario grow, the Pipe that grants him speed, and the Super Star that gives him invisibility. Reach 100 percent of your daily target, and Mario climbs the Goal Pole – a sight familiar to anyone who has played one of the 387m games sold since 1985. Yipee! Donkey Kong's nemesis is but the latest example of luxury watch companies creating watches with cartoon characters on the dials, following on from Spongebob Squarepants, Black Panther, Popeye, and Big Bird from Sesame Street. Tag Heuer's entry may be unique however – it says Mario is there to encourage you to exercise.
"Mario is the ultimate super-active character whose perseverance and tenacity get him out of every situation," said Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer, in a statement. "And what better than the Tag Heuer Connected to give life to this iconic character and encourage users to team up with Mario to get out there and be more active? The TAG Heuer Connected is the perfect companion for a connected life and every active person’s best friend."
The watch is a limited run of 2,000 and comes in a special collector's case.
It marks the first release in an ongoing collaboration between the two brands. Expect it to sell out immediately.
This story originally appeared on Esquire.co.uk. Minor edits have been made by the Esquiremag.ph editors.
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