Watches and cars are the chicken and the egg of the mechanical world. Impossible to separate, without ever really knowing which came first. Ralf Tech has solved the problem with the simultaneous announcement of a new watch and the vehicle that goes with it. A dual launch for twice the impact.
On paper, the idea writes itself. In practice, it’s not quite so obvious given that, until now, automaker and watchmaker inhabited different worlds. Ralf Tech is a Franco-Swiss brand developed for divers by divers. It is a specialised, technical brand spearheaded by one man, Frank Huyghe, himself a former professional diver. Lexus is a Japanese luxury car manufacturer with all four wheels firmly on the ground, at the vanguard of automotive technology.
The spark
Yet there is a connection between the two, and that connection is electricity. Since 2018 for professional users (special forces) and since 2020 for the general public, Ralf Tech has equipped its WRV and WRX models with a hybrid calibre that functions like a conventional automatic movement with winding by a rotor, except the energy produced is stored in a miniature battery and released as required. The watch is guaranteed to run for years with absolute precision, in line with Ralf Tech’s functional approach.
Common ground
Over at Lexus, hybrid then electric have been hard-wired into the brand since its inception. It produced its first hybrid SUV in 2004. That’s almost twenty years ago, long before the vast majority of manufacturers were even considering this technology. Beyond this obvious connection, Lexus and Ralf Tech share numerous other values that are traditionally associated with luxury timepieces and vehicles, such as attention to detail, craftmanship, exclusivity, design, quality materials, performance, reliability and creativity, to name but some.
Crossover
Diver and driver were destined to meet. Which they did, at a golf tournament attended by the managing director of Lexus France and Frank Huyghe. Neither knew the other although, in a twist of fate, the week before the MD had purchased a Ralf Tech watch for his personal use!
The two men struck up a friendship but it would be the launch of the RZ 450e, the first fully electric Lexus, that provided the opportunity for Ralf Tech and Lexus to forge closer ties.
Modelled on Ralf Tech’s WRV Electric, the Ralf Tech X Lexus offers several exclusive features that reference the Lexus RZ. The dial picks up the original “In-ei” pattern of light and shadow from the RZ’s doors. The watch’s grey Alcantara strap mirrors the SUV’s Ultrasuede seat fabric. Also, the Lexus logo is engraved on the caseback. The Ralf Tech X Lexus watch is powered by an Electric RTE001 movement that delivers up to 100,000 hours of power reserve… nicknamed the “Long Range” by Frank Huyghe, a nod to the driving range of the RZ 450e.
All-black, like the Lexus, the WRV comes in a 43.8mm steel case, is water-resistant to 300 metres and is an ISO 6425 certified dive watch with all that goes with it, including luminescent hands and indices, a unidirectional engraved bezel with ceramic inserts for measuring dive times, and a screw-down crown. But don’t go looking for it at a Ralf Tech dealer or on the brand’s website. This 77-piece limited edition is only available from Lexus dealers in France.
