TAG Heuer x Super Mario Limited Edition Connected smartwatch

I must preface this article with a disclosure. I am a huge fan of Super Mario. I’ve bought several games featuring the plumber. I have the Monopoly Super Mario edition board game. I even have a Mario-themed water bottle. So, when TAG Heuer announced it was collaborating with Nintendo, I was climbing up a flagpole in excitement.

The Swiss watchmaker and Japanese consumer electronics company have worked together on a new TAG Heuer Connected x Super Mario smartwatch. Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide, the watch has been completely redesigned with Super Mario elements. There are four classic dial faces re-skinned with details associated with the video game character, including congratulatory animations that play when you achieve certain activity goals. There’s the Super Mushroom that makes Mario grow, the Pipe that warps him to another part of the level, the Super Star that turns him invincible and my personal favourite, the Goal Pole that he climbs at the end of every stage.

On the exterior, there is a plethora of references to the video game icon. The 12-year-old me would have preferred these tips of the red cap to be louder, but the present 35-year-old professional appreciates the subtlety. The bezel graduations, push buttons and perforated rubber strap are rendered in red lacquer to match Mario’s cap. There’s also the M symbol (representing Mario) engraved on the crown and on the steel folding clasp of the two straps. Finally, the words “TAG Heuer x Super Mario Limited Edition” are inscribed on the screw-down caseback.

There are a couple more nods to the game that you can discover on your own should you get your hands on the Connected smartwatch. But I’ll leave you to it. Just like the game, the fun is in the exploration.

The TAG Heuer x Super Mario Limited Edition timepiece is priced at $3,050 and will be available for purchase at TAG Heuer boutiques and the brand’s website from 15 July. If you see a man carrying a Super Mario water bottle on that day, do say hi. It’s probably me.

(Related: There’s also a golf edition for the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch if Super Mario isn’t your thing)