Everyone, even the people who make fun of their drivers, wants a BMW. Why? If you have to ask that question, you’ve never been inside one. They practically drive themselves, they nip through traffic at a flex of the ankle, and they’re awfully comfortable. But they can also cost more than a decent-sized South African property.
If you’re a BMW fan but don’t quite have a BMW bank account, it might be time to show your love in a different way. Like, say, a sports watch from the iconic German motoring brand? A few new ones are about to drop in South Africa.
But do these BMWs get you to the office sooner?
Turning up on the South African watch website Watch Republic (which is owned by Fossil) are four new sports watches from BMW. They’re not smartwatches, just plain old timepieces — which, if you’re a dedicated horologist, isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all.
Two of them (on the right in the image above) are 45mm watches based on the M Motorsport brand and feature silicon straps in brighter colours than is normal for this range, as well as embossed logos and a design that replicates the look of a speedometer clock. Unusually for the badge, you’re not paying extra for the little M — they’re the most affordable timepieces in the automaker’s new lineup. And no, the watches themselves don’t run faster just because of the M. Stop sticking the badge on your old 316i — it doesn’t work.
The two 44mm watches on the left are the pricier options, with more sedate designs that wouldn’t look out of place on your arm while driving around in a BMW 7-series. The straps and designs wouldn’t do a disservice to an aviator’s watch, but the logo and replicated grille on the face are all BMW, giving the same sort of feel you’d get looking at the clocks in the vehicle itself.
The yellow silicon M Motorsport wristwatch will set you back R1,900, while the blue silicon version is R2,600. The black leather Chronograph starts at R5,600, and you can tack on an extra R1,000 for the stainless steel version.