TIME at Wynn: Where the World of Watches Meets the World of Collecting

McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

TIME at Wynn: Where the World of Watches Meets the World of Collecting

Three days in Las Vegas brought together some of the biggest names in independent watchmaking, along with the cars, conversations, and people behind the collector lifestyle.

Few things can turn a something into an obsession quite like a great car or a great watch. Both are built around craftsmanship, engineering, design, and an almost obsessive attention to the details that most people might never notice. A beautifully finished movement and a perfectly engineered engine can inspire the same kind of interest, whether you're studying the mechanics of an F.P. Journe Résonance or listening to the sound of a vintage Ferrari V12. But the connection runs deeper than what is under the hood or behind the caseback. For many collectors, a love for cars and watches starts at home, sparked by a parent or grandparent and eventually passed down to the next generation. Those early memories become the stories, objects, and experiences that keep a passion for collecting alive, creating a cycle that continues long after the original owner is gone. That shared appreciation for craftsmanship, history, and the stories we attach to the things we collect was on full display at the inaugural TIME at Wynn in Las Vegas this weekend, where some of the world's most respected watchmakers and collectors came together to celebrate the art of watchmaking.

GALLERY-EMBED

From the moment you walked in, TIME at Wynn felt more like a gathering of collectors than a traditional watch show. Conversations seemed to start everywhere, with people moving from one table to the next, comparing watches, swapping stories, and stopping to catch up with friends and familiar faces from the industry. The setting helped, too. Wynn provided the kind of relaxed, polished backdrop where you could spend an afternoon looking at a rare watch and then find yourself talking about cars, jewelry, travel, or the next piece on someone's wish list. With support from duPont REGISTRY, Caliber Collective, F.P. Journe, URWERK, MB&F, Breguet, H. Moser & Cie., Girard-Perregaux, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, TE Paris, Pattern Recognition, and Alex Crown, the weekend brought together different corners of the collector community, finding similarities and deeper connections between the luxury worlds. And with the Wynn Concours coming up this November, that crossover between watches and cars already feels like a natural part of what's taking shape at the resort.

GALLERY-EMBED

Walking through the Mouton Ballroom, it was hard not to stop every few feet. F.P. Journe, H. Moser & Cie., MB&F, URWERK, Pattern Recognition, Biver, and Hazemann & Monnin had brought an incredible mix of independent watchmaking into one room, from familiar collector favorites to pieces that felt like they belonged in a different dimension altogether. What made it especially enjoyable was how easy it was to slow down and actually talk. Collectors could spend time with the watches, ask questions, and hear directly from the people behind the brands without feeling rushed from one presentation to the next. The same went for the panel discussions, with Yoni Ben-Yehuda moderating conversations with Pierre Halimi of F.P. Journe, Michael Friedman of Pattern Recognition, and Alexandre Hazemann and Victor Monnin of Hazemann & Monnin. Rather than sticking to the usual polished talking points, the group went straight after the subjects collectors really want to hear about, from allocations and the secondary market to the challenges facing independent watchmakers and where the industry goes next. With the people actually shaping that future answering questions in the room, the conversations felt honest, sometimes unexpected, and genuinely entertaining.While much of the conversation at TIME at Wynn centered on watches, Enzo Mattioli Ferrari offered one of the clearest connections to the automotive world, speaking about the same ideas of rarity, legacy, craftsmanship, and collectibility that surround Ferrari's most coveted cars. The mechanical connection runs deep, too. Take an F.P. Journe Caliber 1619, with its 758 individual components working together behind the caseback, and compare that with the hand-crafted 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 that has become such a defining part of Ferrari's identity. One is built to measure time with incredible precision, while the other turns fuel and air into something you can hear, feel, and experience from behind the wheel. Yet both come down to the same thing: countless individual parts, assembled with an incredible amount of thought and craftsmanship, all working together as one. That is where the connection between watches and cars gets really interesting. Behind the wheel or behind the caseback, there is a tangible experience that connects us to the machines themselves and to the visionaries who imagined them in the first place. For collectors, preserving that feeling is part of the appeal. These aren't simply objects that mark a moment in time; they are ways of holding onto it.

GALLERY-EMBED

By the time the evening rolled around, the watches were still very much the center of attention, but the mood had loosened considerably. Over cocktails and food from Wynn's culinary team, collectors gathered around the Intrigue Lounge for A Toast to Time, with plenty of time to show off the pieces they had brought with them and talk about the stories behind them. From URWERK creations that looked like they came straight from another planet to some of the most historically significant F.P. Journe models, and plenty in between, the room was filled with watches you don't come across every day. But it was the conversations happening around those watches that really made the night memorable. Collectors compared notes, shared stories, and discovered plenty of common ground, whether they had known each other for years or had just met that evening. That same curiosity carried into more panel discussions, with URWERK co-founder Martin Frei exploring what a watch can represent beyond simply keeping time, followed by a conversation with Jean-Marc Bories of MB&F and Claudio Terjanian of H. Moser & Cie. on innovation, collaboration, and pushing the boundaries of modern watchmaking.

GALLERY-EMBED

The same easygoing atmosphere carried into Timeless Icons, where the focus shifted toward heritage watchmaking and fine jewelry without losing that sense of discovery. Breguet, Girard-Perregaux, Tiffany & Co., Alex Crown, and Emmanuel Tarpin brought a different side of the collector world into the room, with plenty of opportunities to get close to the pieces and hear the stories behind them. Vincent Brasesco of Breguet offered insight into the maison's history and technical expertise, while a collectors' conversation with Patrick Brennan, Sandeep Chugani, and Justin Blau opened up a more personal discussion about why people collect in the first place and what keeps them searching for the next piece. Emmanuel Tarpin and Tiffany & Co.'s Bill Rhodes explored the creativity behind high jewelry, while Girard-Perregaux's Ruggero Mango touched on complications and the brand's long relationship with automotive marques and motorsport teams. Away from the ballroom, private appointments at the North Fairway Villas gave collectors an even closer look at pieces from Urwerk, Breguet, MB&F, and Girard-Perregaux, before everyone eventually came back together over cocktails at Tableau.

GALLERY-EMBED

Cars, Clocks, and Coffee was a natural fit for duPont REGISTRY and one of the weekend's most relevant conversations for the collector community. Cristina Cheever, CMO of duPont REGISTRY Group, first sat down with Nicholas Ryan, Head of Private Office at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, for a conversation around the return of coachbuilding, the growing demand for bespoke craftsmanship, and where automotive customization is headed. She then shifted the conversation toward the relationship between cars and watches, speaking with Antoine Tessier, CEO of duPont REGISTRY Group, and Sandeep Chugani, Senior Partner at Boston Consulting Group and duPont REGISTRY Group board member, about the collector culture shared by both worlds. It was a pretty natural conversation for duPont REGISTRY at TIME at Wynn, as our community has always gone well beyond exotic cars, extending into fine watches, private experiences, art, design, and all of the other passions that tend to come with collecting. TIME at Wynn brought those worlds together in one place, and this was a good example of why that overlap makes so much sense.

GALLERY-EMBED

By the time the weekend wrapped up over breakfast, one statement Patrick Brennan made earlier still felt especially relevant: as collectors and enthusiasts, we seem to be living through a golden age of watchmaking. Creativity and innovation feel almost limitless, particularly among the independent watchmakers who are pursuing ambitious ideas and turning them into wearable art. Just as importantly, this is a moment when collectors can ask questions and learn directly from the people behind the watches, the minds and hands responsible for bringing them to life. That access has helped create an experience that extends far beyond the boutique, whether it means turning a trip to Geneva to pick up a watch into a family vacation, stepping behind the scenes into the design studios and workshops, or simply hearing the story directly from the person who created it. In many ways, that is what makes collecting so meaningful. These watches are designed to outlive the original buyer, becoming family heirlooms with stories attached to them and, hopefully, sparking the same passion in the next generation. TIME at Wynn captured a little of that spirit, bringing collectors and creators together around the shared idea that the object itself is only part of the story, and sometimes the people, conversations, and experiences surrounding it are what give it lasting meaning.

Jordan Aquistapace