It feels like there’s a new watch event every month these days and, of course, there’s no shortage of automotive events either (this weekend marks the annual Monterey Car Week, for example). But a new event this November in Miami, Time to Drive, plans to merge the two in what will surely be one of the hottest tickets around. Put on by 0260, the lifestyle brand founded by entrepreneur, Grammy-winning music producer, and watch collector, Lex Borrero, the weekend is being orchestrated and led by Borrero and Perri Dash, a fellow watch collector and industry personality. “We realized we were chasing the same idea from different directions,” Borrero tells Robb Report. “One of us comes from building culture through music and entertainment. The other [Dash] comes from building culture through collecting, storytelling, and community. When we started talking, it became obvious that this wasn’t about producing another event. It was about creating a platform where different creative worlds could finally intersect.”
The inaugural event, of which Robb Report is a media partner, will take place November 6-8 and promises to bring together the world’s most influential brands, collectors, entrepreneurs, and tastemakers across the automotive and watch worlds, all while providing immersive exhibitions, curated experiences, and top-of-the-line hospitality and food.
But before you think this will be just like any other event promising much of the same thing, think again. Borrero, a seasoned entrepreneur in the entertainment and music space, has fresh ideas and big plans. “I don’t think the world needs another car show or another watch fair—there are already great ones,” he explains to Robb Report. “What the world is missing is a cultural gathering. Cars, watches, fashion, architecture, photography, music, and food they’ve always belonged to the same people. We’ve just separated them into different industries and different events. Time To Drive is built on the idea that passion doesn’t live in categories.” To that point, the event will host museum-quality automotive exhibitions, immersive brand activations, and displays of exceptional timepieces, while there will also be live-action builds of vehicles, luxury retail and culinary experiences, conversations with industry leaders, and live entertainment. As for the latter, nothing has officially been announced yet, but one can imagine that Borrero’s connections will pull top talent.
Time to Drive will be orchestrated through seven different chapters. Some of the highlights include Icons of Stuttgart, a showcase of historically significant automobiles displaying the engineering legacy of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz; Luxury Exchange, a curated marketplace of exceptional vintage timepieces, accessories, and luxury lifestyle brands; The Collectors Club, bringing together major watch maisons, indie watchmakers, live podcasts, conversations, and exclusive releases; The ClubHaus, a hospitality experience bringing founders, executives, athletes, entertainers, and industry leaders under one roof; and The Culinary Circuit, where the cuisines of the countries that gave birth to the best automobiles and timekeepers are celebrated from Germany, Switzerland, and Italy to Japan, France, the U.K., and the U.S. “Culture is interdisciplinary,” says Dash of the mix on offer. “The future belongs to the people who can create unexpected collisions. That’s what we’re building.”
But let’s get into specifics, because there will be some seriously interesting product and people on hand. Beyond the curated showcase of Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and Lamborghini vehicles, the Modified Maybach from the “Otis” music video by Jay-Z and Kanye West will be present for guests to get an up-close look at the whip. The 24 Hours of Daytona-winning Porsche by Penske Motorsports and the 964 Turbo from Bad Boys will also make appearances for requisite Instagram photo opps. Plus, be sure to catch panel discussions and live podcast recordings from the likes of Spike Feresten of Spike’s Car Radio, automotive photographer Larry Chen, Matt Farah of “The Smoking Tire,” John Temerian of Curated, and Brazilian race car driver Felipe Nasr, as well as vintage watch experts and dealers Eric Wind of Wind Vintage, Adam Golden of Menta Watches, and Eric Rivera of Watch Eric. And there will be more to come as announcements of athletes, creators, and industry leaders are rolled out closer to the event.
Still, there’s more and it spans everything from first-drop merch to live action. “People don’t just want to look at products anymore,” says Dash. “They want to understand the stories behind them. They want to meet the founders. They want access. They want experiences they can’t stream or scroll past. Time To Drive isn’t competing with car shows or watch fairs. It’s creating a new category. The brands that understand community instead of just commerce are going to win the next decade.” Attendees will get the first look and purchase of Assouline’s latest forthcoming Porsche title—and presumably some Porsche driver and executive signatures to match. And don’t miss Driver’s Seat, a separately ticketed historic track day at The Concours Club featuring four decades of iconic performance cars with live track sessions and programming. And, finally, you can expect even more beyond the Time to Drive venue with invitation-only collector dinners, private brand experiences, and select gatherings connecting founders, executives, and collectors.
In summary, it’s going to be an all-out extravaganza with the vision of a music festival rather than a stiff industry event. “What we’re hoping to do is create something people feel they’ve never experienced before,” Borrero says. “I hope people leave inspired, but more importantly, I hope they leave changed. Maybe they meet someone who changes the trajectory of their career. Maybe they discover a watch or a car that sparks a lifelong passion. Maybe they see design through a completely new lens. Or maybe they simply reconnect with why they fell in love with cars and watches in the first place. The best events don’t end when you walk out the door. They stay with you.”
Time to Drive is an extension of international journeys organized by Borrero and Dash that combine trips to exclusive watch manufacturers with unique driving experiences and cultural excursions, including a journey with LVMH through Europe and one to Japan with Grand Seiko, which both took place earlier this year. For the big Miami blowout, you can expect everyone from MB&F, Urwerk, Chopard, Grand Seiko, and Biver on the watchmaking side to automotive heavyweights like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, and more.
Tickets for Time to Drive are available as of today. The cost of entry starts at $75 per ticket with four admission tiers offering increasingly elevated levels of access involving elite hospitality and exclusive programming and experiences. Children under 15 are admitted for free with the purchase of an adult ticket. Given the enthusiastic crossover between watch and car enthusiasts, we expect these to go fast, so get yours here!