Mr Ted Gushue is truly living and breathing the time-honoured tie-up between cars and watches. The creative director and editor-in-chief of the Porsche magazine Type 7 inherited his love of both from his father. “My dad taught me everything about cars and watches as a kid,” Gushue says. “He put me down that path.” There clearly was no escaping the collecting bug – Gushue Jr came home from hospital in a 1982 911SC in Guards Red – and today he drives a 1976 Porsche 911S that once belonged to his dad. “I was raised in that car,” says Gushue. “It’s a special thing.” His first real watch – a 2006 Chanel J12 Superleggera – was also a graduation gift from his father.

“It’s super well done and inspired by the coachworking and cars designed by Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera,” Gushue says of the watch. “It was the literal integration of cars and watches, based on Karl Lagerfeld’s own obsession with cars.”

As to be expected, Gushue’s watch collection today features mainly sport or tool watches. “I like watches that at least give the impression of a specific, specialised activity. Something like a dive watch has always interested me because it had to be technologically advanced to the point where I could achieve the task,” Gushue says.

When we talk, he is sporting a 1976 Rolex Sea-Dweller ref 1665 with a black dial. He sees timepieces as semaphore for a man’s taste in design and style, but also history and connecting with great figures from the past. “There are people out there who want to wear Steve McQueen’s watch, which allows them to feel like they have relationship with him quite literally,” he says. “But it’s not just metaphysical – it’s physical: a watch exists on your wrist like jewellery, it has a purpose of telling you the time. Or has a complication that can tell how fast you're going around a track. There are all sorts of interesting connections that come with a watch.”

He currently has around 25 pieces in his collection, which is always in flux, keeping up with the times. “I try to always have one in, one out, to keep the quality high,” he explains. “Once you have like 20 watches, it’s like, “What am I doing?” I try to pare back the ones that I’m not super excited about.”

“My dad had a Breitling Navitimer and whenever I saw him wearing it, I thought it was the most elegant-looking watch. I always wanted that watch, so this is a natural choice.

“Funnily enough, my first ever flight as a kid was on TWA. I loved the airline. We flew to Florida from New York, from the original TWA terminal, which was designed by Eero Saarinen and is now a hotel.

“I love Breitling and the execution of this watch is very simple: it’s not overly branded and quite restrained. It would look great with a chambray shirt for a casual but elegant weekend, and perfect for a Sunday afternoon lunch.”

“I own a bronze Oris with a Tiffany-blue dial, which is a super fun and light summer watch. But this one I love even more – I’d wear it with jeans and a white T-shirt at the weekend – and bronze is the most dynamic metal you can wear on your wrist. It’s constantly evolving and each watch is totally unique to the wearer based on their lifestyle. There’s also that link to one of the greatest military divers in American history, and who Cuba Gooding Jr portrayed in Men Of Honor. Carl Brashear was an American legend.

“But in general, I love Oris. The price point is correct, the quality is super high and you’re not breaking the bank. It’s not a watch you’re trying to flex anybody with – it’s just well-made and really thoughtfully designed.”

“This watch is super stealth. It’s a killer watch that I’d wear with a black long-sleeve T-shirt for that tactical adventure look; I’d wear it motorcycling, dirt biking, driving my car… It’s a watch that says a lot without saying anything.

“IWC is an iconic brand – you can always tell an IWC from a mile away. I’ve owned several; I love the build quality. In terms of overall price-quality ratio in Swiss watchmaking, IWC is among the top for me because of the attention to detail when it comes to machining quality. The watches really are bulletproof. They’re durable, built to last, with really strong movements. Plus, I like that they don’t have 5,000 different options.”