This year marks the 60th Anniversary of TAG Heuer’s iconic Carrera, and to celebrate it, the brand has released two new Carrera Chronograph pieces in 39mm and a very unique (for today’s standards) but very cool “Glassbox” design.
The story of the Carrera is one of those classic ones. The new head of a watch company and racing enthusiast meets the parent of two upcoming race drivers, and learns about a race in Mexico called the Carrera Panamericana. Loving the name ‘Carrera’ he decides that it would be great name for a new line of racing inspired chronographs. That man was a young Jack Heuer, and the watch was the Heuer Carrera, and the rest they say, is history.
To time with the Carrera’s 60th anniversary, TAG Heuer’s designers and watchmakers have reworked and improved the new Carrera’s form, readying it for its seventh decade of service. And it looks like they’re onto a winner here with a redesigned case, two new dial configurations on each of the two pieces, plus a new domed sapphire crystal that is unique in the market today – shaped like the hesalite crystal of vintage 1970’s pieces, running around the dial edge, over the tachymeter scale, flowing down into the case, making for a very unique look. Outside of the aesthetics, the design also has a secondary function, allowing the tachymeter to be read from a wider range of angles, the purpose of the original design.
TAG Heuer has released two variants of the Carrera Chronograph – a blue dial version with 2 sub-dials and date at 6 o’clock blending in with a small seconds indicator, and a black dial variant with three silver sub-dials and date window at 12 O’clock. Both a departure from the current collection configuration, however, having played with these in person, both dials do work well in my opinion.
In another nod to vintage Carreras, these two new pieces are in a more classic 39mm sizing, opening up to many more wrist sizes than current larger 41mm+ Carrera models we’re used to. The case has been designed for both form and function, with easily accessible chronograph pushers, crown and a brushed and polished steel case design.
Both models come equipped with the TAG Heuer Calibre TH20-00 Automatic movement, an evolution of the Heuer 02 movement. Visible through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back, the new-generation movement now features an oscillating weight offering bi-directional winding, where previous versions only charged the movement’s mainspring if the rotor moved in an anti-clockwise direction.
This evolution, overseen by TAG Heuer’s Movements Director Carole Forestier, is more significant than it may at first appear. In daily use, it delivers faster and more reliable winding, ensuring the watch is running closer to its maximum 80-hour power reserve and improving precision for more of the time it’s in use. The new TH20-00 also has a higher level of finishing, which is in line with TAG Heuer’s vision to create technical and yet also elegant watches and movements.
In TAG Heuer’s words – these two watches offer two expressions of the same evergreen philosophy. The blue is inspired by modernity, where the black and silver picks up more strongly on the Carrera’s racing pedigree.
Having had a first look at these watches, I can say that TAG have done a good job in revitalising a classic model line steeped in history. It’s not until you get a bit closer that you start to see all the details that make these new models unique. The dial, whist both are brushed, they are circular brushed, rather than from the centre out, meaning you get this great sunburst effect when playing with it in the light.
The stepped sub-dials have both a traditional spiral pattern then a brushed finished around the outside, to set it apart from the main dial and due to the nature of the domed crystal, the tachymeter scale is almost magnified at certain angles, and completely legible from side on. On top of this, both black and blue dial versions come with Rhodium plated hands and applied indices, contrasting against the dials and making them highly legible at a glance.
Both models are 100m water resistant, and have increased warranties from 2 to now 5 years, bringing them in line with many other brands offering this as standard.
Reference: CBS2210.FC6534 (Black Dial) / CBS2212.FC6535 (Blue Dial)
Specification:
- Case: 39mm / 46mm lug to lug
- Thickness: 13mm thick
- Case Material: Steel brushed and polished case
- Case back: Steel screw-down sapphire case back
- Dial: Circular brushed blue dial or black dial, Rhodium plated hands, applied indices with green Super-LumiNova®
- Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance:100m / 10bar
- Movement: In-house Calibre TH20-00 Automatic
- Power reserve: 80 Hours
- Strap: Blue calf skin strap (blue dial variant) / Perforated black calf skin strap (black dial variant). Both with polished steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
