TAG Heuer unveils the latest Carrera Chronograph, drawing inspiration from the timeless link between cars, drivers and motor racing.
Earlier this week, TAG Heuer released a timepiece that traces back to the visionary founder of the brand, Jack Heuer, and his forward thinking concept: gifting racing drivers gold timepieces. For those that may be new to the world of watches, TAG Heuer Carrera has quite a history with Motorsport, one that spans 60 years with the first Carrera (reference 2447) being released in 1963. To put it breifly, the TAG Heuer Carrera get’s its name from the legendary Mexican road race, Carrera Panamericana.
Since the first gold Carrera timepieces were gifted to winning drivers, this gesture from Jack Bauer created an unbreakable bond between TAG Heuer and the world of Motorsport. These gold timepieces were more than just a reward for the drivers hard efforts, they become a loyal companion in the driver’s relentless pursuit of victory. These valuable watches were seen on the wrists of famous drivers like Ronnie Peterson and Niki Lauda.
This latest TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph pays tribute to the vintage era of racing, with the timepiece’s retro charm and timeless design. The watch is presented in a 39mm 18K 3N yellow gold case, with it’s iconic “Glassbox” design. TAG Heuer explains the GlassBox design as “when viewed in cross- section, the watch’s silhouette is fluid thanks to the seamlessly curved edges of the domes sapphire crystal, yet also angular due to the case’s taut flanks and muscular, avant-garde lugs. This innovation breathes new life into the 2023 Carrera collection, elevating its visual elegance and making it an exceptional centerpiece. The gracefully curved flange not only amplifies visibility but also simplifies the reading of the 60-second / minute scale that encircles the edge of the dial.”
The timepiece comes with a lot of details from the vintage gold Carrera model. The watch also does retain it’s modernity, however, with the crown being presented on the right side alongside the chronograph pushers, the modern ultra-ergonomic Carrera case design, and the domed sapphire crystal making up the Glassbox design.
The dial of this new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph follows the same suit as well, with it recreating the same design as the vintage model, but with a modern touch. Firstly we get the contrasting black “azuré” sub dials at 3 and 9 o’clock, both with gold hands, a recreation of the original 1960’s design. The hour indices remain similar in design, with circular dots being used for the Super-Luminova markings for the hours. The tachymeter scale is more refined on the latest version, along with the design of the hour and minute hands.
The biggest change on the dial, however, comes with the addition of the 6 o’clock subdial on this latest rendition of the 1960’s Carrera Chronograph. While the date window is retained on the 6 o’clock hour marker it-self from the 1960’s design, the new model now has a constant seconds subdial. Minimalistic in design, the sub-dial only contains the 5 second increments along with a black lacquered seconds hand, contrasting nicely against the gold 2N dial background.
Inside this new Carrera Chronograph is TAG Heuer’s in-house chronograph movement Heuer 02, listed as TH20-00. This automatic bi-directional winding movement operates at a high-frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH) and gives out an impressive power reserve of 80 hours. The watch does have an open case back which gives view to the TH20-00 movement, with the most notable design aesthetic being the skeletonised winding rotor with the engraving “TAG HEUER TH20-00 THIRTY THREE (33) JEWELS SWISS”.
While the vintage 1960’s gold Carrera Chronograph came with a matching gold bracelet, this latest rendition is offered on a black perforated calfskin leather strap secured with a 18K 3N yellow gold pin buckle. Not only does this enhance the timepiece’s connection to it’s racing inspired heritage, it also colour matches nicely with the black sub-counters and details on the dial, improving the overall aesthetics of the timepiece.
With the conclusion of the celebration of 60 years of TAG Heuer’s Carrera, this latest model is a proud testament to the brand’s achievements, encouraging wearer’s to pursue their own version of success, just like the legendary drivers throughout history. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph is available for purchase online through TAG Heuer boutiques and online E-Commerce.
Reference: CBS2240.FC8319
Specification:
- Case: 39 mm
- Case Material: 18K 3N Solid Yellow Gold Fine-Brushed/Polished.
- Case back: Sapphire – 18K 3N solid yellow gold.
- Dial: Gold 2N with vertical brushed finishing.
- Crystal: Domed Sapphire “GlassBox” Design with anti-reflective treatment.
- Water resistance: 100 m / 10 bar
- Movement: Automatic bi-directional winding TH20-00
- Power reserve: Approximately 80 hours.
- Strap: Black perforated leather strap with fine-brushed/polished 18K 3N solid yellow gold pink buckle.
