TAG Heuer is cementing themselves as the pioneer of lab-grown diamonds on timepieces with the latest release of the second Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde was first unvieled in 2023, with its release representing a major milestone not only for the brand but the whole watch industry in general. TAG Heuer doesn’t have a lot of full diamond pieces in their line-up, but that doesn’t mean they’ll shy away from the chance to innovate and create something spectacular.
The Swiss brand has mastered the art of creating lab-grown diamonds. As we know, mining diamonds from natural sources is a painstakingly hard process and is also one that costs the brand an exuberant amount to manufacture into watches. Lab-grown diamonds are certainly a great solution, with it being a more cost-effective solution as well. Lab-grown diamonds are almost identical to natural diamonds in their chemical composition, detailed structure and appearance.
The first timepiece to use lab-grown diamonds was the Carrera Plasma Tourbillon, released in 2022. Learning and expanding on this innovation, TAG Heuer then went and created the Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde 36mm, which featured the first colour lab-grown diamond on a timepiece. This was all possible thanks to the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique, which allowed the brand to create amazing pink-coloured lab-grown diamonds.
Upon the release of the first Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde, Frédéric Arnault (then CEO of TAG Heuer) stated that “With the new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde, we intend to expand the new high-end innovative segment with this first colored lab-grown diamond piece. We are proud at TAG Heuer, that we are yet again able to introduce a true innovation with colored Diamant d’Avant-Garde to be used on luxury timepieces .”
Emmanuel Dupas, Director of the TAG Heuer Institute, explains the process of creating coloured lab-grown diamonds through the (CVD) process as: “A diamond, be it natural or lab-grown, consists of a regular arrangement of carbon atoms. A perfect diamond, color D and flawless, has almost no defect in this arrangement and is completely colorless. In order to obtain a colored diamond, one needs to introduce some disorder into this perfect arrangement, in a controlled way.
This disorder can be due to the addition of atoms of different elements or to the presence of defects: for example, missing carbon atoms. The CVD process offers the opportunity to introduce these defects during the growth process, in a well-controlled environment, without the need for any post-processing. This way, the diamond is colored all the way through and homogeneously. A very specific know-how – such as it is owned by one of our partners ‘Proud’ – is required to control this process and to be able to reproduce the same color, batch after batch.”
Now, as one of the latest releases for LVMH Watch Week 2024, TAG Heuer is unveiling a second version of the Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde, this time with stunning yellow lab-grown diamonds. This new yellow-diamond TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde timepiece is presented in a white gold 36mm case. Its signature diamond crown is a single, 1.3-carat, yellow lab-grown diamond, representing a marvel of gem-cutting craftsmanship.
Another lab-grown diamond innovation, which has also been used on the previous Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde watches, is the polycrystalline dial. This groundbreaking dial is created by growing a vast number of diamond crystals as one, with the end result being a breathtaking view of reflections and light effects in one single diamond entity. One of the many creative uses of this Plasma technology.
The polycrystalline dial on this timepiece has a diamond totalling 2.9 carats. The twelve white gold hour indices have been set with white baguette-cut lab-grown diamonds, totalling 0.5 carats. Underneath the 12 o’clock hour marker is another yellow-coloured lab-grown diamond-shaped in TAG Heuer’s signature shield logo design. Altogether, the timepiece carries 4.8 carats worth of lab-grown diamonds.
TAG Heuer has given this latest Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde the trusted calibre 7 automatic movement. The Calibre 7 is a high-precision movement from TAG Heuer and has been awarded the (COSC) certification for precision and reliability. The movement operates at 4Hz (28,800 VpH) and has a power reserve of approximately 56 hours. The open case back of the Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde gives a view of the movement showing its finishing, such as the oscillating mass being decorated with a “Côtes de Genève” finish.
Final Thoughts
TAG Heuer has already proven to be the leader of lab-grown diamonds on timepieces. With this latest release, they are starting to show just what they can create and the ever-so-exciting future that lies ahead for jewellery timepieces. The yellow-coloured lab-grown diamonds add a nice visual touch to an already glamorous timepiece whilst also setting a new standard in the world of lab-grown diamonds.
Although it’s not a first for this watch, I personally like the polycrystalline dial. It adds a unique aesthetic appearance to the dial, one that is now going to be known unmistakably as a signature TAG Heuer jewellery timepiece.
One detail I would change, however, is the choice of standard strap colour. The previous Carrera Date Plasma Diamant D’Avane-Garde with pink lab-grown diamond was offered in a black alligator leather strap, which worked really well as it contrasted beautifully against the dial and let it stand out. While I understand that TAG Heuer is trying to change the appearance from this previous model, the white strap blends in too much with the dial. The dial is, of course, the main attraction of this watch, so let it stand out!
Reference: WBN2344.FC8335
Specification
- Case: 36mm diameter
- Case Material: 18k white gold, polished. 1.3-carat lab-grown yellow diamond crown.
- Dial: 2.9-carat polycrystalline diamond plate. 12 white gold indices set with white baguette-cut lab-grown diamonds (0.5 carats) with a yellow lab-grown shield on the dial. Date window at 6 o’clock.
- Crystal: Sapphire with anti-reflective Treatment
- Water resistance: 50m (5 Bar)
- Movement: Calibre 7 Self-winding Automatic
- Movement Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Power reserve: 56 hours
- Bracelet: White alligator strap with white gold pin buckle
