Mario Canonizado 
TAG Heuer revitalises a staple of their lineup for Watches & Wonders 2025, revamping one of the most beloved all-purpose timepieces ever made!
Watches & Wonders has become a sort of annual tradition for LVMH brand TAG Heuer. Yes, it’s an annual tradition for every watch head, but TAG Heuer has looked to up the ante in every single appearance – for good reason, too, as they spent far too long languishing in the proverbial doghouse. But since the 2020s, the tide has been turning: every passing year made TAG Heuer harder and harder to ignore, eventually coming to a head in 2023. This would turn out to be a landmark year in the La Chaux-de-Fonds brand’s history, with the release of the Carrera Glassbox at that year’s Watches & Wonders sending shockwaves through the community. Compounded by the bolstering of the Aquaracer and Formula One collections in the following years, TAG Heuer has fervently reestablished itself into the horological hall of fame. While there is plenty of credit where credit’s due in that respect, it seems that TAG Heuer isn’t quite done with updating the modern selection, as for this year’s Watches & Wonders they have unveiled a new version of their beloved TAG Heuer Carrera Date collection!
Related Reading: There Won’t Be Another Like TAG Heuer’s Carrera
While we’ve previously explored what makes the Carrera lineup so iconic, the origins of this particular subgenre remain less widely known. By the early 2000s, Carrera chronographs were already well-established, but the newly LVMH-acquired TAG Heuer sought to create a watch that could display time as legibly and efficiently as its chronographs could record it. This vision materialised in the form of the Carrera three-hand timepieces, translating the timeless, functional design of the Carrera into a pure time-and-date model. These quickly became a staple of the modern TAG Heuer roster, as the clean lines of the Carrera three-hand collection became a go-to for many watch enthusiasts new and old.
Related Reading: Chronographs (With TAG Heuer)
Over the years, the brand began to gradually evolve. In-house movements, new designs, and revolutionary innovations were introduced to TAG Heuer’s collections – except for the Carrera three-hand. Sure, they had the Twin-Time – which saw some success – and a movie tie-in with brand ambassador Ryan Gosling, but there was an inescapable feeling that the Carrera three-hand range was eventually going to be made technologically redundant. It wasn’t going to happen soon; the design was still so incredibly popular. But, if TAG Heuer were too slow to act, they would risk having to phase out what is ostensibly a modern horological classic.
For Watches and Wonders 2025, I can happily say that they have done just that, just in the nick of time! With a grand total of six new references, the 2025 TAG Heuer Carrera range (‘Victory,’ as I like to call them) has been revealed, and will be taking their place as a permanent instalment of the brand’s ever-expanding catalogue. Taking on the same silhouette as the older Carrera Day-Date, these new steel references all measure at the same 41mm case diameter, accompanied by a 47.5mm lug-to-lug and a 12.57mm thickness. If you’re a measurements guy like I am, then you’ll note that these new Carreras are 0.5mm longer and 0.2mm thicker than the current rendition, but both are justifiable considering the new updates.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date ‘Victory’ collection has taken on a wide array of subtle yet impactful design revisions that differentiate it from its older sibling. The dial has been divided into three separate sections, all with their own distinct characteristics: On the five standard models, the periphery of the watch now only supports the seconds track; The minutes track has been recessed down into the watch; And the central dial has been raised upwards, drawing the eyes towards the dial’s centre. Only the central section has been given a distinguishing finish – either blue sunray-brushing, black opaline, red opaline fumé, or black graining – with the rhodium-plated (or 18k rose gold) indexes stretching over both it and the recessed minutes track. At the end of each index now lies a rounded lumed pip, save for the arrow at three o’clock denoting the newly colour-matched day-date wheel. The numerals along the periphery have been removed, streamlining the dial for a cleaner, more refined look. The only text that remains – aside from the signature make and model – denotes that the watch is “Automatic” and “Swiss,” replacing the traditional ‘Swiss Made’ designation.
For the Twin-Time rendition, most of these changes still apply, with a few additional changes that make it stand out from the older model. The dial of the watch is a brilliant teal green, but still possesses the silver-accented periphery indicative of its predecessor. The 24-hour register has mercifully been inverted into the correct orientation, and the minutes-and-seconds track now both lie in the recessed second section of the dial. Instead of indexes, the new Twin-Time carries Arabic numerals, adding further legibility alongside a completely redesigned GMT hand. Instead of the old red arrow – a design feature that felt rather out-of-place on the old aesthetic – the 2025 Carrera Twin-Time possesses a new hand with an elongated red section, contrasting against the teal backdrop without disrupting the design or functionality.
The case and bracelet have also been given a thoughtful redesign, too! Maintaining the already-refined aesthetic of the originals, the TAG Heuer 2025 Carrera ‘Victory’ range has a slimmed-down bezel that allows for a larger crystal, enhancing legibility by giving the dial more prominence. On the see-through case back, a small engraving of a victory wreath has been added along the circumference – hence why I keep calling these new versions of the Carrera the ‘Victory’ collection. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the esteemed motorsports history of the TAG Heuer Carrera, whilst also serving as both a tribute to the brand’s own achievements and an adorable good luck charm for the wearer.
The real kicker here, however, is the bracelet – available in standard steel or in a two-tone rose gold, the Carrera ‘Victory’ bracelet not only now features a two-action butterfly folding clasp, but it has perhaps one of the most simple yet groundbreaking additions to the Carrera three-hand yet: A self-adjustable link system. This means that, without needing tools, most of the links in the Carrera ‘Victory’ lineup are easily removable and replaceable, ensuring that, at least for adjustments, you won’t have to come back into the TAG Heuer store for quite a while.
Speaking of, yet another massive reassurance of quality comes from the 2025 Carrera ‘Victory’ collection’s new pair of movements: TH31-02 for the standard, and TH31-03 for the Twin-Time’s caller-style GMT complication. Once again, these movements are made in collaboration with AMT Manufacturing, the high-end arm of reputable movement-maker Sellita, and are offshoots of the TH31-00 movement made for the revised Aquaracer collections released mid-2024. Like the TH31-00, they both beat at the luxury standard 4Hz (28,800VpH) atop a monstrous 80-hour power reserve. 80 hours has become the signature of TAG Heuer nowadays, it seems, as their obsession with such a capable number stemmed originally from the 2017 release of the Heuer 02 movement.
Visible through the case back, these movements have been finished in a rather utilitarian fashion, yet still represent extreme levels of engineering prowess and incredible attention to detail – as seen by the automatic rotor, lovingly shaped into the Heuer shield. It’s important to note that these movements are not COSC Chronometer-certified like the TH31-00 – likely due to the overall cost of testing two new movements – but I suspect they remain capable and deadly accurate all the same, thanks to the likely rigorous check-ups done by movements director Carole Forestier-Kasapi.
Related Reading: With Carole Forestier-Kasapi, & A Year In Review With TAG Heuer
My Thoughts
Think back to when you left high school, or graduated from university. A few months down the line, do you ever recall hearing about all the crazy new advancements – technological or otherwise – your alma mater just made? Remember how that made you feel? Well, that’s how I feel regarding the 2025 Carrera ‘Victory’ range. Having spent a good amount of time with the brand for a while, I had become extremely accustomed to both the strengths and limitations of the standard Carrera three-hand models. Sure, there were some gripes I had with them, but the bottom line was that they were still insanely popular, so there probably wasn’t a massive need for a facelift.
Or so I thought, since just now I have been proven wrong once again by TAG Heuer. Ever the daring innovators, they have ushered the Carrera three-hand collection into a whole new era of watchmaking – one that focuses not just on the quality of design and esteemed heritage, but one that zeroes in on customer satisfaction and convenience. Despite the audible opinions of armchair internet contrarians, this new release by TAG Heuer proves to everyone that they are indeed listening to the customer, and doing their absolute due diligence to meet them where they are. So whether it be gripes with the movement, issues with the day-date wheel, or even the deisgn, there’s simply no more reason for any dissent towards the TAG Heuer Carrera three-hand roster To put it in the most professional terms that I know: silence, hater.
References & Specifications:
Left to Right: WDA2112.BA0043, WDA2111.BD0001, WDA2110.FC6614, WDA2111.BA0043, WDA2113.BA0043
- Dimensions: 41mm case diameter x 47.5mm lug-to-lug x 12.57mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Dial: Sunray-brushed blue/black opaline with 18k rose gold accents/black grained with orange second hand/red fumé grained dials
- Movement: Automatic TH31-02 with day/date complication
- Power Reserve: 80h
- Water Resistance: 100m (10bar)
- Strap: Brushed & polished steel/two-tone self-adjustable bracelet or black/blue perforated leather strap with butterfly/folding clasp
Australian RRP: AU$6,250 (WDA2111/2112/2113.BA0043), AU$5,950 (WDA2110), AU$12,600 (WDA2111.BD0001)
WDA2114.BA0043
- Dimensions: 41mm case diameter x 47.5mm lug-to-lug x 12.57mm thickness
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Dial: Sunray-brushed green dial with red/silver accents
- Movement: Automatic TH31-03 with date & caller-style GMT complications
- Power Reserve: 80h
- Water Resistance: 100m (10bar)
- Strap: Brushed & polished steel/two-tone self-adjustable bracelet with butterfly clasp
