Whoever said a party only lasted a year? TAG Heuer continues the celebration of the Carrera with an iconic release in a brilliant colourway.
There’s no doubt that TAG Heuer had been one of the surprising smash hits of 2023. Setting out to capture the hearts, minds, and most importantly the wallets of horology’s biggest enthusiasts and collectors hasn’t been easy for the Green and Red brand. Under the purposeful leadership of Frederic Arnault (and now Julien Tonare), however, they have been consistently dropping some of their best timepieces in an already stacked roster.
As you may well know, the Carrera collection is at the forefront of this new change in direction – both by choice and by circumstance. Jack Heuer’s brainchild enjoyed a slew of releases on its 60th anniversary, but it appears that TAG Heuer is not exactly ready to finish up the festivities. Case in point: The double drop of Carreras that we have just been treated to for LVMH Watch Week 2024!
The one of interest here is a model that has all the vintage Heuer fans jumping in celebration: The Carrera Glassbox Dato. Ever the masters of commitment to precision and style, TAG Heuer has sifted through the scrapbooks and archives of the Carrera’s lifespan and decided to revive yet another heritage design.
To fully understand the historical significance, though, we have to look back a little. When the Carrera was introduced in 1963, it didn’t originally have a date window. This is fine by me, but if you ask other enthusiasts, it’s a little hard to live without. So, the Carrera evolved – first with a date window at noon, which then moved to 9 o’clock with the conception of the 45 Dato in 1968. The mono-subdial configuration of the ‘45 garnered with it the nickname “Cyclop,” marrying functionality with timeless design and adorning the poster wall of every Heuer-head’s bedroom.
How do I know this? It’s me. I’m the Heuer-head, though I believed initially that the design was more inspired by the slightly younger Carrera “Keyhole” designs of the ‘70s. Either way, to see a design like this return in an official capacity (it had returned before, but only twice under Hodinkee collaborations) makes the watch nerd in me do backflips. TAG Heuer is doing exactly what I and the Heuer fanbase have been dying for – combining their rich heritage with ruthless technological innovation and modernity.
Sure, the original Heuers are deliciously nostalgic, but like any vintage, I’m not too sure if someone as financially (un)comfortable as myself could handle the upkeep. So thankfully, the movement is still as good as ever; The watch is powered by the in-house TH20-07, an update to the already outstanding Heuer02. While it still boasts the 80h power reserve, the TH20 series also features silent, bi-directional winding, thereby extending the potential runtime of the watch and making it more viable as a daily driver.
If it were me, though, I wouldn’t be wearing this every day – not that it’s a bad thing! To me, the design just screams ‘dressy chrono,’ a distinction that’s incredibly hard to get right these days. No running seconds hand makes it a little harder to sync up, but in all honesty, you’ll be too busy staring into the dial to want to know what the exact time is. That teal green is superb!
Although we’ve seen it be used before – namely in the Limited Edition from 2021 as well as a 44mm Carrera in the current roster – it doesn’t make it any less stunning to the eye. The choice was never arbitrary, for TAG Heuer, however. The colour was to reflect on their motorsports heritage as well as the green shades used by racing cars from the ‘60s, which I think they have executed brilliantly, in both these timepieces as well as their previous iterations. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
As a smaller-wristed guy, I have felt a little bit cut out of the chronograph lineup at TAG Heuer in the past. Yes, it was mainly because I couldn’t (and still can’t) afford it, but also because they’re all in the 42-45mm range and thicker than my fragile forearms could handle. As a result, I’m glad that TAG Heuer Movements Director Carole Forestier-Kasapi and crew have been able to slim down the movement, and that this new design is more merciful to my limitations. I also feel that these more conservative dimensions, glassbox design and gorgeous colourway add elegance and opulence to an otherwise sporty and casual-leaning brand.
Final Thoughts
In essence, this drop from TAG Heuer is a testament to their second wind – finally setting sail once again, directly committed to merging a century’s worth of heritage with innovation. This could not be further exemplified through the resurrection of the Dato – beaming with enough nostalgia to crack even the most stonehearted of vintage Heuer fans, whilst sporting one of the best chronograph movements in the entire industry.
The teal green that coats the dial, inspired by motorsports heritage only serves to underscore TAG Heuer’s mastery of their newfound aesthetic without compromising functionality. As a watch nerd, a Heuer-head, and even just as a guy who wants to see them succeed so badly, it warms my heart to see that after what has felt like a lifetime, TAG Heuer’s renewed purpose is clear, and they seem to be enjoying the path forward as much they do learning from the path behind them.
Reference: CBS2211.FC6545
Specification:
- Case: 39mm / 46 mm lug to lug
- Thickness: 13.86mm thick (including crystal front and back)
- Case Material: Steel brushed and polished case
- Case back: Steel screw-down with sapphire display back
- Dial: Teal green circular brushed dial, rhodium plated indices with tourbillon at 6 o’clock
- Crystal: Glassbox domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Water resistance: 100m / 10bar
- Movement: Heuer 02 Calibre TH20-07 Automatic movement
- Power reserve: 80 Hours
- Strap: Black alligator leather strap. Fine brushed, polished folding clasp with double safety push-buttons and TAG Heuer Shield logo
