Combining classic racing heritage with modern silver charm, I go hands-on with TAG Heuer’s latest offering in their Carrera Glassbox range!
What We Love:
- Glassbox sapphire crystal design
- Sunray brushed dial
- Multiple little details that make the watch stand out
What We Don’t:
- The bracelet design feels too standard for a watch of this calibre
- The date wheel could be better colour-matched to the dial to blend in more seamlessly.
- Lack of micro-adjustment on the bracelet
Overall Rating: 8.9/10
- Value for Money: 9/10
- Wearability: 9/10
- Design: 8.5/10
- Build Quality: 9/10
Ever since the Carrera line was first introduced into the world of horology, with the Heuer Carrera released in 1963, it has been a symbol of precision and racing heritage. When it comes to the world of luxury timepieces, very few designs boast a balance of history, style, and racing inspiration quite like the TAG Heuer Carrera.
Before we dive into the review of one of TAG Heuer’s latest offerings of the Carrera this year, it’s essential to understand one of the leading design features of this timepiece: the glassbox. While the glassbox design is one that came about recently from the brand, it does have a deep-rooted history that stretches all the way back to the original 1963 Carrera Chronograph timepiece.
1963 is arguably one of the most historic years for TAG Heuer, as this is when Jack Heuer introduced the Carrera, an entirely new style of racing chronograph. Heuer prioritised the timepiece’s design to be suitable for racing drivers to meet the rigorous demands of the racetrack. This meant that the timepiece had to be easily legible for the driver while being rugged enough to withstand the demands of racing.
Jack Heuer had a minimalistic approach when he designed the first Carrera (reference 2447), with the end result being a timepiece that was stripped of all non-essential elements. The dial turned out to be iconic, with its tri-counter layout of 3-6-9 and the baton-style hour indices. However, one design element that was often overlooked was the “box” style crystal protecting the dial.
This crystal design covers the whole dial, and the “box” shape comes from the fact that when you take a side profile view of the timepiece, the crystal has almost a vertical face that runs around the edge of the dial (albeit minor in size compared to the modern editions). This is vastly different from traditional crystals on watch dials that are either flat or slightly domed (curved). While many of Carrera’s iconic design elements were retained for future timepieces, including the current modern models, one element that was overlooked was the box crystal design.
That is until 2015 when TAG Heuer unveiled the “Glassbox” Carrera models. Up to ten references of the Glassbox Carrera were created between 2015 and 2023, with them being limited edition timepieces that reference vintage Heuer Carrera timepieces. The models came with a 39mm case, a domed sapphire crystal and TAG Heuer’s Heuer 02 movement. In 2023, however, TAG Heuer started releasing general commercial versions of the Glassbox Carrera, with the models being second-generation. The 2024 version of this Glassbox Carrera design is the timepiece we are going hands-on with. Released during Watches and Wonders 2024, the TAG Heuer Carrera Silver Panda is personally one of my favourite Carrera models to date.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Silver Panda isn’t a completely new design. The timepiece references the vintage 7753 SN, which was released in 1970. Bar a few differences, upon looking at both timepieces, we can immediately see the similarities, in particular the black dual-counter layout at 3 and 9 o’clock, the baton-style hour indices, and the silver sunburst dial. For this 2024 rendition, TAG Heuer has taken the classic design and given it the modern rendition it deserves.
Initial Impressions
While covering the watches released at Watches and Wonders 2024 alongside the rest of the Watch Advice team, I came across TAG Heuer’s latest releases. It may sound cliche, but I was immediately drawn to the watch, and honestly, I couldn’t quite put my figure on as to why.
I have always been a fan of the Carrera due to its racing-style design. I love chronograph timepieces; for me, the Carrera ticks all the right boxes. I like the sharp styling of the dial with the rectangular hands and hour indices. A testament to this fangirling over the Carrera was me buying my first “luxury” watch, which was the TAG Heuer Carrera Day Date Calibre 16 (CBN2A1AA.BA0643).
When I saw the Carrera Silver Panda, I told Chamath that I would love to have it for review, and he made it happen without any hesitation. When I first held the watch, I was pleasantly surprised with how it seemed in real life. I think the pictures didn’t do this watch enough justice. Over the period of time, I had the timepiece for review, it kept growing on me. I started noticing little details that, as I mentioned earlier, online photos didn’t pick up!
Carrera Case Design
One thing I love about the Carrera is that the case design has remained the same throughout its production history. Besides a few subtle tweaks over the years, the original design presented on the first Heuer Carrera in 1963 is what we see in modern models today.
The Carrera case has a signature design in which the lugs have sharp edges and a refined look, with a slight taper to fit the curvature of the wrist. The lugs themselves also have angular surfaces, which contribute to the case’s sharp look. This look is perfectly suited for this timepiece as the dial features the same design cues with the sharp edges of the hour and minute hands and the hour indices.
The Carrera Silver Panda’s 39mm case has a 13.86mm thickness and a 46mm lug-to-lug distance, all with various finishes, which not only give it a luxury finish but also make it stand out proudly. From the side profile of the watch, we can see the subtle horizontal brushed finish, while the top surfaces of the watch have a beautiful polished finish, giving the timepiece a lovely glimmer.
Another signature design of the Carrera is the chronograph pushers. The very first Heuer Carrera came with the classic round “mushroom” style pushers, designed to give great feedback when pressed while looking aesthetic. This latest Carrera Silver Panda has the same design, but the pushers have been redesigned over the years for a modernised look. While the original Carrera’s had the distinctive mushroom look, the new look has a slimmer top, an internal bevel, and a barrel “extension” from the case in which the pushers slide into.
The most notable feature, however, is, of course, the glassbox sapphire crystal design. As I mentioned earlier, TAG Heuer revived the glassbox crystal in 2015, with the design improving over the years. The 2023 update to the Carrera glassbox came with a more prominent crystal design, in which the “bezel” or, in the case of the Carrera Silver Panda, the black tachymeter scale, is more visually apparent.
Related Reading: The New TAG Heuer Carrera “Glassbox”. Is This The Chronograph We Didn’t Know We Needed?
Unlike traditional tachymeters on conventional watch designs, the Carrera Silver Panda has this scale sloping upwards towards the dial. This means that the glassbox sapphire crystal allows the wearer to see the tachymeter scale from the side profile of the watch alongside the dial view. This feature would undoubtedly be useful back in the days when racing chronographs were used more often, as the driver can read the tachymeter scale from the side of the watch whilst still having his hands on the steering wheel, without the need to turn the wrist to see the dial.
Silver Panda Dial Design
The Silver Panda’s dial is inspired by the Carrera 7753 SN, which has the same dual counter layout. The counters are black, and the dial has a silver finish; hence, the “panda” look. The vintage reference came with baton-style hour indices and rectangular hour and minute hands, giving the dial, as mentioned earlier, a sharp look. For the 2024 rendition, we get the same design; however, the hands and indices have a polished finish, which lets them shine beautifully at different lighting angles.
Of course, what stands out in this dial are the sub-counters at 3 and 9 o’clock, which measure the elapsed minute and hours, respectively. TAG Heuer, however, has gone a step further to make the sub-dials stand out, and that is by giving the hands a touch of red colour. This red can also been seen on the tip of the chronograph hand, and when you look closer into the dial, the tips of the minute track. I personally really like this addition of colour. It’s not too much to take attention away from the simplistic yet detailed dial, but it’s also the right amount to break up the monochrome look.
A more subtle element of the dial is the 60-second sub counter at 6 o’clock. This is where this modern Carrera differentiates from its vintage inspiration, as the reference 7753 SN Carrera came without a constant seconds function. However, to keep the attention on the dual sub-dial layout, TAG Heuer has made the constant seconds counter on the Silver Panda blend in with the dial by only having the 5-second increments marked on the dial in black. Placed inside this sub-counter is also the framed date window. I like the design of this date window for two reasons. Firstly, the date wheel has been coloured and matched to the dial so that it blends in. Secondly, with the framed window positioned where the 6 o’clock hour marker is, it naturally feels like part of the hour track, giving a balanced aesthetic view to the dial.
I also really liked how TAG Heuer executed the silver dial. To me, this is the stand-out feature of the watch (although the glassbox design is a close second!). The silver dial comes with a sunray finish, unlike the previous versions of the glassbox Carreras, featuring a circular brushed finish. This sunray motif gives the dial even more character, as it highlights the silver in different tones from different lighting angles.
What I also noticed is that the curved minute track plays with light beautifully as well. TAG Heuer has done the minute track in a different shade of silver compared to the dial and also excludes the sunray motif. This means when under light, the minute track shines far brighter than the dial itself! One thing that pictures don’t always pick up about the dial is that even though it’s silver, at certain angles the dial gives off a cream/light beige colour, which you can faintly see in the image above!
Movement
The TAG Heuer Silver Panda retains the same Calibre Heuer 02 movement as per the previous glassbox Carrera timepeices. The Calibre Heuer 02 movement was first launched in 2016 and has quickly worked its way into being the signature movement for TAG Heuer.
The movement was developed entirely in-house and produced by TAG Heuer’s movement manufacturer in Chevenez, Switzerland. The Heuer 02 movement is renowned for being part of TAG Heuer’s many collections, including Carrera, Monaco, Monza and Autavia Chronometer Flyback.
The latest version of the Heuer 02 movement, TH20-00, featured in this Carrera Silver Panda, comes with bidirectional winding. The watchmakers also state that “Previously the rotor could be heard occasionally, but now the high quality of the new gear train and the bearing reduces that noise considerably. However, the winding speed remains unchanged: it’s still among the fastest on the market.”
This TH20-00 calibre movement operates at a high frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz) and has an impressive power reserve of 80 hours. This is undoubtedly handy, especially if you love to wear the watch to work or the office. You can take it off for the weekend and return on Monday to find that it is still keeping time! The open case back shows the skeletonised oscillating weight, sculpted in the shape of TAG Heuer’s coat of arms. While it’s not exactly beaming with technical finishes, the surrounding Côtes de Genève finishing on the bridges adds to the aesthetic allure of the caseback.
How It Wears
This Silver Panda is offered as standard on a three-link stainless steel bracelet with a mix of brushed and polished surfaces. Although this is the standard bracelet offered in the brand’s other current Carrera models, it does suit this timepiece, and the case also has a mix of brushed and polished surfaces.
However, It would’ve been nice to see a different bracelet design for this vintage-inspired Glassbox Carrera. This is the first time that TAG Heuer has given the Glassbox Carrera a stainless steel bracelet, so having a bracelet design that’s slightly different from the rest of the Carrera models would’ve further added to the allure of this timepiece. For example, the vintage Carrera 7753 SN came with a 7-link bracelet with beads of rice style design. Seeing this on the new Carrera Silver Panda would have uplifted this model’s aesthetic and wearability even more! However, doing so would also mean an increase in the overall cost of the timepiece as well.
The faceted lugs that slope inwards towards the bracelet help to provide a snug fit on the wrist. Even with my small wrists, I didn’t find any issues in terms of wearability. I do often have trouble with steel bracelets as if there is not micro-adjustment or micro-links to be removed, then the watch tends to shift around my wrist slightly. Some people may prefer this, but I would like the watch to have a firm fit, which is what the TAG Heuer Silver Panda provided after removing a few links and micro links.
The Silver Panda’s wrist presence is undeniable. The silver sunray brushed dial stands out beautifully on its own while coming to life at night as it plays with light. Add to that the dual black chronograph counters with a touch of red, and you have a watch that isn’t too complicated on the dial but is surely aesthetically pleasing to look at!
Final Thoughts
My initial impression of the timepiece was that I was drawn to it more than TAG Heuer’s other releases during this year’s Watches & Wonders. When I tried the timepiece on for the first time, I could easily say that this admiration wasn’t just a temporary feeling. Something about this timepiece just sparked my interest, and it didn’t wane over time. It was all the little details that I outlined above that made me like this watch, such as the glassbox sapphire crystal, the silver sunray motif dial, the subtle addition of the constant second’s counters and how the minute track shines brighter than the dial under light.
The Siver Panda has also stepped up the game for the Carrera Glassbox collection. It is quickly becoming an essential collection for TAG Heuer, and now, with the brand offering steel bracelet as standard, it provides more versatility in wearability. To me, this timepiece has taken TAG Heuer’s heritage and greatly improved it for the modern world. Inspired by the classic 7753 SN, this new Carrera Silver Panda takes the core elements of what made the vintage model great and turns it into a timepiece that, for me, is now one of my favourite Carrera models in the brand’s current collection.
Reference: CBS2216.BA0041
Specifications
- Case Size: 39mm
- Case Lug-to-Lug: 46mm
- Case Thickness: 13.86mm
- Case Material: Steel brushed and polished case
- Dial: Silver sunray brushed dial. Black flange with 60 second / minute scale, tachymeter, and black chronograph subdials
- Movement: In-house Calibre TH20-00 Automatic
- Power Reserve: 80 hours
- Water Resistance: 100m (10 bar)
- Crystal: Glass box sapphire crystal (3mm thick) with double anti-reflective treatment.
- Strap/Bracelet: Multi-link stainless steel bracelet with polished and brushed finishes.
