REVIEW: Hands On With The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport

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The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is a piece that isn’t for the faint of heart, and is aimed squarely at those who appreciate motorsport – so we thought we would test drive this in the real world to see how it performs.

TAG Heuer’s motorsport roots are well-known, to the point where if you don’t associate TAG Heuer with motorsport, then I’d say that you’re probably also unaware of the brand. Ok, I’m being a little facetious here, but you get my point. The fact that they have a watch named after an F1 race (The Monaco) and another that was designed in 1963 after Jack Heuer was enamoured by the Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico (The Carrera) should give this away, but also highlights the brand’s close ties with motor racing. This is no more evidenced by the fact that TAG Heuer will be taking over from Rolex as the official timing partner for Formula 1 from 2025 for the next 10 years as part of the deal between Formula 1 and LVMH.

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So it comes as no surprise that last month in early September, TAG Heuer launched their latest (at the time) tribute to motorsport, the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport. Released in either sandblasted grade-2 titanium or 18K 5N rose gold and with several colour variants to choose from, there is a piece that should suit most tastes, but when I was looking at what to review out of the range, well I just had to go with the rose gold and titanium with the black bezel. I mean, why not!?

First Impressions

They say first impressions count, and in the case of the new Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport, the looks of this did have me hooked at first glance. Rose gold with a matte black ceramic bezel, skeleton dial and rubber strap. What’s not to like? Many years ago, I owned a TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Sport with a similar open-worked dial in blue, so I had plenty of experience with these pieces, so I was keen to see how the Carrera Extreme Sport line had evolved over the years.

The overall design of the watch was very familiar, the 44mm size, angled lugs typical to TAG Heuer and rubber strap brought back memories of years ago, but the rose gold really elevates this piece and gives it something a little extra, and I’m not just talking about the added weight of the gold! If I could sum up the Extreme Sport in a few words it would be bold, aggressive yet paradoxically, somewhat elegant and eye-catching.

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The Design

The design of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport screams TAG Heuer and Carrera, you just have to take one look at the case shape with those angled and pointed lugs. On this particular model, the 18k 5N rose gold case really stands out against the contrasting black bezel, crown, pushers and strap. Black has a way of bringing down the bling factor in a gold watch, one reason why I love this colour combination in watches a lot. The clever thing TAG Heuer has done with the Extreme Sport in rose gold is they have made the outer case from 18k rose gold, but the inner case is titanium. This means that you not only save weight in the watch, an aspect important to a piece such as this, but you also save on costs. Less gold = less money, which is how TAG Heuer has been able to price this piece so aggressively at A$17,800 whereas other solid gold case sports watches will sit somewhere in the A$40k – A$50k range, if not more depending on what’s inside and the brand.

The dial is what makes this piece in my opinion. According to TAG Heuer, the dial is designed to give you the feeling of looking into the engine bay of a car. While I do love the way brands link watches and the design elements to cars (which some do extremely well by the way), I tend to feel that it is more to bring to life the watch through imagination than anything else. In any case, the dial on this piece does suck you in whichever way you look at it, and I probably had too much fun taking pictures of it, as I did take a lot due to the detail and depth in it!

TAG Heuer has used a combination of elements here with this dial to create the look. You have a main layer which is done in Nickel Antracite Coating (NAC) which has been both brushed polished and sandblasted to create a more industrial 3D effect. Behind this, the open-worked date wheel has been plated in 18k rose gold to contrast the black main dial with the date window indicated at 6 o’clock.

TAG Heuer has given the hands, indices, chronograph sub-dials and outer track a treatment of gold as well, all plated in 18k red gold. The circular graining on the sub-dial rings looks great, and stands out, drawing the eye to these when looking at the dial.

The logo at 12 o’clock has also been given a rose gold look, plated in 18k rose gold on the skeleton dial. Under this, you can see through to the movement, with the barrel peaking through. This helps to balance the dial out and while there is a lot going on, if you’re like me, it’s a pleasure to look at as you always notice something new. Honestly, if you’re into your macro photography, this is the watch for you!

On this particular model, rather than polished ceramic, the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport continues the edgier theme using a matte black ceramic bezel with gold markings. The use of a matte material against the more polished gold works a treat, adds to the aesthetic and with the gold markings, is easy to read. If this wasn’t enough, the crown has been done in polished black DLC grade-5 titanium with a gold plated ring as has the chrono pushers, minus the gold ring that is!

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With this new generation of Carrera Sports, the rubber strap has been equipped with a black DLC grade-2 titanium folding clasp with push buttons. it also includes the on-the-fly micro adjust, making it easy to get the right fit when on the wrist and out and about on the go. This is something I feel all watch brands need to have as standard on any sports watch – something I’ve said many times before. Thankfully, a lot of brands are catching up. In saying this, TAG Heuer has had this mechanism now for a few years, so they are by no way lagging behind. The one minor criticism I have with the strap is the lack of design elements or embellishments on it. I feel some sort of detailing on the outside would help to deliver an overall better look compared to the flat black rubber. Perhaps some perforations or racing-inspired details?

How It Wears

The one thing I’ve learned about the Carrera Sports line is, that whilst they may be on the larger side at 44mm, they wear a lot better than the specs sheet suggests. Now while I may have been drawn to larger watches in my younger days, these days I prefer slightly smaller sizes, depending on the thickness and design of the case I gravitate towards anything in the range of 40mm to 42mm. I feel this just suits me better for a daily wearing piece. However, there are exceptions – my PAM312 clearly being one of them!. That being said, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport wears better than most larger watches. This is down to the way the case is designed with facets and beveling to deceive the eye and the way the lugs are designed to angle down and contour to the wrist with the strap.

Measuring 15.1mm thick and 49.7mm lug-to-lug, TAG Heuer has slimmed this new model down from the previous versions, making it more ergonomic to wear, and in real life it actually does what is promised. Now, I won’t go as far to say this is a small watch, and even though it does wear smaller than the numbers suggest, if you have smaller wrists than about 16cm or so, you may find that the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is on the larger side for you. To put it in context, I have 17.5cm wrists, whereas Champs has 16.5cm wrists, and you can see below with both pocket shots side by side, there’s a small difference, but not overly so.

For those who have a more oval-shaped wrist, this will fit better than those who have a more rounded wrist due to the flat caseback and the lug shape. The rubber strap is also comfortable, which is something I’ve found with numerous TAG Heuers over the years. They have a knack for making softer leather straps that don’t need much breaking in at all, and this is also true of the rubber straps. It’s not thin, it’s robust and will keep the watch secure on your wrist and with this comes a small trade-off in suppleness, but only minimally.

The rose gold and black colour scheme also makes this watch versatile, which if you know my preferences as I’ve mentioned numerous times, is a massive plus for me. The rose gold dresses up the piece, so while it is still a sports watch at its core, the toned-down rose gold means it will pair with most outfits. Added to this the black contrasts, and you get a slightly slimmer-looking piece (visually speaking) and makes for a great watch to wear casually, or dressed up.

The Movement

TAG Heuer has done a lot of work with their movements over the past few years. Ever since Carol Forestier-Kasapi came across from Cartier to TAG Heuer to take over the movements division, their movements have taken quite a few steps forward. There is a greater push for more in-house movements, more innovation is being done to increase the reliability and power reserves, and TAG Heuer is even putting more effort into the aesthetics of the movements. According to Carol when we caught up with her at Watches & Wonders this year, these are all just small incremental improvements that TAG Heuer is implementing over time to bring the movements up to where they deserve to be.

In the case of the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport, the engine powering it is the TH20-00. This is the newer Chronograph movement that evolved out of the Heuer 01 and Heuer 02. It is a standard movement being used in the newer higher level Carrera and Monaco pieces, such as the Glassbox Carrera Chronograph or the Titanium Skeleton Monaco that were introduced last year. With an 80-hour power reserve, you won’t be left out of gas, even if you take it off for a couple of days.

The movement beats at a pretty standard 4Hz, or 28,800 VpH which is fairly common these days for automatic movements, striking a balance of accuracy and longevity in the power reserve. With a vertical clutch and column wheel, the pushers are responsive without too much resistance or lag. The crown and stem are pretty tight, something I look for now in a movement as it allows you to set the time a lot more accurately with little give in stem connecting to the movement. The one thing I will mention is the lack of a screw-down crown on the Extreme Sport. For a sports watch with 100m water resistance, and someone who likes to wear their watches in the pool or beach during summer or on vacation, I like the added security of the screw-down mechanism. Not that water will get into the watch if the crown is pushed in, but more so on the off chance it gets knocked and comes out while in the water or still wet. It’s a small idiosyncrasy on my part.

Final Thoughts

Say what you want about TAG Heuer, but they are making some great pieces at the moment for different tastes and preferences. If you want a more vintage-styled sports piece, the Glassbox Carrera Chronograph 39mm ticks lots of boxes. A sports diver? Then the new Aquaracer is a game changer at the A$5,000 mark with an exclusively developed movement, COSC certified, 300m water resistance and a dial that is sensational. And if you want more wrist presence and something on the bigger side (which is actually more likely if you’re an average male according to TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director, Nicholas Biebuyck), then the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is a great option.

As I mentioned towards the start of the review, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport has a retail of A$17,800, which I feel represents good value for money when you look at the overall package. An 18k rose gold outer case that looks great, gold plated accents on the dial, hands and crown, with an in-house movement and 80 hours of power. Yes, the watch isn’t a full solid gold watch, and neither are the hands and dials solid gold either, but I’ll pose the question: Does this matter? You get the benefits of a rose gold piece that is sporty, without the additional $20k – $30k is how I look at it. However, if you’re the sort of person who likes the heft of a solid gold watch, and has the money to spend, then more power to you – you do you. If not, and this is more up your alley, then it is a great choice. I’ve enjoyed my time with the piece and received a few compliments when out and about. Most of all, it has been fun to wear!

References: CBU2050.FT6273

Specifications:

• Case Dimensions: 44mm, lug-to-lug of 49.7mm and 15.1mm thick
• Case Material: Brushed and polished 18k rose gold, with fine-grained hollowed side and a grade-2 titanium inner case
• Bezel: Ceramic black matte tachymeter fixed bezel with golden markings
• Dial: Textured and skeletonised Nickel Anthracite Coated dial with 18k gold plated hands, indices and sub-dial rings
• Crystal: Beveled, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
• Case back: Circular brushed black DLC grade-2 titanium screwed sapphire case back
• Movement: In-house calibre TH20-00 Automatic Chronograph, beating at 4Hz/28,800 VpH and pivoting on 33 jewels.
• Power Reserve: 80 hours
• Water Resistance: 100m (10 bar)
• Strap: Black integrated rubber strap, with a black DLC grade-2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link and Black DLC grade-2 titanium folding clasp.

Australian Recommended Retail Price: AUD $17,800

Availability: Available now via TAG Heuer Boutiques, retailers and online at TAGHeuer.com