The story of the TAG Heuer Carrera is legendary. It began in the early 1960s when a young Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the founder of the namesake brand, wished to share his passion for motor racing.
He created the Carrera watch in 1963 after a chance meeting with the Rodriguez brothers, rising young race stars from Mexico. They told him about a race in their home country of Mexico called the Carrera Panamericana, a furiously fast and extremely dangerous road race that ran on five occasions in the early 1950s before it was cancelled.
Translated as “race”, “career” or simply “path”, the Carrera timepiece was a carefully thought-out design and a clear expression of Heuer’s philosophy. His formal education as an electrical engineer had taught him about the value of a clear instrument dial. He was also a motorsport fan, and understood how important it was for a racing driver to have a legible dashboard instrument that could be read out in the blink of an eye.
An elegant watch which embraced a sporty spirit, the Carrera’s design was clean and legible but also modern and inventive. It was Heuer’s idea, for example, to push the tachymeter scale onto the tension ring — an innovative device proprietary to the Carrera that was used to hold the crystal in place and protect the watch from dust and water.
Six decades on, the TAG Heuer Carrera is an icon, known as a stylish, eternally modern and superbly engineered wristwatch for forward-thinking people.
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Celebrating 60 years
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of this iconic model, the brand’s designers and watchmakers have reworked and improved its form and created two new models — TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph and TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon — both of which promise to become keystone designs in the company’s collection of contemporary watches.
At first glance, the overall ergonomics of the timepiece looks definitely more refined to suit the current market demand for more compact watches. Now measuring at a comfortable 39mm in diameter, the stainless-steel case is comfortable to wear, even across a range of wrist sizes.
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The most striking feature is its domed sapphire crystal which flows smoothly and seamlessly over the tachymeter scale that runs around the dial edge and into the case. More than just aesthetic, this detail — which has been trending with the watch collectors — helps to enlarge details on the bezel, like a magnifying glass, and allows the tachymeter to be read from a wider range of angles. In addition, the flange and indexes have been curved, too, further contributing to the watch’s seamless aesthetic, coherence and legibility.
An ergonomic yet strident design that is precise yet refined, technical yet elegant, the TAG Heuer Carrera presents many calculated but cool contrasts. For example, the curvilinear look of the domed sapphire crystal juxtaposes well against the angular look of the case’s taut flanks and muscular, avant-garde lugs. Also, the marriage of brushed and polished metal surfaces all around the case makes the watch’s visual impact both velvety and assured. Running your fingers along the sides of the watch is a tactile pleasure for the senses.
Equally pronounced are the new pushers, which have been shaped and positioned to make them as efficient for the user as possible. At its heart, the TAG Heuer Carrera remains an extremely refined watch, designed for purpose and defined both by its function and its form.
Winning movement
Inside both iterations of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph is an evolved version of the brand’s in-house automatic chronograph calibre, the Heuer 02. Also called TH20-00, the next-generation movement is visible through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back, fitted with elevated finishings.
Joining the TH30-00 and TH50-00 calibres in the new series of movements, the TH20-00 features an oscillating weight offering bi-directional winding. Previous versions only charged the movement’s mainspring if the rotor moved in a counter-clockwise direction.
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In daily use, it delivers faster and more reliable winding, ensuring the watch is running closer to its maximum 80-hour power reserve and improving precision for more of the time it is in use.
The reverse panda
The chronograph comes in two timeless expressions. Inspired by modernity and elegance, the first comes in a signature blue dial on a blue calfskin leather strap. The second is a sportier black-and-silver model, with a black perforated calfskin leather strap that is close to the original.
The racier model has a striking “reverse panda” dial, the nickname given to black watch dials with high-contrast white or silver subdials — a distinct feature seen on several TAG Heuer chronograph models as far back as the 1960s. Subtle differences in the application of the subdial scales are what differentiate the two models, as does the position of the date: at 6 o’clock on the blue, and at 12 o’clock for the black-and-silver model.
Timeless yet modern, precise yet refined, ergonomic yet striking, the new TAG Heuer Carreras are guaranteed to be a perennial favourite among watch buyers and collectors. Both models come with a five-year warranty.
Tourbillon timing
Joining the new chronographs is a luxe tourbillon model with sporty supercharged features and larger face. The stainless steel case is sized at 42mm and topped with the new glassbox sapphire dome, so you can really enjoy magnified views of the dial details, especially the tourbillon’s continuously rotating cage at the 6 o’clock mark.
Tourbillons are a rare thing because it takes only the best watchmakers to master this complex feature. An innovation perfected more than 200 years ago, a tourbillon is designed to counteract the influences of gravity on the accuracy of a mechanical movement. Using tiny little parts to assemble this unique component requires artistry and technical dexterity, which Tag Hauer has managed to achieve.
Further details in the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon help elevate the watch’s overall look and readability. The deep azuré subdials are surrounded by high-contrast silver rings, making the chronograph read-outs as legible as possible. In the same way, the minutes scale running around the outside edge of the dial is punctuated by fiery orange detailing over each hour marker. A final, almost nostalgic touch is the chronograph’s central seconds hand, which has a crisp, triangular shape inspired by 1960s race-car dashboard instruments.
Inside, the watch is powered by TAG Heuer’s in-house tourbillon movement, the TH20-09, together with a chronograph function. It offers 65-hour power reserve and bi-directional winding for increased efficiency and accuracy. A sapphire case back showcases the TH20-09 and completes the drama.
Even with such refined detailing, the watch is arguably characterised most by its tone-on-tone colour palette featuring the signature TAG Heuer Carrera blue dial with a circular brushed finish, and blue calfskin leather strap. This piece also comes with a five-year warranty.
It’s a Date
Also getting a looks and mechanical upgrade is the TAG Heuer Carrera Date, which now offers colourful new dials, a new tapered bracelet design, and an upgraded movement.
Finally, there’s a vibrant pink face, as well as TAG Heuer Carrera signature blue, pastel green and warm silver. All four have a delicate sunray-brushed finish with a liberal application of Super-LumiNova for low-light legibility. Each has a raised track running around the outside of the dial, detailed with quarter-of-a-second markings to symbolise acceleration, only made more casual and elegant with a tone-on-tone finish that complements the dials.
Now more ergonomic, the 36mm stainless-steel case is 2mm thinner than its predecessor, and the top and bottom lugs have been reduced from 43.55mm to 41.6mm. While very marginal, these tiny adjustments do make a significant impact on both the watch’s visual profile and how it wears on the wrist, making it feel taut, athletic and well-balanced.
The crown has also been redesigned so that it sits squarer to the case edge, as has the brushed and polished three-link bracelet, which now tapers more gently into the round case. Together, these refinements give the TAG Heuer Carrera Date its luxurious, ergonomic feel.
Wearers will feel a noticeable improvement to the watch’s endurance now that it has been fitted with the new Calibre 7 Automatic, which has a superior 56-hour power reserve. Previous editions were powered by the TAG Heuer Calibre 5 Automatic with 38-hour power reserve. This enhanced movement also provides the watch with a date window at 6 o’clock.
