TAG Heuer’s New and Improved Carrera Chronograph Updates a 1960s Watch for the 21st Century. The design goes back to its racing roots.
TAG Heuer is turning 160 this year and, to commemorate the anniversary, has revamped one of its most revered timepieces.
Originally released in 1963, the Carrera, Spanish for “road”, “course” and “race”, was developed as a racing watch with the streamlined silhouette to match. Though it has undergone subtle tweaks over the decades––and more than a few special editions––TAG Heuer is taking the watch back to its roots with a refresh that looks right at home on the track.
Jack Heuer, TAG Heuer’s CEO in the early ’60s who helped bring the model to life, wanted the chronograph’s lines to be clean and well-proportioned so a driver could tell the time at a glance. The four latest reinterpretations of that original stay true to its intentions while offering more streamlined 44mm stainless steel cases, either polished or gently brushed, and shorter lugs for improved comfort. Combined, these alterations give the watch a more slender, contemporary profile.
The revamped classic has a sporty, racing-inspired look.
Courtesy of TAG Heuer
The new Carrera has a circular brushed dial that comes in either deep blue, olive green or two black versions, all with a black ceramic bezel. The flange is beveled and the indexes slant toward the center of the dial to draw the wearer’s eye to the time, which allows them to read it in an instant. And the same level of legibility can be found in all three of the subdials. Adding to its customization, this array comes with matching stainless steel bracelets available in both H-shape and folding-clasp configurations. Built with 80 hours of power reserve, each one is water-resistant up to 100 meters.
Tag Heuer’s new Carrera Chronograph is also available with a green or blue dial.
Tag Heuer
Though none of the new collection is dismissable, the standout is undoubtedly the 18K rose gold version which secures with a handsome leather strap. In a first for the watchmaker, the black ceramic bezel is filled rose-gold-colored lacquer while the crown and push buttons are made from solid 18K rose gold. Its Calibre Heuer 02 movement, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, is fashioned from black PVD-coated brass with rose gold printing.
The Carrera is available on the brand’s website now from $5,750 to $6,550.
