Jura Watches Welcomes the New TAG Heuer Carrera Dato-Inspired Chronograph Watch
Tuesday - 06 February 2024
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph in teal green is inspired by the brand’s 1968 Dato model and has been released alongside a Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon watch in time for the LVMH 2024 watch event.
If you hadn’t already noticed, TAG Heuer has been gracefully working its way through its back catalogue. It has been earmarking some very prominent pages of its history book with nods to legendary designs like the Carrera 160 Years and the Glass Box released last year. The next stop is this new deep green TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph, paying homage to the earlier Dato.
The Evolution of the Carrera Date Window
The unusual layout of the dial came about as a solution to a problem that TAG Heuer encountered. The original 1966 Dato had a 12 ‘clock date window that was, in theory, a great little feature. But when the chronograph was not in operation, the date window became difficult to read. To resolve this, the date was moved to the 9 o’clock location. The feature was balanced by a nice little 45-minute register. This ref 3147 was released in 1968.
The Latest Chapter of the Carrera
In the new Chronograph Dato-inspired Glass box edition, the rehaut sits under an anti-reflective and scratch-resistant glass box surface before dipping down into a centrally-grained portion. Although the 30-minute sub-scale is a little smaller than the original, this new re-interpretation of the original TAG Heuer Carrera Dato watch keeps many of the design’s key features intact. This 30-minute sub-dial at 3 o’clock is finished in a beautiful azurage pattern that picks up light beautifully.
The baton hour markers of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Dato-inspired watch have been given a slightly bolder appearance with a more angular dimension. The dial, uncrowded and easy to read, benefits from a simple touch of luminescent material on the surface of the hands and hour markers, taking the wearer from the day into the night.
The new TAG Heuer Chronograph watch adopts the same lug structure as seen on other models. They are faceted, sharp and angular to give the watch a crisp and masculine appearance. The polished bezel separates the brushed sides of the case and enables the seam where the sapphire glass meets the case to stand out.
Let's look at the specifications of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Green in more detail…
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Green
Released in time for the LVMH event 2024, TAG Heuer announced a slew of new Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph watches in a smaller diameter, a new Connected Calibre E4 concept, and this new green-coloured chronograph watch from the Carrera series. The latter comes in two variations, one with the 30-minute counter and date complication arranged on an east-west axis and a tourbillon version, which we’ll be covering in another review.
The new Chronograph Dato-inspired version, similar to the tourbillon addition, has the glass box sapphire crystal surfaces that the brand released last year. Although not the sportiest of the range, it certainly pays homage to TAG Heuer’s racing heritage and its strong ties with the sports industry.
Even beyond the Carrera 60th anniversary edition of last year, the iconic, sporty design lives on as an integral part of the brand’s catalogue. The watch originally launched in 1963 without a date complication but one was added three years later. Here, the 12 o’clock date window formed the Dato design before it got relocated to the 9 o’clock position. That pivotal moment marked the emergence of the iconic dial layout that we now all love and recognise.
The Dato watch quickly gained a loyal following and was loved for its stark black and white contrasting details set across a dial that adhered to Jack Heuer’s racing dial-inspired philosophy. Amongst other advantages, it featured a strong glass front, adequate water resistance, incabloc shock absorbers, an all-steel case, a 1/5th of a second stopwatch, a reinforced mainspring, and the ability to stop and start a timing without resetting.
As a cherished collector’s piece, it seems only right that TAG Heuer should pay homage to this important design. A collaboration with Hodinkee saw the 45-minute counter turn to a 30-minute recorder and a transition from white to black in the rehaut. Last year, TAG Heuer released a blue model with a 6 o’clock date feature and a black model with a 12 o’clock date. The green monochrome variant is the brand’s latest addition, preserving the Carrera’s rich legacy perfectly.
As mentioned, the new teal green model features a glass box sapphire crystal, a date window at 9 o’clock, a 30-minute sub-counter at 3 o’clock and luminous-treated hands that point to a set of baton markers around the hour track. Domed and curved this sapphire glass front blends into the case for easy reading of the indications on the dial.
Inside the 39mm model is the TH20-07-adapted Calibre Heuer 02. The engine is self-winding and boasts an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The movement offers an extensive five-year warranty and a shield-shaped rotor, denoting the symbol that has become synonymous with TAG Heuer craftsmanship.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Green watch comes completed on a classic black alligator leather band with a double folding pusher buckle crafted from stainless steel. The 20mm lug size also leaves you with plenty of choice should you want to configure the watch to a different strap a little further down the line.
If you’d like more information on the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Green watch, you can check out more details by exploring the Carrera watch collection here at Jura Watches. Alternatively, you can call us and speak to our Jura Watches sales team at 01335 453453 or email us at help@jurawatches.co.uk
