Revealed at Watches & Wonders 2023: The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph
Friday - 31 March 2023
Let’s Go! TAG Heuer revs up the engine on the new Carrera Chronograph watches to mark the flagship watch’s 60th anniversary
Anyone who collects TAG Heuer Carrera watches will know that the design was the brainchild of Jack Heuer and was first released in 1963. Its design was inspired by racing car dashboards and took the name of a famous but deadly rally in Mexico named the Carrera Panamericana. Due to several fatalities associated with the rally, it was short-lived, unlike the Carrea watch itself, which has now been around for over six decades and shows signs of going nowhere. Its heritage, deeply rooted in motorsport racing, has appealed to young fans of the sport for years but also to those who just love the classic look of the crisp and legible chronograph watch.
A little on the Carrera story…
The TAG Heuer Carrera watch is noted for its distinctive lugs and its clear chronograph layout, which superseded many chronographs of its time. It was also equipped with a tachymeter scale, specially designed to improve the robustness of the watch, that came in handy from the start, enabling wearers to time the average speed of a known distance. The Carrera grew in size from a 36mm model to a 39mm model and came in several different complications - those from the second generation displaying shorter lugs. In the 1970s, TAG Heuer cemented its relationship with motorsport further, with a partnership aligned with Formula 1. The Ferrari team racing drivers were all gifted a Carrera watch of their own - each one with their name engraved into the back of the case. During the quartz crisis and the taking over of the brand from Heuer to TAG, the Carrera underwent a hiatus before it was revived once again in 1996. From this point onwards, the Carrera watch has grown and grown and from the year 2010, TAG Heuer began focussing on developing its own movements for the range.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph watches for 2023
For the release of the latest TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph watches, the brand gives the model a deep signature blue or a classic black dial colour. Both models are represented in zesty shots of orange colour that continue the company’s six-decade-long heritage in racing traditions. The brand’s heroic history in creating classic chronographs for the racetrack is reiterated in this ageless design that was first created in 1963 with a handsome and dynamic styling. Both of the new models measure a 42mm diameter and both are crafted from stainless steel with a mix of brushed and polished finishes. Recalling the speedometer of classic racing cars, orange detailing is seen in a trim that runs along the outside edge of the dial from 12 o’clock to 8 o’clock, where it then gradually melds into a deeper red colour to mimic the sound of a racing car as it picks up speed on the speedometer. Some key design concepts have been kept over the 60-year (and counting) lifespan of the Carrera Chronograph. These features were part of the recipe first formulated by Jack Heuer when he, as the great-grandson of the company’s founder), had a vision for the instrument, bringing it together as a memorable, forward-thinking and ambitious creation. The fluid, integrated lugs are also present, as well as a set of ergonomic pump pushers seen at the side of the steel case at 2 and 4 o’clock.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph watches for 2023 have a legible and well-proportioned dial layout with chronograph sub-dials that reside at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. As mentioned, these are set against a dark blue or black dial and are a nice tone-on-tone finish. A quarter-of-a-second scale runs around the edge of the dial, highlighted in white and orange. Both of the dial options are executed in a sunray-brushed finish and feature rhodium-coated stick hour markers and straight central hour and minute hands that have been liberally treated with Super-LumiNova. The central chronograph seconds hand in both models has been finished in a vivid red colour to add more energy and racing spirit to the design. To match the colour around the edge of the dial, the alternate markers on the small seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock are also finished in orange, whilst both the 30-minute and 12-hour counters have a bright red hand.
Inside the steel case of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph watches is the Calibre HEUER 02 movement, promising an improved power reserve compared to the HEUER 01 movement and comprising a total of 168 components. The in-house built COSC-certified mechanism measures an impressive depth of just 6.95mm and has a total power reserve of 80 hours. It also performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and is put on show through a transparent caseback. Both the front and back of this 100-meter water-resistant case are sealed with a piece of anti-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass to observe both the dial and the movement.
These new thoroughbred racing-inspired chronograph watches from TAG Heuer’s Carrera watch collection are available to pre-order with us here at Jura Watches. Please call and speak to a member of our sales team today for more information on 01335 453453
