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TAG Heuer’s Carrera Watches Live Up to their Legacy
News
TAG Heuer’s Carrera Watches Live Up to their Legacy
Racers, Start Your Engines
Who better to explain the longevity and legacy of the TAG Heuer Carrera than a man whose job consists, in no small part, of keeping that legacy alive? TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck spends hours poring over the minutia of variations, and uncovering new information about this instantly recognizable chronograph. But for Biebuyck, the TAG Heuer Carrera is, at its heart, quite simple. “Fundamentally, it is the quintessential chronograph wristwatch focusing on absolute legibility. It is a utilitarian product, designed for timekeeping on your wrist.”
Evolution of an Iconic Design
One of the most commonly cited references of evolving iconic design is that of the Porsche 911. When the Stuttgart carmaker debuted the supple, subtle rear- engined racer, they surely had no idea that they had laid the foundation for one of the most enduring and instantly recognizable car designs in the world. The 911 (which is universally known by a single name, like Madonna, Cher and all the other truly great icons) is defined not by its engine or function, but by its form. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche’s design is perfectly proportioned and pleasingly harmonious. And while the design of the 911 over successive generations has evolved along with technology and the needs of drivers, it has always embodied the same goal — to be modern, but never fashionable. This way, the designers of the 911 ensured the iconic automobile is as relevant today as it ever was, and never goes out of style.
You don’t need to be Einstein to work out that the parallels between this German powerhouse and TAG Heuer’s iconic chronograph extend beyond a shared name. The TAG Heuer Carrera watch is in many ways a spiritual twin of the Porsche 911. It too was born with function and the purity of line. The TAG Heuer Carrera has evolved over the years, but like the 911, it is instantly recognizable, whether it is a design from 1963, 2003 or 2023. That is the mark of an iconic design.
The Legendary Three
Over 60 years, there have been many TAG Heuer Carreras created, and particular references or models have risen from the ranks to the great, and to the status of legends. According to Nicholas Biebuyck, those three are the 2447, the 1158 CHN Driver’s Watch and the 1996 Re-Edition.
Heuer Carrera Chronograph 1963 Reference 2447
The reference 2447, as Biebuyck alludes, was produced in quite a range of variants, across a period of around seven years. Beyond the shared number, the triple register layout, and other common design details, what makes reference 2447 special is that it is the first Carrera, launched in 1963. Like many watches of its time, different elements were sourced from different suppliers. It’s a testament to Jack Heuer’s vision that even from day one, the TAG Heuer Carrera had such a strong identity, distinct from its competitors in the space. An identity that still holds up today. It isn’t an overstatement to say that the care and dedication Heuer took with the 1963 Carrera set it on the road for future success.
Heuer Carrera Chronograph Reference 1158 CHN
Often known simply as the Driver’s Watch, this solid gold TAG Heuer Carrera is rightfully iconic. The reference 1158 was produced in a range of iterations from 1970 through to the late ’70s — the “CH” appellation speaks to the champagne dial color and the “N” for the noir subsidiary dials. The watch is already distinctive enough, but it’s the association with Ferrari, with whom Heuer was the first non-automotive brand sponsorship in Formula 1, that makes this watch famous. In 1971, Jack Heuer made a deal to provide timekeeping equipment for the Ferrari team. Alongside this, he made a deal with the drivers, which meant they had to visit the Heuer factory personally, to pick up a solid gold TAG Heuer Carrera. For Heuer, having drivers like Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda wearing a TAG Heuer Carrera had a marketing value that was worth its weight in gold.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 1996 Re‑Edition
Believe it or not, this 1996 TAG Heuer Carrera was the first model bearing that name since 1985, when the new owners, Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG), pushed the brand into new directions. In 1996, TAG Heuer decided that the time was right to bring the Carrera back into the stable, and it did so with three models: two stainless steel watches in a white and a black dial, and a gold watch with a white dial. These models were remarkably true to the 1963 original, with a 36-mm case, period-correct geometry and dial design. They even bore the classic Heuer shield proudly on the dial.
21st Century Racer
No one is denying that the TAG Heuer Carrera has a legendary past, but what about today? Where in this age of electric vehicles does the TAG Heuer Carrera fit in? You might be forgiven for thinking that this pure motorsport design is a relic of an analog era, a golden era of motorsports. On one level, it’s true. The world of F1 today is safer, and arguably more sanitized than it was when Jack Heuer and his fast friends roamed the paddocks and, in a not-insignificant way, helped Heuer create this world. TAG Heuer, and especially the TAG Heuer Carrera, has been there, every step of the way. With each innovation and changing trend, the TAG Heuer Carrera kept the pace. In the 1970s and ’80s, the brand embraced the precision offered by quartz technology and has continued to do so throughout
the years.
TAG Heuer has been wildly innovative over the years. Remember the Mikrogirder 10000? It’s a concept mechanical chronograph capable of timing to 5/10,000th of a second accuracy, thanks to a 1,000Hz vibrating linear oscillator. And how about the Monaco V4, a watch that took automotive inspiration right down to the big block caliber with its linear winding mass? Then there was the Mikrotourbillon S, with two tourbillons — a fairly conventional one looking after the timekeeping, and another, an incredibly fast 50Hz tourbillon, that looks after the 1/100th of a second chronograph. In the present catalog, this spirit of innovation is well expressed by the Heuer 02T caliber, which made headlines when it debuted in 2016 for its accessible (for a tourbillon) price tag and intelligent design and construction. I only highlight these signposts on the road to remind you that while TAG Heuer and the Carrera have a legendary history, it’s a living history, and one that’s still very much being written.
TAG Heuer Carrera Today
TAG Heuer Carrera is indisputably a chronograph, first and foremost. But the collection is more than that, as TAG Heuer has launched a series of brand-new 36mm time-only models. And while the mental association between the famous name and sports chronograph is firmly locked in for many of us, Biebuyck cautions us against this mentality. He says, “I think many people forget that time-only Carreras have existed for a lot longer than they realize. In 1978, we launched a quartz time-only Carrera, so it was already part of the product portfolio in the 1970s. And then when the collection was relaunched in 1996, it came as the homage to the original pieces. By 2000, when it was a complete product portfolio, we had time-only and twin-time already.” Looking at the broader history of Heuer and TAG Heuer, Biebuyck maintains that time-only has always been part of the brand. He explains, “We offered pocket watches, dashboard timers and time- only wristwatches in the 1940s. Then, of course, as TAG Heuer, the first Formula 1 watches were time-only. It’s not that far removed from the heritage of the brand. We’ve always produced something robust, reliable and accurate, and if you’re a driver in a cockpit, there are guys in the pits keeping the time for you — you don’t always need a chronograph. Both have coexisted for many years, and of course, it plays nicely into the distillation of legibility.”
Indeed, legibility and color are the name of the game with TAG Heuer’s exuberant new, smaller-sized Carreras. Formally known as the TAG Heuer Carrera Date, the size and inclusion of vivid pink and pastel green suggest that these watches are being made with women’s wrists in mind. Still, there’s a universality to these watches in both size and style that will see them win over men and women alike. There is a lot to like here. The colors are as versatile as they are fun, and the pure tenets of the Carrera design laid down in 1963 ensure that the design of this watch is strong.
These watches show very clearly that, even as TAG Heuer Carrera evolves, it stays true to its roots.
The Next 60
As the TAG Heuer Carrera celebrates its 60th, it’s a collection that’s in a remarkably strong position. It is a collection with an incredibly rich history, one that TAG Heuer has been savvy at leveraging. Much of the discourse around the TAG Heuer Carrera has, understandably enough, been focused on the early years of this iconic model. But the TAG Heuer Carrera doesn’t live in the past — it is informed by it, but it thrives (and always has thrived) in the now. From its earliest days, the Carrera has been a watch defined by possibility. A chance meeting at Sebring gave the watch its name, a deal with Ferrari and its famous drivers. TAG Heuer Carrera thrives because it responds and reacts to the world around it. While we hesitate to speculate as to what the future might hold, one aspect of the TAG Heuer Carrera that is already impressive and looks set to continue racing ahead is the partnership with Porsche. Biebuyck observes that the future of this partnership is so strong because of the shared history. “We’ve flirted with Porsche for decades. Drivers like Jo Siffert, our relationship with Gulf, Steve McQueen, we have so many points of connection. But when Frédéric [Arnault] stood on stage with Detlev [von Platen, sales and marketing head of Porsche] in 2021 to announce the partnership, it was a key moment.” The last 60 years of the TAG Heuer Carrera have been incredible, but it’s the next 60 we’re excited for.
Tech Specs
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph
References: CBS2210.FC6534 (black dial), CBS2212.FC6535 (blue dial)
Movement: Self-winding Caliber TH20-00; 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph date and tachymeter scale
Case: 39mm; polished steel; water resistant to 100m
Dial: Black or Blue circular brushed; rhodium plated facetted indexes
Strap: Perforated black calfskin or blue calfskin; polished steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
Price: CHF 6,300
Availability: From April 2023
TAG Heuer Carrera Date
References: WBN2310.BA0001 (silver sunray); WBN2311. BA0001 (blue sunray); WBN2312.BA0001 (pastel green); WBN2313.BA0001 (vibrant pink)
Movement: Self-winding Caliber 7; 56-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds and date
Case: 36mm; steel; water resistant to 100m
Dial: Silver sunray, blue sunray, pastel green sunray or vibrant snailed pink; 18K rose gold plated applied indexes or rhodium plated applied indexes (for vibrant pink dial)
Strap: Steel H-shape bracelet
Price: CHF 3,100
Availability: Pink version available from May 2023, other versions available from April 2023