Elevating an Icon
Now in its 166th year as a watchmaker and having been mastering the chronograph across three centuries since the company’s founding in 1860, the TAG Heuer Carrera was born in a golden era of the brands.
Under the leadership of Jack Heuer, the fourth generation of the family to lead the business, the TAG Heuer Carrera debuted in 1963 as the young Jack reimagined the staid Swiss watchmaking industry in a modern way.
With a name inspired by the legendary Mexican road race, the Carrera Panamericana, Jack had heard the stories of the feats of bravery in the face of danger that the race required from the parents of Mexican racing drivers Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez.
With its clean, legible design, innovative tension ring below the crystal that increased water resistance and allowed a scale to be applied to it, and featuring a design that would become signature with its peaked lugs, the first Carrera would lay down design codes that have echoed across decades into the latest pieces today.
A Whole New Carrera
Following on from the critically acclaimed redesign of the TAG Heuer Carrera collection in 2023 that would debut a new “glassbox” design that has been offered in 39mm, 42mm and now 41 mm, the sensibilities of these models provided a strong foundation for a new haute horlogerie interpretation.
For the TAG Heuer Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph a brand new 42 mm grade-5 titanium case has been crafted by the superstar internal TAG Heuer design team. Maintaining the signature peaked lugs and exceptional legibility, the new aesthetics preserves the essence of the TAG Heuer Carrera but elevates it to new heights.
Refined, tactile pushers sit either side of the crown to activate the chronograph and an elegantly integrated pusher at 9 o’clock reside in the case band to activate the split-seconds. The glassbox has been further finessed giving the impression of perfect integration into the case and giving the effect of magnifying the dial and rehaut.
The tachymeter and 1/5th second flange are curved to follow the profile of the crystal, minimising parallax error, and the smoked, translucent dial allows for the exceptional finishing of the reverse of the movement to be clearly visible. Further conveying the key code of transparency in the haute horlogerie pieces of TAG Heuer, the subsidiary dials are individually constructed from the same material as the main dial, given the watch enhanced depth.
The sapphire caseback has been carefully designed to allow for the owner to view the incredible movement from all angles, carrying over the code of the impression that it is floating from the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph.
Incredible Savoir-Faire
The movement itself is a work of art. Continuing the important collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, this new variation referenced TH81-01, continues the work that was completed for the TH81-00 that powers the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph variations.
Beating at 5Hz ensuring chronograph precision, and a 65-hour power reserve allowing for all weekend autonomy as well as an extended five-year warranty giving piece of mind to those fortunate enough to own the watch, the movement conforms to the highest standards of TAG Heuer.
Tested thoroughly in TAG Heuer’s Laboratory, the movement is not just a testament to durability and accuracy, it stands as a totem to the very best of Swiss made watchmaking know how.
The calibre TH81-01is made up of more than 350 individual components, which are exhaustively hand finished utilising more than 10 different techniques, including black polishing for many elements including the screws, as well as anglage to multiple elements. All of this is crowned by the signature checkered flag motif that is individually applied by hand using the graté technique and has become the mark of the greatest movements at TAG Heuer.
Another special element is the oscillating mass of the movement that is specially designed to reinforce the identity of TAG Heuer through its silhouette in the form of the shield logo of the company. Add to that the extended hand finishing that is offset with a handed painted gradient line to the periphery of the mass further distinguishing the incredible savoir-faire of the calibre.
“In the year that we celebrate our exceptional, one-of-a-kind connection to the chronograph complication it is an incredible moment for us to be able to present the very first TAG Heuer Carrera rattrapante” said Antoine Pin, CEO of TAG Heuer. “Continuing our unifying product philosophy of taking inspiration from our incredible history, understanding the DNA of the model line, and leveraging the unique talents across our conception teams , we are able to create watches that are monuments to the very best of Swiss Watchmaking”.
