Watches and Wonders Edit: Tag Heuer celebrates its Carrera watch, worn by Mick Jagger and Ryan Gosling, with new Chronograph and Chronograph Tourbillon versions for its 60th anniversary
It’s a massive year for Tag Heuer as they’ve unveiled new editions of classic racing watches. Following the release of the new Monza during LVMH Watch Week earlier this year, the maison showed off more stellar pieces at this year’s Watches and Wonders, held in Geneva from March 27 to April 2.
Chief among those milestone models were Chronograph and Chronograph Tourbillon editions of the Carrera, marking that line’s 60th birthday. Since its debut in 1963, this famous marque has been worn by style icons across the generations, from the likes of Mick Jagger and James Hunt, to Ryan Gosling and many others.
The origin of the Carrera dates back to the previous year when chief executive Jack Heuer attended the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. Known simply as Heuer at the time, before its acquisition by the Tag Racing team and group, the brand were timing the race. The young executive was told of the Carrera Panamericana, a dangerous road race in Mexico that was launched and then cancelled in the 1950s after being held just five times. The name Carrera caught Heuer’s attention as it represented this dangerous race, but could also be translated to “career” or “path” – a fitting name for a watch designed for the young and ambitious collector with taste in the 1960s.
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Both this year’s versions are 39mm, with the chronograph coming in either racing blue or “reverse panda” – black dial, silver subdials – varieties while the tourbillon comes only in blue with an orange lacquered seconds hand.
Tag Heuer is also reprising the functional and elegant fan-favourite “glassbox” design: the domed sapphire crystal evoking historic Heuer Carrera models, and also making indices (such as the tachymeter) on the outer rim of the dial more legible at high speed.
For Tag Heuer fans looking for a bit more bling, the house have you covered with the 44mm Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde Chronograph Tourbillon. The COSC-certified complication watch is made of a black sandblasted anodised aluminium, studded across the entire case and strap with 121 actual diamonds, and set with three polycrystalline plates.
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Tag Heuer fans with a fondness for diamonds also have the option of the 36mm Carrera Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde Chronograph, which is so much more than just a downsized version. Swapping the tourbillon complication for a sleek white gold case, the timepiece has two prominent pink diamonds that catch the eye – one shield-shaped diamond on the dial referencing the brand’s logo and a second that makes up the crown of this dazzling piece.
