TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is a new special edition model with Porsche theme elements. In addition, TAG Heuer and Porsche recently announced “the strongest partnership between car manufacturers and watch brands.”
Watch enthusiasts will immediately recognize the name “Carrera”. The legendary chronograph dates back to 1963.
In 1963, when Jack Heuer participated in a race in Sebring, Florida, he heard about the exotic road racing Carrera Panamericana that crossed Mexico. After returning to Switzerland, he registered the name “Heuer Carrera”, which gave birth to a watch legend.
However, as any Porsche owner can attest, many cars have the word “Carrera” on the bonnet of the Porsche 911. The common love for the name “Carrera” is just one thing that links TAG Heuer and Porsche together. As I will explain, both brands share a love of performance and an overwhelming overwhelming attitude to time.
Porsche and TAG Heuer recently announced “the strongest partnership between car manufacturers and watch brands.” However, this is not the first time the two companies have collaborated. For example, in 2019, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team participated in races in many cities around the world. There are also other types of motorsports, and these two luxury brands sit side by side.
Now, the two companies will be permanently connected and compete in racing competitions around the world. The two companies also stated that they will play an active role in co-sponsoring golf and tennis competitions. But most importantly, for many watchmakers, this new partnership provides an exciting period for Swiss watch brands and is expected to bring more creativity and innovation.
Always busy
TAG Heuer celebrated the 50th anniversary of Monaco in 2019. This is another work with the theme of motorsports. Last year, it revisited Carrera’s style. Guy Bove, the creative director of TAG Heuer, and his team have cleverly refined the model, paying close attention to every aspect and curve and every touch point.
Throughout 2020, the Swiss avant-garde brand launched several limited editions of Carrera. Maison chose not to cynically relabel the existing model and sell it as a special product. On the contrary, TAG Heuer (TAG Heuer) demonstrated amazing creativity and released a number of models with original styles. I personally like Montreal and Fragment Design limited edition models. Based on the social media activity I have seen, it seems that I am not alone.
In July 2020, the Carrera Sport chronograph 44mm came out and was widely recognized. The new model feels better than its predecessor. Moreover, it still offers the unparalleled readability common to all Carrera models (beginning in 1963). Two months later, the Carrera Elegant Chronograph was launched. Its appearance is more formal, but slightly smaller, with a diameter of 42mm. At first glance, the latter model appears to be a dual composite design, but after careful inspection of the dial, it is found that there is a subtle small second at 6 o’clock. On the one hand, it is not ostentatious, but on the other hand, it is still clearly distinguishable.
Now, as part of the new Porsche and swiss TAG Heuer collaboration, this long-established watch brand has just released the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition 44mm Heuer 02 Automatic. There must be a familiar feel to this timepiece, but this model also has some new elements.
dial
The dial of the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is made of gray pitch, an anthracite-like hue designed to replicate the black top.
Last year, TAG Heuer adopted the tried and trusted Monaco-style hands for its regular Carrera models. These hands can be traced back to 1969, when a chronograph with a square case appeared in the watch industry. Even today, they still look fresh and ultra-modern. In this case, the rhodium-plated hour and minute hands are lined with white Super-LumiNova, which proves to be much lower-key than Monaco’s ebullient red hands.
Two Arabic numerals indicate hours, imitating the appearance of dashboard instruments. It’s hard not to think of a tachometer when its pointer hits the red line.
Three counters dominate the dial. The 30-minute chronograph is at 3 o’clock, the 12-hour chronograph is at 9 o’clock, and the small seconds is at 6 o’clock. Both chronographs feature snail details, Arabic numerals and elegant red flashes. The frame of each chronograph is at an angle, tilting inward toward the center of the counter.
The small seconds display avoids the snail details on the chronograph and is much smaller in size. Moreover, it avoids any red details in favor of a monochromatic palette, and the date shows the date through the aperture in the small second indicator. The date value is displayed in white above the black plate and makes an excellent contribution to the overall cohesion.
The tiny track is located on the flange of the granular skin surrounding the dial. Each mark on the minute track represents a ¼ second step, which matches the movement’s 4 Hz frequency. The rhodium-plated central chronograph seconds hand almost kisses the flange, making the reading particularly simple. The random application of red on this tip of the hand further enhances readability.
From a personal point of view, there are many details on the dial that appeal to me, such as the triangular index at the base point and the red spoon adjacent to it. Similarly, the applied index and multi-level counter skillfully use depth and cause a smile of appreciation. In short, best TAG Heuer has spent a lot of effort to refine the smallest details and give each surface a luxurious feel.