TAG Heuer Releases Carrera 60th Anniversary Limited Edition

Photo: TAG Heuer

The year 2023 is going to be a big one for anniversary launches. A number of the most significant and treasured watch series in history celebrate vital anniversaries this year. TAG Heuer Carrera, on the other hand, marks one of the year’s most well-known landmarks. The first-generation Heuer Carrera 2447 SN from the late 1960s will be recreated to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the creation of TAG Heuer’s most prestigious chronograph line in 2023. The watch is among the most desirable classic Carrera models of all time.

Overall, this latest special edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary might not push the company’s limits. However, the smart homage to the line’s 60 years of existence builds on the virtues of recent classical-based Carrera debuts. What’s more, it features appealing dimensions, traditional panda coloring, and strong in-house function.

Background:

When Jack bumped into the Rodriguez brothers in 1962 during the 12 hours of Sebring, he learned about Mexico’s hazardous and brief Carrera Panamerica road racing. This gave him the idea to adopt the moniker of a wrist-worn Chrono. As a result, Jack Heuer invented the Carrera chronograph in 1963, which influenced the timepiece chronograph’s development for many years. The design statement is now regarded as timeless, refined, and fashionable.

Photo: TAG Heuer

The Heuer Carrera Chronograph was designed as a timepiece for racing automotive drivers and intended to be durable and dependable yet perfectly legible. The latter of which Jack Heuer nearly had an obsession over. It was his concept to save the important things and get rid of the rest. Moreover, his demand for a clear, uncomplicated dial featuring baton hour markings prompted Singer to supply the dial. He also recommended coating the steel tension circle in 1/5-second intervals to add waterproofing level to the casing and hold the wristwatch crystal.

Generally, TAG Heuer introduced a number of variants, such as the Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph Jack Heuer Edition and Heuer Carrera Calibre 17 Jack Heuer 80 years Edition, in 2013 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Carrera.

Photo: TAG Heuer – Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph Jack Heuer Edition

Both models were partially created by Jack Heuer, who was then the Executive Chairman of TAG Heuer. Moreover, these watches had a modern appearance in accordance with what the brand thought was suitable at that moment.

Photo: TAG Heuer / Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph Telemeter

The Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph Telemeter joined the collection in 2015. It indicated a new path even though it wasn’t designated as a commemorative or special edition. Afterward, the Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition watch from TAG Heuer was unveiled in 2020.

Technical Features:

• The Dial, Case, and Hands

The casing is somewhat reminiscent of the precedent set by Jack Heuer’s design of the 2447 SN. The innovation has a refined 39 millimeters round casing with an elevated profile plus a sapphire glass box on top. This specific element, which evokes a classic package of perspex crystals, is one that users truly appreciate.

The casing is still sleek and stunning as it’s always been, which is a credit to Jack Heuer for his group’s excellent design skills. Likewise, the pump-style pushers contribute to the vintage feel.

Carrera 60th Anniversary Limited Edition dial is reminiscent of the classic 2447 SN. It’s worth noting that the SN refers to Silver Noir, which denotes that the dial is silvery with black subdials, or in modern terminology, the Panda dial. It’s also intriguing that Jack, at the time, decided to name the timepiece using both English and French in contrast.

Photo: TAG Heuer

However, this revised Carrera 60th Anniversary is fundamentally identical to the 2447 SN. The black sub-dials comprise a polish featuring concentric rings, while the silver dial is coated with a sunray gloss. Without any TAG indications on the dial, the labeling reads out CARRERA and features the Heuer logo.

Photo: TAG Heuer

The word T over the inscription SWISS at six o’clock has been erased, but the inscription SWISS itself is still there. And although this new Carrera 60th Anniversary Limited Edition watch employs SuperLuminova, the T refers to the tritium utilized inside the lume. The appliqué indexes’ facet structure, for example, is a vintage-inspired detail. Moreover, the decision to use a creamy SuperLuminova to mimic the tritium appearance of the original has the same effect. In bright lighting, this lume SuperLuminova inlay on the hands and indexes is cream-colored. Similarly, it turns bright green in low light.

Photo: TAG Heuer

The sub-dials currently represent various signals from the iconic watch, which is one alteration. This is because the innovation’s Heuer 02 movement has a different structure compared to the originals’ Valjoux movement. Furthermore, the 30-minute and 12-hour totalizers border the dial at three and nine o’clock, accordingly, while the perpetual seconds’ indicator is now located at the six o’clock sub-dial.

• The Movement: Heuer 02

TAG Heuer’s proprietary Heuer 02 manual chronograph movement drives the new Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary. Throughout recent years, the Heuer 02 has established its position as the go-to movement for the company’s higher-end chronograph products. Boasting a power reserve of up to 80 hours while beating a frequency of 28,800 bph, TAG Heuer has become the leader in its field. Also, a column wheel and vertical clutch chronograph triggering mechanism are some of the other aspects that make the brand a front-runner.

Photo: TAG Heuer

In addition, Heuer 02’s coating matches that of the other vintage-style Carrera watches in the range, including the engraving of the Heuer emblem and the Côtes de Genève along the skeletal bridges. The other two are a black-treated column disc to showcase the chronograph complexity in use and a black-finished wheel-style skeletal rotor with more Côtes de Genève.

Photo: TAG Heuer

Remarkably, TAG Heuer equips the Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary with a traditional black leather strap with rally-style openings to complement the retro-inspired design. Also, since there are only 600 pieces available, the caseback is inscribed with the unique number as well as the level of the watch’s 100-meter waterproofing.

Final Words

This 60th Anniversary Limited Edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph might not be the company’s most avant-garde creation in 2023.

Photo: TAG Heuer

However, with elegant looks and strong performance, this authentic recreation of a vintage Carrera model beautifully honors sixty years of TAG Heuer’s best enduring line. Furthermore, this special edition watch will only be produced in 600 pieces.