There is no need to remind you the original Jack Heuer-designed Carrera chronograph from 1963 featured a 36mm diameter case, which was a good enough size for the men of the era. Though it seemed like the first time the company deviated in such a manner, TAG Heuer produced simple, chronograph-free three-hand Carrera watches with a date indication in the late 1990s and quite recently, too – including the Calibre 5 automatic Carrera Date 36mm, in the Carrera Lady line. No doubt TAG Heuer fans remember the recent introduction of the Carrera models, none featuring the chronograph function – the Carrera Date 39 mm, Day-Date 41mm and the Twin-Time Date 41mm in 2021. Please welcome the new Carrera Date 36mm, which comes with fresh and colourful new dials. This year, TAG Heuer launches an all-new version of the Carrera Date, redesigned and with an upgraded movement. Early TAG Heuer quartz divers from the 1980s have found newfound appreciation in collector’s circles, while the brand’s modern catalog is a mix of vintage-inspired reissues and unique collections, such as the Connected smartwatch line.The TAG Heuer Carrera collection is famous for the various editions of chronographs, but it has a few elegant timepieces to offer without the sporty function. It would go on to power the famed Monaco - made famous by actor Steve McQueen - as well as automatic versions of the Autavia, Carrera and more.įalling on hard times in the wake of the Quartz Crisis, Heuer was ultimately purchased by Technique Avant Garde (TAG), and subsequently by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, who brought the brand into the modern age. This caliber (and its successors) was the result of a multinational race to build the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. However, one innovation from 1969 deserves particular mention: the famed Caliber 11. The brand grew to become a powerhouse in chronographs in particular, and the list of famous designs from the 1960s and 1970s can’t be counted on two hands. What resulted was a chronograph with plain baton markers that gave only the most necessary bits of information - clean, uncluttered, undeniably attractive. Heuer's obsession with legibility led to a dial design that was simpler to read than the Omega Speedmaster or the Rolex Daytona (released the same year as the Carrera). In designing the Carrera in 1963, Jack Heuer created something that was entirely his, and is without question the chronograph that is most associated with the brand today. The Autavia was purpose-built for racers and pilots, and attracted the attention of Formula 1 racers and devotees such as Jochen Rindt and Steve McQueen. In its place he launched the line of Autavia wrist chronographs, the first line of chronographs produced by Heuer to be named, rather than simply numbered. He had first tried his hand with the Autavia, which at the time of his succession was a stopwatch with a virtually illegible dial. Jack Heuer, a longtime racing aficionado, saw an opportunity to revitalize - or at the very least, to reexamine - the company’s already-successful line of chronographs. Starting in 1911, when the sport of automobile racing was still in its infancy, the company produced dashboard clocks for cars, boats, and even airplanes. The Heuer name was not unknown in motor racing and aviation circles. His chosen path? Moving into a line of technical instruments for use in sporting and transportation applications. But in 1962, the responsibility of running the company fell on his shoulders, and he found himself faced with the daunting task of safeguarding his ancestor’s legacy while at the same time forging his own. He had already played a role in the design of some timepieces, starting with the Solunar in the late 1940s. In 1962, Jack Heuer inherited the company that his great-grandfather had founded in Saint-Imier nearly a century before. If you are unsure about going down the vintage route but still desire a classically styled watch with some added modern accouterments, this TAG Carrera should be in your sights. While first generation Carreras were manually-wound, this piece houses TAG's Calibre 5 automatic-winding movement within, and comes fitted to a matching steel bracelet with a signed push-button deployant clasp.Īlthough slightly larger than its forefathers, this piece retains the traditional Carrera case shape as a modernized interpretation of the classic. This modern iteration features an upsized 41mm steel case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, a beautiful, luminous sunburst blue dial with applied indices and a matching handset, and a polished bezel. Jack wanted a watch that was stylish and functional - a watch that gives you everything you need and nothing you don’t. The Carrera was one of Jack Heuer’s most passionate projects, and his design ethos for this watch can be summed up in one word: legibility.
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