Words: Josh Lee
Earlier this month, the eyes of the horology world turned to Singapore, with the latest edition of LVMH Watch Week, the first major event of the timepiece calendar, taking place. Arriving months before Watches & Wonders, which will occur between 27 March to 2 April, this showcase occasion was a ripe time for LVMH’s core group of maisons (Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith) to debut their latest creations without the spotlight being occupied by other marquee names.
One of the headlines of the three-day affair was TAG Heuer’s bevvy of wristwear, the most notable being a limited-edition timepiece that celebrates the 60th-birthday of one of the brand’s most significant products, the Carrera.
First launched in 1963, the original Carrera was the handiwork of Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the brand founder, who, inspired by Mexico’s perilous, border-to-border Carrera Panamericana road race, formulated a wristwatch built for recording lap times, with a round case, clear detailing and pared-back style. Such was the revelry it warranted that it was favoured by global icons such as James Hunt, Mick Jagger and Ryan Gosling.
Now, six decades since its release, TAG Heuer has announced a collectible 600-piece Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary Edition model that pays homage to one of the most revered of all Carrera models, the 2447 SN of the late Sixties.
Not only celebrated for its famed ‘panda’ configuration of a silver dial with black subdials (the watch was nicknamed ‘Big Eyes’ by fans), it also set the mark for improved eligibility in the watch world, especially with the spartan-style design of its hour and minute marks (double stops at 12, for example, were added so it was obvious when the chronograph was zeroed).
A truly stylish paean to its predecessor, the latest release incorporates that iconic panda look, and featured on the silver sunray-brushed dial is a throwback Heuer logo and the Carrera moniker. Black stripes, once again, cut through the hour markers, and a trio of black counters are faced with high-contrast white hands. Beige lume, rather cleverly and subtly, prevents it all from appearing too monochrome.
Meanwhile, a 39mm polished-steel case (roughly 3mm bigger than the original) houses this all, and topping it is sapphire crystal, which, when paired with the tension ring around the dial’s outer edge, gives off a vintage feel. One subtle change to note is that the ‘T’ from the original dial, which was a label for radioactive tritium, has been dropped, as the new model draws upon Super-LumiNova.
On the reverse, one will find Heuer 02, the brand’s 80-hour in-house automatic chronograph calibre, as well as an engraving with the item’s individual number. To tie things up, a perforated black-calfskin leather racing strap with pin buckle offers snug security.
A faithful revival of an all-time great, TAG Heuer’s most recent piece is a drawer must-have for purists and collectors.
Want more watches? We dive deep into Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1…
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