Chronographs by definition work with the standard start, stop, and reset function of their buttons on the top and bottom right to time whatever it is you need to time, from lapping Lambos at the Nürburgring to boiling an egg. But that doesn’t mean that this vital complication need come with attendant busyness on the dial. While many modern chronographs, as if by force of habit, proclaim their tooliness with extra markers and numbers beetling across the dial, there is something to be said for the clean lines of a chronograph with the long-strand DNA of the Heuer Carrera, established way back in 1963.
Last month, TAG Heuer marked the 60th anniversary of its iconic Carrera collection with two all-new models that owe as much to innovation as they do to its storied forebears.
Designed by industry legend Jack Heuer himself, when it emerged in 1963 the Carrera ushered in a new breed of sleek, modernist chronographs. With a reputation shared to date with only a handful of makers, Heuer prided itself on its chronographic past. Yet times were changing. Jack Heuer, according to legend, loathed busy dials but loved modern, minimalist architecture. He set out to declutter his Carrera from the outset. This was a time when tool watches were beginning to cross the divide between professional use and a broader public market.
In a stroke, he removed the complicated telemetry gauge that had long been a standard feature of chronograph dials, used most recently by artillery officers during wartime to calculate the distance of exploding shells.
Flashforward 60 years and the design of the new TAG Heuer Carreras take centre stage for its anniversary celebrations—notably its new ‘glass box’ case. Made from sapphire crystal,
the domed glass box mirrors the hesalite crystals found on Heuer Carrera models from the
1970s. A redesign means that the curve of the crystal now flows over the tachymeter scale
that runs around the dial edge—making the dial easier to read from a variety of angles.
Both the classic Chronograph (39mm) and Tourbillon (42mm) models use a tweaked version of the brand’s in-house Calibre 02 movement. Visible through the open case back it now features an oscillating weight that allows for bidirectional winding, a feature that TAG Heuer says makes for faster and more accurate winding, improved precision and an 80-hour power reserve.