2020 was a banner year for TAG Heuer, since it was their 160th anniversary. Closing in on two centuries of excellence is no small feat, and the brand decided to launch three watches for the occasion. People say the third time is the charm, and in this case, the third watch is the definitely a charmer – the TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition drew inspiration from the classic Heuer “Dato 45,” the first watch to feature a turning date disc, and at the 12 o’clock position at that. Even back in 1965, Heuer knew how previous time was. One of their ads features the line, “We think is very special to you.” Special indeed.
Speaking about the inspiration piece, Catherine Eberlé-Devaux, TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director, says, “It was fascinating – truly a privilege – to have a chance to look at all of the outstanding Carrera models when we were creating our anniversary selection. The choice of the 3147N – the in-house reference for the Carrera “Dato 45” – was a bold one because it challenged our design team to create a clean, legible chronograph dial with a date window in an unusual position. They updated and upgraded a true icon, rising to the occasion brilliantly.”
Don’t worry, the TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition has lived up to the expectations. Powered by the Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement, the watch has an 80-hour power reserve. The 44-mm stainless steel watch was released in two versions, one with a blue dial and one with a white dial. The ceramic fixed tachymeter bezel looks powerful without overshadowing the magnificent dial and subdials.
The blue dial version has white chronograph subdials; the minutes subdial is at the 3 o’clock while the hours subdial is at the 9 o’clock. There is another indicator at the 6 o’clock, for the permanent seconds, in blue, perhaps to blend in with the dial. The red touches on the date, the minute subdial, and the second hand are perfect to complement the blue and white palette.
The white dial version is just as handsome (if not more so… sorry, blue-dial watch) and in my opinion, the better choice. The subdials are also at the 3 and 9 o’clock, for the minutes and hours, respectively, but for this watch, these subdials are black. The permanent seconds indicator is white, just like the dial. The touches of red are here too, and seem to be more prominent against the white dial than they were against the blue dial.
Though the TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition was launched in 2020, it is still deserving of a second, third, fourth glance, and beyond. The watch is handsome (can you tell I like it?) and who doesn’t love the chronograph? And for those who like a nod to history, each watch from the 160 Years Special Edition was released as a limited edition of 1,860 only. Yes, a nod to the year that Edouard Heuer founded his Jura Mountains workshop.
Visit https://www.tagheuer.com/ph/en/ for details on other Tag Heuer watches that have caught your eye.