That green dial really means business… And it’s about time. This rash of TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronographs is exactly what I think the family needed — a return to form. Sensibility might not create headlines but it does underline classics. And that, as far as I’m concerned, amounts to a low-key triumph for a very divisive mainstream brand. TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Stainless Steel
TAG Heuer is one of those brands that splits opinion. There are some who believe that the brand lost its way after TAG acquired Heuer in 1985. Others just as ardently extol it as the beginning and the end of the conversation when it comes to luxury sports watches (you know who you are). You may find yourself in either camp, or you may have yet to decide where your loyalties lie. If you are still musing over your position on the brand, perhaps the latest collection of Carreras will help. The latest TAG Heuer Carrera Sport chronographs take a refreshingly restrained approach to a frequently toyed-with classic. TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Stainless Steel
Messing with a winning formula rarely results in progress. And while the Carrera pulled it off once (in its early days) attempts to pull the same rabbit out of the hat have stumbled in recent years.
The Carrera was a cornerstone of the Heuer brand and one of former CEO Jack Heuer’s finest achievements. Following the sale of the company the Carrera name has never been too far from the lips of TAG Heuer aficionados, nor the brand’s catalog (save a 12-year hiatus). The soul of the collection, however, was, if not lacking, somewhat detached from its origins. Things got too fancy, too futuristic, too…fiddly.TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Stainless Steel
Carrera models encasing the manufacture Calibre Heuer 02 have been available since 2018, but the series lacked a classic version with a closed dial. Now TAG Heuer has closed that gap in the line in an attractive way. with the Carrera Sport Chronograph, which we review in this feature from our March-April 2021 issue.TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Stainless Steel
A dial with counters at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions is called “tricompax” and is quite popular with chronograph fans, which is no surprise — the dial’s symmetry pleases the eye, which tends to seek order, and it’s also reminiscent of classic chronograph designs from the mid-20th century.
TAG Heuer’s current Carrera collection has included chronographs with tricompax dials since 2018 — powered by the recently introduced Caliber Heuer 02. But those Carrera manufacture models have a highly technical look, with openworked dials and metal components between the strap lugs, so they’re more likely to appeal to the tastes of the avant-garde than to lovers of classically styled chronographs. TAG Heuer followed the modern manufacture Carreras with the launch of two retro timepieces with closed dials, but still there were no contemporary serially manufactured models.TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Stainless Steel
Now the Swiss watch brand has launched two collections: the Carrera Sport Chronograph and the Carrera Elegant Chronograph. Each line consists of four models. The Sport series differs from its elegant sister collection mainly because the cases are 2 mm larger in diameter, the bezels are wider and bear tachymeter scales, and the crown and push-pieces are more strikingly styled. In addition to three Carrera Sport Chronographs with metal bracelets, there is only one version with a leather strap. Our test takes a closer look at this model, which is an attractive combination of sporty and elegant design elements.
