TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60Th Anniversary Edition
Fernando AldeaSix decades after the birth of the Carrera, a model that defined an entire watch category, TAG Heuer presents a particularly attractive collector's version in a limited edition of 600 pieces.
TAG Heuer announced the launch of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary on the 11th during LVMH Watch Week in Singapore. The model, part of a limited edition of 600 pieces, features a "panda" dial and serves as the opening curtain call for the 60th anniversary of Jack Heuer's timeless creation, the Carrera watch.
https://vimeo.com/787966771First launched in 1963, the Carrera model has defined the wristwatch category for six decades and is recognized worldwide today for its classic and elegant profile, ultra-legible dial, and absolute engineering reliability. The watch has been seen on the wrists of numerous motorsport legends and big-screen stars, including James Hunt in the 1960s, Mick Jagger in the 1970s, and Ryan Gosling today. It is a true icon among icons.
The Way Forward: The spirit of the Carrera Panamericana is more alive than ever.
The history of the Carrera model has become a true legend. Jack Heuer heard about the dangerous and short-lived Carrera Panamericana in Mexico in 1962 when he met the Rodríguez brothers at the 12 Hours of Sebring, and its name inspired the design of a wrist chronograph.
Jack's Carrera watch, launched in 1963, captured the speed and adventure of the race, which ran for five years between 1950 and 1954. It also appealed to a young, ambitious generation, full of aspirations and a desire for financial prosperity, thanks to its round case, its utter legibility, and its deliberate simplicity. Simply put, it was cool. But six decades later, the watch's modern spirit still endures, and Jack's legacy is enshrined for eternity.
Seeing Both Sides: The Legacy of Dial Design
To pave the way for the year-round celebrations dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the Carrera watch, TAG Heuer's engineering and design teams chose to return to one of the most beloved vintage Carrera models among collectors, the reference 2447 SN from the late 1960s.
The first-generation Carrera model featured a hand-wound Valjoux chronograph movement and a silver or black dial in a variety of configurations, sometimes with an added scale around the dial periphery. In the late 1960s, a second series was added to the line with a silver dial and black subdials, or vice versa, known respectively as "panda" and "reverse panda" dials.
The reference 2447 SN had a silver dial with black subdials—a panda dial, as its name suggests: "SN" stood for "silver" and "noir," a blend of English and French that remains a curiosity today. As always, the aim of this expression of Jack's design was to enhance legibility. The vision guiding the Carrera model had been to create a racing instrument with which lap times could be easily recorded, without distractions and with absolute legibility thanks to its high-contrast dial.
Building on the success of the early Carreras, the reference 2447 SN further enhanced eye-readability thanks to clever design details. These included vertical bands on the hour markers for clarity; hour and minute hands with vertical bands down the center for the same effect; a double stop at 12 o'clock to clearly indicate when the chronograph was reset; and white hands and markings on the black counters for even greater visibility.
The Carrera 2447 SN model was a masterpiece with a discreet design, yet highly functional.
The Wild Side: The Panda Returns
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary is gearing up for a year of celebrations honoring the 60th anniversary of the Carrera model. Limited to 600 pieces, this is a faithful reinterpretation of the Carrera 2447 SN.
The color scheme has been transferred directly from the original model to this new version, including the black vertical stripes on the center hands and hour markers, the double stop at 12 o'clock, and, naturally, the black counters with high-contrast white markings.
The vintage Heuer logo has also been retained, displaying the Carrera name above it within the frame of a brushed silver sunray dial. The counter at 6 o'clock bears the word "Swiss," underscoring the watch's "Swiss Made" status. If we were to play a spot-the-difference game, the most observant would notice that the 60-minute and 12-hour counters are reversed, and would notice that the T that designated radioactive tritium on the original watch has disappeared from the dial. In the new model, it has been replaced by a modern material, Super-Luminova®.
Surrounding the dial is a 39 mm polished steel case topped by a raised sapphire crystal "crystal case," which, along with the vintage pushers, beige lume, and stylized tension ring around the outer edge of the dial, is largely responsible for the watch's retro style. A look at the back of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary reveals its modern style even more clearly. The sapphire crystal case back reveals the Heuer 02, TAG Heuer's self-winding chronograph caliber, with an 80-hour power reserve.
Another visible element is the "Côtes de Genève" decoration of the movement, its column wheel (the device that makes the activation of a chronograph precise and satisfying), and a special Carrera 60th Anniversary rotor. The caseback is engraved with the limited edition number, XXX/600, and an indication of its water resistance to 100 meters. The icing on the cake is the perforated black calfskin strap with a steel clasp.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary model is the perfect way to kick off a season of new releases commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Carrera watch. Its nods to the late 1960s reference 2447 SN will forever distinguish it as a timepiece destined especially for Heuer collectors and purists.
Specs
| TAG HEUER CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH 60TH ANNIVERSARY |
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REFERENCE : CBK221H.FC8317 |
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MOVEMENT : Calibre HEUER 02 automatic |
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CASE : 39 mm diameter polished steel case | Fixed polished steel bezel | Curved sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating | Standard steel crown at 3 o'clock | Round polished steel push-piece at 2 o'clock | Round polished steel push-piece at 4 o'clock | Screw-down sapphire case back in stainless steel, engraved with the special limited edition numbering "TAG HEUER LIMITED EDITION, XXX/600" | Water resistance: 100 metres |
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DIAL/HANDS : Brushed silver-tone sunray dial | Silver-tone flange with 60-second/minute scale | 3 counters» At 3 o'clock: Black chronograph minute counter with "azurage" effect; silver-tone hands and markers. At 6 o'clock: Black permanent seconds display with "azurage" effect; silver-tone hands and markers. At 9 o'clock: Black chronograph hour counter with "azurage" effect; silver-tone hands and markers | Polished, beveled, and rhodium-plated hour and minute hands with beige Super-LumiNova® | Black lacquered center hand | Printed black HEUER logo |
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BRACELET : Perforated calfskin racing strap, polished buckle |
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FUNCTIONS : Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph |
