Watches Sailing Heritage

TAG Heuer enthusiasts know that the nautical world holds a special place in the TAG Heuer universe. Now available in solid 18-carat 5N rose gold, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper celebrates the Swiss Maison’s historical sailing heritage, as explained by Nicholas Biebuyck the brand’s heritage director in the videos below. 

Where does its distinctive allure come from? It harks back to the original model, born from Jack Heuer’s involvement in the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest race, where TAG Heuer was the official timekeeper for the Intrepid crew in the 1960s. “In 1967, when Buzz Mosbacher, the celebrated captain of the boat, was looking for timing equipment, it just so happened that we were able to provide them not only with stopwatches but with these essential wrist-worn regatta timers that we specially developed with our partner, Aquastar,” explains Nicholas Biebuyck. More than half a century later, the contemporary model features the same codes that popularized the 1968 model: the double turquoise sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock recall the deck of the Intrepid, the America’s Cup yacht.

The nautical heritage is vast, and the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper in rose gold draws from it far beyond its original model. “The amazing thing about the watches, the dial, it has this amazing mixture of colors that has never been seen before in watchmaking”, he continues. “This deep blue symbolizes the ocean, an amazing teal color that took direct codes from the boat that was entered into the America’s Cup with this teal colored deck. The bright orange for the regatta flags and complemented by another version of the green. Taking inspiration from the color of lagoon.” 

The watch is inspired by iconic pieces from eras such as the Solunar or the Mareographe. The Solunar (a blend of “Solar” and “Lunar”) was designed to indicate high and low tides at a specific location for each day over a two-week period. Launched in 1975, it was intended for fishermen, but its tide indication was helpful to anyone who needed to track the tides. Its great success led to a chronograph version of the tide watch called the Heuer “Mareographe.” 

Like all TAG Heuer sports watches, the Skipper edition incorporates the Calibre TH20-06 movement with bi-directional winding and an 80-hour power reserve, ready to sail the seas with sheer confidence. Finally, the watch adopts the original “glassbox” design recently seen on the TAG Heuer Carrera, featuring an ultra-clear curved glass flange from edge to edge for visibility, even in the midst of marine winds—the perfect union of style and functionality.