Watches And Then There Were Eight – TAG Heuer’s Glass Box Carrera Chronographs

Heuer introduced the Carrera in 1963, as an entirely new style of chronograph for racing.  Top priorities in designing the watch were that it be suitable for operation in racing conditions, easily legible for driver or navigator, and rugged enough to withstand the demands of racing.  Jack Heuer’s minimalist approach resulted in a pure design, stripped of all non-essential elements.  To celebrate the 160th anniversary of the brand, in 2020, TAG Heuer introduced the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Anniversary Silver LE (CBK221B), capturing the style of the original model, with a silver / white starburst dial.

This one may be for you if – you want the purity of design captured in the first Carreras, with the dramatic starburst finish

In 1967, Heuer supplied equipment to the Intrepid team that was successful in defending America’s Cup, and they celebrated in 1968 by creating a new model of watch, the Skipper. Housed in the Heuer Carrera case, collectors call this first model the “Skipperrera”, and it is among the rarest and most valuable of the vintage Heuer chronographs.  In 2017, Hodinkee collaborated with TAG Heuer on a tribute to this first Skipper (CAR221B), using the exact colors of the original Skipperrera, but incorporating the date element and asymmetrical minute recorder from the Heuer Carrera 45 Dato.

This one may be for you if – you want the colors and style that capture the revolution in the culture and style of the 1960s.

The racer uses the tachymeter scale to convert time over a measured distance (the mile or the kilometer) into units per hour (MPH or KPH), and this scale has become the symbol of the racing watch.  The rarest version of the tachymeter Heuer Carrera  is from 1968 and features a black dial, with three black registers (for timing up to 12 hours), and a tachymeter scale printed in bright white.  In 2019, Fragment Design collaborated with TAG Heuer on this re-issue (CBK221A), with the Fragment thunderbolts at the top of the dial and the Fragment name printed between 4 o’clock and 5 o’clock.

This one may be for you if – you want a three-register TAG Heuer Carrera that is built for racing (or dig the street wear).

Most of the Heuer chronographs carry the names of racing venues, but the vintage Heuer Montreal (introduced in 1972) captures the spirit of the city that hosted the 1967 World’s Fair (also called “Expo 67”), with the theme of man’s dreams and hopes for the future.  The Heuer Montreal chronographs certainly reflected the spirit of Expo 1967, with the massive futuristic case, five bright colors on the dial, bright red hands, and racing stripes on the registers.  The TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Anniversary Montreal Limited Edition (CBK221C.FC6488) incorporates the 1970s style of the Montreal into the Carrera case, with a bright white dial, deep blue for the registers and ring, and yellow racing stripes and accents.

This one may be for you if – you want the wild style and colors of the 1970s in a watch that will easily fit under the cuff of your very traditional shirt.