Podcast A Matter of Time Podcast, Season 1, Part 2: The evolution of the Carrera

Behind every iconic watch there’s a timeless story. Welcome to A Matter of Time, a new podcast by TAG Heuer. Hosted by Nicholas Biebuyck, Heritage Director at TAG Heuer, we dig into our archives to bring you untold stories of our timepieces and how they have influenced watchmaking, sport, and popular culture through time. In the first season, we explore the enduring legacy of the TAG Heuer Carrera, which turns 60 this year. Tune into this time machine and discover the watch collection that captured the imagination of racing drivers, movie stars, musicians, and watch collectors. Oh, and don’t forget to subscribe to A Matter of Time wherever you get your podcasts.

The podcast is available on:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcast
• Deezer
• Google Podcast
• Amazon Music

In the second half of A Matter of Time Season 1, Nicholas continues to uncover the incredible story of the Carrera across five decades – from Heuer’s triumphant partnership with Ferrari in the ‘70s to present day. Discover the evolution of the Carrera through the 1990s and 2000s, its innovative iterations in the 2010s, and its most celebrated collaboration in 2021.

This time, we explore how the relationship between Heuer and motorsport was forged in the 1970s. A surprising deal with Ferrari placed Heuer at the center of the racing world and transformed the gold 1158 CHN Carrera into a symbol of success. 

Snippet from Episode 5: It’s this solid gold reference 1158 that would become synonymous with the most successful racing drivers of the period. Initially conceived in 1970, to commemorate Heuer’s listing on the Swiss Stock Exchange, it was seen as by far the most prestigious watch that the company was manufacturing. Significantly more expensive than the pieces produced in stainless steel, it was really only worn by the most committed people to the maison. So when Jack started giving these pieces to Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, Mauro [Forghieri], Enzo [Ferrari], Luca [di Montezemolo], anyone walking through the paddock would see Ferrari, now finally competitive again with their new reference 312 race car, were custodians of this sacred watch.

We travel back to a challenging time for the company, which led to the departure of Jack Heuer from the family business and the creation of TAG Heuer. A decade later, the strong desire to strengthen the brand identity was realized by the return of both the Carrera and Jack in 1996 at the Monza Grand Prix. 

Snippet from Episode 6: In the 1970s and 1980s, the Swiss watchmaking industry went through a great amount of turmoil. With the arrival of the quartz watch in 1969, Switzerland was at first dismissive of this new innovation. But very quickly its production scaled, and the accuracy and robustness of these new electronic movements emerged. Mechanical watchmaking was in an extremely difficult position. For Heuer at the time, this meant great pressure on their stopwatches, which represented 70 to 80% of their turnover. It also meant that the new automatic chronograph movements were now in a very tight spot, as they tried to compete with inexpensive quartz watches. So by 1982, Jack and the senior management were in an increasingly difficult position.

Discover TAG Heuer’s journey from an accessible watchmaker in the 1990s to a high-end brand under LVMH in the early 2000s. At the center stood the Carrera and the Monaco V4 – TAG Heuer’s pillars of innovation and luxury. 

Snippet from Episode 7: While throughout the 1990s the brand has built itself on accessible luxury Swiss watches, it was under the ownership of LVMH and its new CEO that it really wanted to forge a path into the very upper echelons of the Swiss watchmaking industry. This was achieved with great research and development projects that resulted in some true technical breakthroughs for the industry.

We focus on the special relationship between Porsche and TAG Heuer, and their official partnership in 2021. While it’s by chance that the name ‘Carrera’ is central to both brands, their passion for technology and innovation is what made them destined for collaboration. 

Snippet from Episode 8: It’s incredible to think that the alliance has only been official since 2021. But for so many people, it feels like something that has been going on for decades. In some ways, it has done, in fact, more than decades, potentially centuries. Going back to the very beginnings of the two brands, we can see young founders in their twenties excited about technology, excited about innovation, and only looking to achieve the very best performance in their respective categories. From Edouard Heuer, and the foundation of his namesake brand in 1860, and Ferdinand Porsche, establishing the illustrious sports car maker, once again in his late twenties. It’s amazing to see this young entrepreneurial energy that has driven both of the brands forward. It’s funny when we look at both the Carrera and the 911. They’re archetypal examples in their respective spaces, be it sports cars or chronograph wristwatches. It’s also amazing how both companies have found their way to the Carrera name. Of course, the very origin is exactly the same – the amazing Carrera Panamericana that we discussed in the first episode of this season, running in Mexico from 1950 to 1954 and proving to be an absolute test of man and machine.

Live from Watches & Wonders in Geneva, Nicholas explores the revolutionary thinking behind TAG Heuer’s latest Carrera novelties: the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph and the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon. Discover how the Swiss watchmaker is writing a new, exciting chapter in the story of the Carrera.

Stay tuned for Season 2 of A Matter of Time, where we’ll uncover the legacy of another iconic TAG Heuer collection, the Monaco. Subscribe to the podcast here.