TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition

Among the multiple icons in watchmaking, when it comes to chronographs, TAG Heuer holds a special place in collector’s hearts, with models such as the Autavia, the Monaco, the Camaro and, of course, the Carrera. Following TAG Heuer’s strategy of reintroducing limited-edition vintage models, alongside modern iterations of its watches, the brand presents a superb edition of its cult chronograph to celebrate the 160th anniversary of its creation. Meet the new TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition, with a Heuer 02 movement.

Last year was all about the Monaco for TAG Heuer, with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of both the watch and the movement inside its square case, the Calibre 11. This year, 2020, be prepared for another collection to take centre stage. “A collection that is set to receive special attention this year is the TAG Heuer Carrera line,” states the brand, “which features the brand’s most elegant chronographs“. This refers to iconic timepieces that were introduced almost 60 years ago which have carried the brand’s racing heritage and daring spirit through the decades. The opening piece for this year is also a celebration of the 160th anniversary of the brand, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in Saint-Imier, Switzerland.

The Heuer Carrera

For more details about this history of the Carrera, you can have a look at the video we produced on this topic here.

Back in 1962, then-CEO Jack Heuer heard about the legendary Carrera Panamericana, one of the most treacherous road races in the world. The Spanish word “carrera”, which can be translated as road, race, career and course, caught his attention: he knew immediately that this would be the perfect name for a new timepiece. The following year, 1963, the first Heuer Carrera chronographs left the factory.

As a lover of modern and clean design, Jack Heuer wanted the aesthetics of the Heuer Carrera chronograph to be pure and well-proportioned – features that make the watch perfect for drivers who needed to see the time at a glance during the adrenaline-pumping races. The renowned monochrome silver-dial model of 1964, with its three azurage counters and sunburst silver-coloured dial, is a prime choice to honour the 160th anniversary of the brand. Often referred to as “2447S”, this model is now being reintroduced with some 21st-century updates.

The TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition

The new model, the Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition, shares a lot with the recently presented and much-applauded TAG Heuer Carrera Fragment. Same case, same movement, same overall appearance but a different dial, in this case, a dial that pays tribute to the original silver Carrera from 1963.

In terms of shape, the new TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years keeps all the attributes of the original design of the Carrera. This means flat flanks, a thin polished and bevelled bezel, which is fixed and flat, pump pushers and an unprotected crown and, of course, the signature faceted lugs so typical of the model. The main difference of this modern reissue piece concerns the diameter increased from 36mm to now 39mm – in all fairness, it remains very reasonable and necessary since the movement inside is larger and automatic. The watch is worn on a classic black alligator strap – even though a more casual strap would have made the watch even cooler.

The dial of this Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition is both faithful to the original but also discreetly modernized – once again, this is guided by the modern mechanics. Still, the basics are present with a silver dial with a sunray-brushed pattern, a simple inner flange with a 60-minute/60-second track, faceted applied markers and baton hands (both rhodium plated), a tri-compax layout and, for the cool factor, light beige Super-LumiNova on the hands and dots next to the hour markers. Final touch: the “Heuer-only” logo. This is clearly one of the best dials we’ve seen recently from the brand.

Powering this heritage piece is a modern calibre, the Heuer 02. This automatic chronograph has an integrated architecture with a column wheel and a vertical clutch. It runs at 28,800 vibrations/hours and stores up to 80 hours of energy. The movement is visible through the caseback featuring a dedicated rotor with lacquer-filled engraving that distinguishes the timepiece as an anniversary edition.

Price and availability

The TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition (reference CBK221B.FC6479) is a limited edition of 1,860 pieces. It will be available worldwide from June 2020, with a price of CHF 6,300, EUR 5,850, GBP 5,250 or USD 6,450.

More details at tagheuer.com.