Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years “Dato 45” (Live Pics & Price)
The recently unveiled Carrera Sport Chronograph collection welcomes two special models with an unusual date window borrowed from the 1965 Carrera ‘Dato 45.
It’s been a celebratory year over at TAG Heuer as the brand fetes its grand 160th anniversary with a special emphasis on Jack Heuer’s iconic Carrera. This third and final model in the limited edition trilogy borrows a key design feature of the historic 1965 Heuer Carrera ‘Dato 45’ but deviates from the vintage-inspired path of the first two. Based on the recently introduced Carrera Sport Chronograph collection, the new Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition stands out with its date window at 12 o’clock and other design twists that set it apart from the regular production models. Available with blue or white “panda-style” dials, the latest models are powered by the Heuer 02 manufacture movement and limited to 1,860 pieces, coinciding with the year of the brand’s foundation.
Background
This has been a bonanza year for fans of Jack Heuer’s mythical Carrera watch. In addition to contemporary interpretations of the icon, illustrated by the new Carrera Sport Chronograph 44mm and the luxury 42mm collections, TAG Heuer has sated the thirst for vintage Carrera models with the release of the Silver Carrera 160 Years and the Carrera Montreal, both in strictly limited editions. This latest model is something of a hybrid. Like the abovementioned vintage-inspired Silver and Montreal models, it is inspired by a historic model – the 1965 Dato 45 Heuer Carrera – it is a limited edition, but it belongs to the contemporary Carrera Sport Chronograph 44mm collection introduced earlier in the year.
Jack Heuer’s 1963 Carrera chronograph has a privileged seat in the pantheon of timeless designs. If you are interested in its evolution, be sure to check out our in-depth coverage here. Just two years after the Carrera hit the race tracks, a model known as the Carrera ‘Dato 45’ appeared. Now a hot piece on the collection circuit, not only was the Dato 45 the first wristwatch chronograph with a rotating date disc, but the position of the date made it even more unusual. Also known as Ref. 3147N, the original measured 35mm and was powered by a Landeron 189 cam-lever manual-winding chronograph movement. What made the watch so special was the incorporation of the date window at 12 o’clock and its white background and numbers picked out in racing red. The contrast with the black or silver dials of the day allowed the date window to stand out without invading the shipshape arrangement of the bi-compax counters and the impeccable legibility of Jack Heuer’s design.
The 2020 “Dato 45”
Identical to the commanding, virile vibe of the existing 44mm Carrera Sport Chronograph collection, the new watches are housed in robust 44mm polished and brushed stainless steel cases. The white dial reference comes with a prominent black ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale, while the blue model flaunts a blue ceramic bezel. The tachymeter bezel is fixed and slopes slightly making it easier to consult.
Like the regular production Sport Chronographs, the lugs have been shortened and are faceted, the pushers are pump or piston-style, and the crown is unprotected. Underscoring its sporty chronograph temperament, the indented area of the pushers and crown is picked out in black. Even with a sapphire crystal caseback and an unprotected crown, the chronograph is water-resistant to 100 metres.
Although the layout of the dial is similar to the 44mm models, there are a few details that set it apart. The most blatant difference is the position of the date window below the 12 o’clock marker with a white background and red numerals, a clear homage to the 1965 ‘Dato 45’. To host the date, the applied, faceted and lumed hour marker at 12 o’clock has been shortened. Another salient difference is the two-tone or panda-style dial with contrasting counters. On the silver opaline dial, the two chronograph registers are black; on the blue dial, they are white.
Both registers are decorated with snailed interiors and the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock is highlighted with red motion lines to match the red numbers in the date window and the central red-lacquered chronograph seconds hand. The small seconds counter at 6 o’clock blends in with the background dial colour. All the other elements of the dial are those found on the Sport Chronograph meaning that the hour indices are rhodium-plated and treated with white Super-LumiNova as are the hour and minute hands, which also feature a touch of black lacquer at their base.
Calibre Heuer 02
The outermost part of the caseback is engraved with ‘One of 1860’ indicating its limited status while the sapphire crystal reveals the in-house automatic chronograph movement made in TAG Heuer’s Chevenez manufacture. Introduced in 2017, calibre Heuer 02 is a modern calibre with integrated architecture, a thinner profile and an increased power reserve over the Heuer 01 movement of 2009. Comprised of 186 individual components, the column wheel and vertical clutch ensure a smooth and accurate run of the chronograph. Beating at a frequency of 4Hz, the movement can store up to 80 hours of power. The specially designed openworked rotor also alludes to the 160th anniversary of the brand.
Both models are presented on the new lighter and thinner stainless steel integrated H-shaped bracelets with double safety push-buttons.
Availability and price
The TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph 160 Years Special Edition is a limited edition of 1,860 in either colour and will be available in November 2020. The retail price of both models is CHF 5,800.
For more information, please visit tagheuer.com.
2 responses
To large!
Perfect size for us with a larger wrist.