Round-UpThe Chase For Resilience: Limited And Special Editions From TAG Heuer’s Carrera Collection

For most people, a racing watch is synonymous with TAG Heuer, and among these, perhaps the best recognised is the Carrera collection. From chronographs to three-hand, formal watches, the Carrera line has much to offer. For 60 years, this collection has adorned the wrists of presidents, actors, race car pilots, aviation pilots, sportspersons, and so on. For TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph watches are an expression as much as they are a tool.

The watch itself is named after the Carrera Panamericana car race through Mexico, a rally with a high mortality rate of 27 victims in a duration of only five years from 1950-54. In 1962, Jack Heuer—the great-grandson of founder Edouard Heuer, newly at the helm of the brand back then—attended the 12 Hours of Sebring race in Florida, which was timed by Heuer. There, he met Mr and Mrs Rodriguez—parents of two Ferrari drivers, who told him about the dangers of the Carrera Panamericana car race and how grateful they were that their sons weren’t old enough to participate in it when it ended in 1954. The name ‘Carrera’, with its multiple meanings—race, run, dash, career, chase, etc—stuck with Jack Heuer, who registered his collection first and then designed the watch around the name. In 1963, the brand released the first Carrera chronograph watch, a functional 36mm racing chronograph with clear legibility.

As TAG Heuer’s flagship motorsports series, the Carrera collection became a sort of icon in the twin worlds of horology and motorsports. At 60, the collection is just as relevant today, with stunning expressions stemming from TAG Heuer’s partnerships, as well as vintage-inspired timepieces made contemporary. Here’s a look at five of their greatest special and limited editions from recent times.

TAG Heuer Carrera 60th Anniversary Limited Edition

The ‘panda’ dial—among the most collectible versions of the TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph—was released in honour of 60 years of the collection in January this year. Limited to 600 pieces, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary Edition is modelled on the first Carrera watches. The 39mm steel case features a fixed steel bezel and a raised sapphire crystal ‘glass box’, held in place by a slimline tension ring around the dial’s outer edge. The curved, glass box design eases reading of the internal tachymeter scale even at various angles.

The vintage pushers on the case, indexes with their ultra-legible black stripes, and retro Heuer branding on the dial, are reminders of the functionality that put the Carrera chronograph on the horological map. Still, a silver sunray-brushed dial—with three black chronograph recorders, and rhodium-plated, faceted timekeeping hands, filled with Super-LumiNova—give the vintage-inspired timepiece a contemporary facelift. Powering the watch is the in-house automatic Heuer 02 movement, visible through the exhibition caseback.

Special Mention: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph

With the same retro-inspired ‘glass box’ design, TAG Heuer also released a monochromatic blue version, which, fortunately, is not a limited edition. The dial looks uncluttered and clean, owing to its minimal permanent seconds indicator at six o’clock. With all the qualities that elevate the 60^th-anniversary edition Carrera Chronograph—minus the panda look and retro branding—this timepiece may actually be a step ahead in terms of its movement. The automatic calibre TH20-00—an updated version of the calibre Heuer 02—features an oscillating weight that winds the movement bi-directionally. This means it winds the movement faster, ensuring precision, and delivers closest to its maximum 80-hour power reserve.

With the same retro-inspired ‘glass box’ design, TAG Heuer also released a monochromatic blue version, which, fortunately, is not a limited edition

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The dial looks uncluttered and clean, owing to its minimal permanent seconds indicator at six o’clock

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The watch features all the qualities that elevate the 60th-anniversary edition Carrera Chronograph

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The 'glassbox' design enhances legibility of the tachymeter scale on the periphery of the dial

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The Carrera 'Glassbox' Chronograph is powered by the automatic calibre TH20-00, which winds the movement faster, ensuring precision, and delivers closest to its maximum 80-hour power reserve

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TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Limited Edition

The Carrera Panamericana race was also the inspiration for luxury car maker Porsche. With their shared history and love for motorsports, a TAG Heuer X Porche collaboration seemed destined. And this is a marriage that has led to some of the Carrera collection’s most stunning watches. The 44mm black DLC-treated stainless steel case of the TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Limited Edition is offset by Porsche’s signature racing yellow, a colour used only in the sportiest of their cars. The shimmery black dial—reminiscent of a car’s metallic bodywork—and the three recorders with the asphalt-like texture, have highlights in racing yellow, even as applied minute markers, and numerals on the fixed bezel tachymeter scale stand out in white. The word ‘Porsche’ between 12 and two o’clock on the bezel stands out in racing yellow, and the black crown at three has a thin yellow lacquered ring on it. The raciness of the watch doesn’t end there. The black fabric strap with its yellow stitching evokes imagery of the car’s upholstery. The exhibition caseback offers a view of the Heuer 02 movement within, but it is the oscillating mass that draws maximum attention for it has been redesigned to resemble the steering wheel of a Porsche.

The 44mm black DLC-treated stainless steel case of the TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Limited Edition is offset by Porsche’s signature racing yellow, a colour used only in the sportiest of their cars

₹7,03,800

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The black crown at three has a thin yellow lacquered ring on it

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The exhibition caseback offers a view of the Heuer 02 movement within, but it is the oscillating mass that draws maximum attention for it has been redesigned to resemble the steering wheel of a Porsche

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Special Mention: TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Orange Racing

The 44mm black DLC steel case of the TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Orange Racing watch has orange highlights, inspired by sparks made by the car at high speeds on the asphalt. Also, it is the colour of fire, which symbolises speed. The black, vertically-brushed dial features the same white second/minute markers as the racing yellow watch, three recorders, with outlines in orange, and a central chronograph hand in orange. The word Porsche on the bezel and the lacquered ring around the crown are in orange. Orange stitching stands out on the black textile strap of the TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Orange Racing.

TAG Heuer Carrera

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TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche RS 2.7 Blue Edition

Another fantastic outcome of TAG Heuer’s collaboration with Porsche is this blue edition. The first of Porsche’s cars to be christened Carrera was the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7—the fastest German automobile in its day. It’s probably the best recognised of all Porsche 911 Carreras today, and is gorgeous for its two-tone aesthetic. To celebrate the iconic car’s 50th anniversary, TAG Heuer released two dual-toned timepieces in blue against white and another in red.

The 42mm blue edition’s polished steel case, indexes and hands are reminiscent of the car’s chrome mirrors, frames and door handles. Carrera’s branding on the automobile’s body panel is reflected on the left of the watch’s case. On the white opaline dial, a blue ring, lacquered blue central chronograph hand, and ‘azurage’ highlights on two registers at three and nine o’clock serve to enhance the dual tone of the watch. Paired with a polished steel bracelet, the watch also comes with a white fabric strap that features a blue line down its length with the Carrera logo. Overall, the perfect design harmony between the car and the watch is awe-inspiring, to say the least. It’s as if the car and the watch share not just their name and history but even a soul.

TAG Heuer Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition

The brand’s partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Indy 500 race goes back to 2004, when TAG Heuer joined as official timekeeper. The Indianapolis 500-Mile race, better known as Indy 500, started in 1911, and is one of the oldest, and most popular motorsport races in the world. While most of the 17 collaborative timepieces were part of TAG Heuer’s Formula One collection (the brand’s entry level racing watch), in 2016, they released a Carrera Indy 500 watch, as tribute to the 100th running of the Indy 500.

In 2019, the brand released the Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition in a 41mm 316L steel case, with a black bezel featuring the tachymeter scale in white, and the words ‘Indy 500’ in red at one o’clock. The black dial features white chronograph recorders at 12, nine and six o’clock, with the date window and branding at three. With rhodium-plated indexes and hands, and a contrasting red hand for the central chronograph, legibility remains uncompromised. The watch is powered calibre 16, with a 42-hour power reserve. On the steel caseback, Indy 500 is engraved on a brick background. It’s a reference to the original Indy racetrack, which was built with over three million bricks, and nicknamed ‘brickyard’. The watch is paired with a black perforated race-inspired leather strap with contrasting red stitching.

In 2019, the brand released the Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition in a 41mm 316L steel case, with a black bezel and the words ‘Indy 500’ in red at one o’clock

₹6,17,100

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The black dial features white chronograph recorders at 12, nine and six o’clock, with the date window and branding at three

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On the steel caseback, Indy 500 is engraved on a brick background in reference to the original Indy racetrack, which was built with over three million bricks, and nicknamed ‘brickyard’

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TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Polychrome

With its beautiful rainbow-hued skeletonised dial against an otherwise black-and-silver aesthetic, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Polychrome features a tourbillon at six o’clock. The 45mm case is made from fine brushed black PVD grade-5 titanium, with a fixed carbon tachymeter bezel, and carbon lugs. A domed sapphire crystal glass protects the dial. Rhodium-plated indexes, hands and rings for recorders at three and nine o’clock stand out in contrast against the spectrum-on-black. A thin flange around the periphery houses the minute track, while also framing the polychromatic dial without taking attention away from it.

The smooth, gradient effect on the rainbow dial comes from vacuum deposition PVD treatments, created by Positive Coating, a firm specialising in this finish, and a partner of TAG Heuer. The process involves depositing metallic oxides in thin, transparent layers, as their precise, tiny variations of thickness create the final colour spectrum. Inside the watch is the calibre Heuer 02T, a COSC-certified chronometer movement—with a tourbillon a chronograph—visible through the spectrum-and-black caseback. It offers a power reserve of 65 hours. This bold, 150-piece limited edition Carrera timepiece is mounted on a black alligator leather and rubber strap.

With its beautiful rainbow-hued skeletonised dial against an otherwise black-and-silver aesthetic, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Polychrome features a tourbillon at six o’clock

The 45mm case is made from fine brushed black PVD grade-5 titanium, with a fixed carbon tachymeter bezel, and carbon lugs

The smooth, gradient effect on the rainbow dial comes from vacuum deposition PVD treatments. Rhodium-plated indexes, hands and rings for recorders stand out in contrast against the spectrum-on-black

Inside the watch is the calibre Heuer 02T, a COSC-certified chronometer movement visible through the spectrum-and-black caseback

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These timepieces prove that the Carrera line of watches from the house of TAG Heuer shows no sign of slowing down. After all, the chase never stops!