A fight for pole: the best limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera models

Borna Bošnjak

For a brand whose history so closely relies on that of its chronographs, it could be argued that the Carrera is TAG Heuer’s most important modern asset. Granted, the Monaco is the more immediately recognisable shape, but the lineage and backstory the Carrera carries with it goes way further back than its 1964 date of introduction. Similar to what we did with the Monaco, we’ll look at some of the best special-edition models of the TAG Heuer Carrera released over the years.

I say TAG Heuer here intentionally. Before the Techniques d’Avant Garde took over, the concept of a numbered series was rare, while during the early TAG days, all models like the Carrera and Monaco were treated as very special, resulting in small production runs. With those mini-disclaimers out of the way, we can focus on the special models released after the turn of the millennium, as ownership would eventually come to LVMH, and discover the brand’s many forgotten gems.

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Great Ocean Road CV201F.BA0794

How about this for a peak 2010s limited-edition release? As suggested by the dial (and caseback), this Carrera Calibre 16 tributes the beautiful scenery of the Great Ocean Road, an Australian road trip classic. Resplendent in a verdant green sunburst, there’s only one thing that baffles me with this watch – it was a release limited to Japan only, for whatever reason. Nevertheless, it’s a very pretty, if a little campy, piece of horology paying homage to a particularly pretty corner of the world. That, and the fact it was fairly limited at just 600 models, helps it stand out in the sea of LE Carreras from the period.

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 18 Telemeter CAR221A.FC6353

While it wasn’t exactly limited by numbers, the Carrera Calibre 18 Telemeter was a special-edition Carrera. And as I’ve been known to bend the rules before as an excuse to talk about a particularly cool watch, don’t mind if I do the very same here. The Carrera Telemeter was unveiled at Baselworld 2015, which was a particularly tough time for TAG Heuer, which had just announced an “until further notice” delay of its upcoming CH80 in-house calibre, and had seen some musical chairs being played at the top of its corporate food chain – things have certainly changed for the better in the last decade!

This was also a time when the regular Carrera was on the wrong side of 40mm, making the Telemeter a breath of fresh air at 39mm, presenting with a downright stunning dial taking from the 1960s, the golden age of the model. The rare telemeter scale printed on the outer perimeter was just the cherry on top of the slate grey sub-dials on a striking sunburst silver backdrop.

TAG Heuer Carrera 360

In the mid-2000s, TAG Heuer’s crown jewels centred around the ability to measure time to the smallest increment possible. Watches like the Mikrograph and Mikrogirder technically didn’t carry the Carrera name on the dial, though could be included in the round-up. Rather than stretch the truth (again), there’s a watch that predated them, has “Carrera” on the dial, and is also much more wearable – the Carrera 360.

Capable of measuring intervals as small as 1/100th of a second, the 360 saw powered by an ETA 2892 fitted with an in-house chronograph module, and produced in just 982 examples across five references, including the particularly cool Aston Martin Vanquish and all-black Tempus variants.

TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition CBK221B.FC6479

Despite the many wonderful Glassbox models of the last few years and my infatuation with the Skipper, the 160th anniversary limited-edition Carrera could very well be my favourite modern rendition of the model. The reference 2447 that inspired it is an all-time great, not just when it comes to Heuer, but general vintage wristwatch collecting. It carried many of the same hallmarks, but wasn’t a re-edition as we saw in 1996.

Instead, it sported a more modern 39mm case and an automatic movement, managing to excuse these proportional and technological advancements with (evolved) dashing good looks so rare for a modern revival, no matter how good the original reference may be – and no, not even the panda-dialled 60th Anniversary tribute beats it.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Australian Limited Edition CBS221E.FC6613

We started with an Aussie LE, and we’ll end on one. The newest model on this list is yet another reference to vintage Heuer, but this time, it actually pays homage to two different models, one of which isn’t even a Carrera. The two references in question are the legendary 1158 CHN, possibly the most recognisable vintage Heuer apart from the Monaco, and the ref. 1163T, an Autavia model commonly referred to as the Jo Siffert. Both having connections to the pinnacle of motorsport, they make for a two-finish dial, combining the Siffert’s colourway with the 1158’s alternating brushing. What’s more, this Carrera Glassbox Australian Limited Edition is a limited edition in the true sense of the word, counting just 75 individually numbered examples.