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HANDS-ON: The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 18 Telemeter

Felix Scholz

The story in a second

Inspired by the classic Carreras, the Calibre 18 Telemeter demonstrates that heritage still has a place in the new TAG Heuer.

Even though TAG Heuer have been looking to the future this year with the bold new Carrera Heuer 01 and an upcoming still-shrouded-in-secrecy smartwatch, they haven’t neglected their past.

Several of TAG’s new releases are beautifully clean and simple interpretations of their rich heritage. Case in point is the Carrera Calibre 18 Telemeter (which we told you about before Basel). We knew from seeing the press shots that this watch was going to be a winner, with a ‘panda’ dial configuration, pump style pushers, and that wonderful Heuer logo.

What the press shots didn’t manage to convey was just how warm the Cal 18 is. There’s practically no colour on it, and that much steel can be unrelenting. However, the combination of glassbox sapphire crystal, sunburst dial and polished steel case with fat bevelled lugs all play beautifully in the light. Together, the elements combine in a watch that is eye-catching and engaging to wear.

The other interesting thing I found about this watch was that it wasn’t overly ‘vintage’ in feel. Sure the design is very closely modelled on the classic mid-century Carreras, but for me it felt more like a good, clean, timeless design.
Some purists out there might be asking at this point why not just buy a vintage Carrera (especially as you can get a minty fresh vintage model for the $7000 sticker price of the Cal 18)? This is a good question. If you’re the sort of person who loves the thrill of the chase and finding the perfect watch, and enjoys the drama of shipping high-value objects internationally, by all means buy an original. But if you like the look of the old stuff and prefer the reliability, warranty and ease of purchase of the new (not to mention the slightly more modern 39mm case size), the Cal 18 Telemeter is a great option.

It’s good to see that even though TAG Heuer have embraced the future with their new strategic direction there’s still a place in their line-up for amazingly well put together throwbacks to the golden age of Heuer.