RECOMMENDED READING: Jeff Stein from world Heuer authority onthedash.com goes in-depth on the new TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Dato 45’ HODINKEE Limited Edition

Zach Blass

Editor’s note: Yesterday, Jeff Stein, the ever-polite world authority on Heuer watches reached out to us to ask if he could use some of our photos in a story he just published, about the TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Dato 45’ HODINKEE Limited Edition. In the email chain that followed, we discussed the edition and we both predicted – accurately – that it would be gone in minutes. We believe it was seven to be exact. His story on the release, which we highly recommend, goes into more detail than is usual, on why Hodinkee get so many of their limited editions so very pitch-perfect. We won’t steal his thunder, please read on and hit the link to enjoy his full article. 

There is nobody better to turn to then Jeff when it comes TAG Heuer. He is not just an enthusiast of the brand, but a bona-fide historian who may as well have a doctorate in the history of the brand. In his post on OnTheDash, Jeff digs into the details of the new release, but also gives great attention to the original watch the TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Dato 45’ that the HODINKEE Limited Edition pays tribute to.

The story goes that in 1966 TAG Heuer introduced their first chronograph watch to utilize a window and disc for the date display: the Carrera 45 Dato ref. 3147. But there was one glaring issue, the date window was positioned at the 12′ position – likely an effort to maintain balance and symmetry to the dial. While a decision with good intentions, it was not very practical. When the central chronograph second hand is not in use, it rests pointing towards the 12′ hour index, resulting in an obstructed view of the date window.

This was later remedied in 1968 with the Carrera ‘Dato 45′ ref. 3147N. TAG Heuer made the apt decision to shift the date window to the 9′ position, making the visibility of the aperture far better than its position at 12′. The shift in the date window affected the layout of the chronograph registers. While the original 3147 had two registers, the new 3147N had only one: a 45 minute elapsed minutes register positioned at 3’. This earned the 3147N with a black dial and sole white chronograph register the nickname cyclops. This was not because it had a Rolex style magnification to the date, but rather its one chronograph sub dial that looked like a sole eye on the dial. There was also a white dial version of the 3147N as well, but this uniformly toned configuration did not have the dramatic look some would refer to as a “reverse panda”.

This leads us to the new incarnation of the watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Dato 45’ HODINKEE Limited Edition. The watch is quite faithful to the original with subtle design changes to the dial as well as a new upgraded movement (which had to be modified to help recreate the ‘Dato 45’ layout).

According to Jeff: “Apart from changes to incorporate the Heuer-02 movement, the most significant changes in the look of the watch are switching the minute recorder from 45 minute capacity to 30 minute capacity and changing the inner bezel (tension ring) from white to black.” To those who are not purists of the brand, these changes are very minimal. You would have to have the archival knowledge of someone like Jeff to really notice the changes off the bat.

To be fair, Jeff agrees these changes are acceptable in his mind. He understands the validity of modernising a niche classic to make it a more competitive watch in today’s marketplace. Ever the TAG Heuer detective, he probed HODINKEE’s Cara Barrett as to why these subtle changes were made. Jeff explains: “The Hodinkee team respected the original Carrera 45 Dato, but wanted to create a watch that would appeal to both vintage and modern enthusiasts. Barrett points out that ‘to recreate the unique dial layout of the original ‘Dato 45’, TAG Heuer removed the Calibre Heuer’s 02 typical six and nine-o’clock sub-dials and developed a brand new date disc with a fresh font.’”

With the keen eye of the HODINKEE team, it comes as no surprise the end result was a winning design and that upon its release the HODINKEE Shop’s allocation of 125 watches sold out rapidly – the same can be said for the remaining 125 sold via TAG Heuer directly.

For the full rundown on both the original and new Carerra ‘Dato 45’ watch, make sure you head over to OnTheDash.