TAG Heuer’s new Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is peak modern TAG Heuer
Andrew O'Connor- TAG Heuer releases its first-ever split-seconds Carrera Chronograph at LVMH Watch Week 2026.
- With a grade 5 titanium case, movement co-developed with Vaucher, and glassbox design language, this new model represents some of the best of what modern TAG Heuer has to offer.
- Available starting June 2026, the TAG Heuer Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is priced at CHF 110,000.
It feels as if TAG Heuer read my mind following the release of the Monaco Split-Seconds in 2024. Full of tech and adventurous watchmaking, it made it easy to be enthusiastically excited about TAG Heuer. While the Monaco is really damn cool, I’m personally a bigger fan of the Carrera, and couldn’t help but imagine what a Carrera rattrapante might look like. The modern Carrera Glassbox is stunning, and adding some black and red would make TAG Heuer a model that tugs at my heartstrings. Well, they did it, and boy did they really do it. 2026 brings in the first Carrera to ever feature a flyback chronograph movement, and it is a stunner.
As part of LVMH Watch Week 2026 in Milan, alongside a smattering of other new Carrera including a new 41mm standard model and the revived Seafarer, TAG Heuer has unveiled the new Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph. Clad in grade 5 titanium, this 42mm Carrera keeps the glassbox design language that has been a big win for the brand. The domed crystal highlights the skeletonised dial, allowing for greater viewing of the hand-finished movement (more on that later). The pushers and crown on the right-hand side of the case operate the chronograph as you would expect, with the split-second pusher integrated into the left side of the case at 9 o’clock.
The integration of the split-second pusher looks easy to operate, while maintaining the elegant case lines and profile we come to expect from the modern Carrera. The case back also features a glassbox sapphire crystal, serving as a sort of magnifying glass for the movement, again improving the visibility of the TH81-01 inside. While I wish TAG Heuer kept the 39mm case profile for this model, the remaining dimensions seem wearable, measuring 48.6mm lug-to-lug, 22mm lug width, 15.17mm thick, and with 30 meters of water resistance.
The open dial is achieved via a transparent sapphire dial, with an anthracite-coloured translucent acrylic flange. The sub-registers are also made of sapphire, with the chronograph functions done in anthracite-coloured sapphire, and the running seconds sub-register done in translucent sapphire. Each sub-register is applied with white and red markings, with the chronograph sub-register hands and chronograph seconds hands finished in red lacquer, with the split-seconds hand done in white lacquer. The skeletonised hours and minutes hands, along with the curved applied indices, have Super-LumiNova, maintaining night-time legibility. All of this adds up to a dial layout that is legible and makes the chronograph functions easy to use, despite the open dial and information being presented.
Even with the Carrera Split-Seconds’ stunning good looks, the main star of the show is the TH81-01. Developed from the TH81-00 used in the Monaco Split-Seconds, the TH81-01 continues TAG Heuer’s collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. The TH81-01 has a 65-hour power reserve (55 hours with the chronograph running), operates at 5 Hz, and represents one of the lightest automatic chronograph movements on the market. It boasts 350 components that are hand-finished, with TAG Heuer utilizing 10 different finishing techniques, including black polishing, anglage, and the checkered flag motif that they have been using on their high-end movements.
Attaching the Carrera Split-Second Chronograph to the wrist is a black rubber strap with a textile embossed finish, quick-release spring bars, and red accent stitching, tying together the black and red on the dial. The titanium TAG Heuer shield-shaped deployant clasp features brushed and polished finishes, continuing the finishing techniques seen on the case.
Closing thoughts
Clad in my favourite colours, boasting a versatile yet sporty and modern appearance, and a heavy dose of high-end watchmaking, I think the TAG Heuer Split-Seconds Carrera is something to be really excited about. With how tech-y the Monaco Split-Seconds is in its appearance (especially its Air 1 variant), I may have expected this development to arrive in the Carrera Sport line-up, with the appropriate design language to match, but it didn’t. While I wouldn’t say the design is conservative, it shows some restraint, resulting in a watch that I think would easily be one of those “if you know, you know” timepieces, with styling and dimensions that make it widely wearable.
While I respect the amount of finishing and engineering that goes into making a rattrapante chronograph, I can’t help but feel that the price is a bit punchy for what is typical from TAG Heuer. That said, at 110,000 Swiss francs, it’s actually a whole 55,000 Swiss francs less expensive than the Monaco Split-Seconds – so it perversely represents good value – plus, compared to other high-end split-seconds chronographs on the market, this is right in line. While I’m sure it will be limited in production, there is no mention of it being a limited edition, so I hope that means I’ll get to see one in the metal sometime soon.
TAG Heuer Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph pricing and availability
The TAG Heuer Carrera Split-Seconds is projected to be available in stores starting June 2026, although this has yet to be wholly confirmed. Price: CHF 110,000
| Brand | TAG Heuer |
| Model | Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph |
| Reference Number | CDD2180.FT8120 |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 15.17mm (T) x 48.6mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Glassbox sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Sapphire dial with acrylic dial flange, sapphire chronograph sub-registers |
| Strap | Black rubber with textile embossed finish, red stitching, titanium deployant clasp |
| Movement | Calibre TH81-01, Vaucher co-developed, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 65 hours (chrono off), 55 hours (chrono on) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, rattrapante chronograph |
| Availability | From June 2026 (TBC) |
| Price | CHF 110,000 |