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VIDEO: Cherry, cherry baby. TAG Heuer debuts new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition VIDEO: Cherry, cherry baby. TAG Heuer debuts new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition

VIDEO: Cherry, cherry baby. TAG Heuer debuts new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition

Zach Blass

The TAG Heuer Carrera was born in 1963, and since its inception it has become a timeless racing watch icon. Clean, crisp and faceted, any Carrera within a watch collection is likely to become a go-to daily wearer that combines robustness and elegance in equal measures. Last year, the TAG Heuer Carrera Special Edition Teal was an absolute home run – its special hue standing out even in a year of green. Today though, TAG may be setting a trend rather than following (or upping one) with the new TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition.

The 39mm stainless steel case is a modern take on the Carrera’s original 36mm form, with long faceted lugs that fortunately have a nice camber that will wrap around a wrist. Unlike most sports watches, the 100 metre water-resistant chronograph has an entirely polished case – deceptively formal when in reality this chrono can go for a swim.

This is why I would recommend anyone lucky enough to secure one of the 600 watches to find a suitable rubber strap as a summer alternative to the factory supplied black leather strap with a steel deployant clasp.

TAG Heuer Carrera Red

But let’s circle back to the main attraction: the dial. The dial is every bit what you would expect from a modern 39mm Carrera – concentrically textured tri-compax registers, no-date, applied indices with adjacent luminous pips, all resting beneath a vintage-inspired boxed sapphire crystal. But this time around we have a gorgeous sunburst cherry-red dial, a colour that has been less explored in the modern era of watchmaking. Some manufactures fear red due to its bolder nature as it is not as versatile as black, white or blue. But TAG’s Motto is “don’t crack under pressure” – so I would say they have lived up to it with this red dial.

Inside you have the automatic column-wheel chronograph manufacture calibre Heuer 02, with a more than weekend-proof 80 hours of power reserve. The movement, with an openworked rotor, is decorated with industrial striping and, as we have seen before, a dial-matching column wheel in red.

TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition pricing and availability:

TAG Heuer Carrera Red

The TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition is limited to 600 pieces, and is available now via TAG boutiques and their e-commerce platform. Price: $9,800 AUD