VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is a marriage made in motorsports heaven
Thor SvaboeTo paraphrase TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault, Porsche and TAG Heuer share an attitude: both brands are in constant pursuit of high performance. TAG Heuer sees this alliance as a natural step after decades of friendship that we can visibly trace. All petrolheads appreciate the connection TAG has with motorsports, all the way back to Steve McQueen wearing a Heuer Monaco while racing a Porsche 917 in the film LeMans with a flat 12 engine wailing behind his back. As you will see in our video, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph embodies this high-octane spirit and passion for speed.
The name Carrera first came from the gruelling road race the Carrera Panamericana and served as the inspiration for Porsche’s most powerful engine following a famous win in 1954. In 1963, Jack Heuer launched the speed-infused Carrera chronograph, creating the parallel run of racing machines and wristwear that are formally united in this new chronograph that’s vintage-inspired but with a sharp, contemporary twist.
The design of the new 44mm TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph oozes motorsports, the engine being the tough Carrera 02 calibre with its 60-hour power reserve resting behind a black rotor in the shape of a Porsche steering wheel. The case is classic Carrera, its bold sweeping lugs emphasising the dynamic evolution of the first Heuer Carrera from the sixties. Racing is in its blood.
A new, bold line of sports chronographs were introduced last year in the Carrera Sports Chronograph that we covered in our story here and, with this special edition, Porsche’s DNA is clearly present. The textured grain of the black dial is meant to evoke the warm asphalt of a racetrack, while the strong legibility of the lume-filled Arabic numerals takes inspiration from a Porsche dashboard. The polished Heuer logo is prominent here and, like the numerals and polished steel hands, seems to almost float above the rich, grainy dial surface.
What makes the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph re-awaken my inner petrolhead is the classic motorsports combination of black and red. While the strong dynamic shape of the brushed steel case is a perfect base, the black brushed bezel is as functional as it is rich in history with its tachymetre scale and flashy red Porsche logo. The intricate red details both tie together and accentuate the slightly menacing darkness of the dial. Pure functionality shines through a watch that is clearly a tool at heart.
There is a purity and a balance to the dial with those small but decisive red touches adding a flair that only underlines the tough image. The balance is clearly accomplished through the evolution of the Carrera chronograph with a pleasing symmetry to the recessed black registers and the running seconds register at 6 o’clock that has one of the best integrations of a date window we’ve seen. The strap is a hand-stitched black calf leather which, through no accident, brings to mind leather steering wheels and those body-hugging bucket seats of a Porsche 911.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph price and availability:
The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is $8450AUD on leather strap and $8750AUD on steel bracelet. For more details, visit TAG Heuer right here.
Made in partnership with TAG Heuer. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.