TAG Heuer  Carrera  Watches

TAG Heuer Carrera: Iconic Chronographs that Race to the Top

The Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer is well-known for its connection with the world of motorsports. For a good part of its history, TAG Heuer has produced numerous sports watches that take inspiration from automobiles such as the TAG Heuer Formula 1 and TAG Heuer Monaco collections. The TAG Heuer Carrera collection, however, remains among the most sought-after collections in their catalog.

The TAG Heuer Carrera collection made its debut in 1963 with watches that exhibit a perfect mix of sporty and elegance. They come with exceptionally legible hands and indexes that make it easy for drivers to read them even at full speed. With their clean and optimized appearance as well as their notable precision, the TAG Heuer Carrera chronographs certainly race to the top.

Prices at a Glance: Most Popular TAG Heuer Carrera Watches

How much does a TAG Heuer Carrera watch cost? 

TAG Heuer has been releasing Carrera watches since the 1960s, and the collection offers a wide range of timepieces with different features and styles. One of the most popular TAG Heuer Carrera models is the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 Ref. CV201AP.FC6429. This powerful chronograph stands out with its luminous hands and markers providing a deep contrast with its ebony dial and ceramic bezel, making the watch easy to read. The watch also has bright red details that add a nice splash of color, further enhancing its visual presence. 

The Carrera Calibre 16 boasts exceptional functionality along with its elegant form. It has a tachymeter scale on its ceramic bezel, with its indexes providing highly accurate readings. Within the dial, the watch has three subdials: a small seconds subdial along with 30-minute and 12-hour counters. This multi-functional chronometer also has a date display at the 9 o’clock mark. The automatic Tag Heuer Calibre 16 movement provides this watch with great precision and a 42-hour power reserve. If you wish to purchase this impressive TAG Heuer sports watch, prepare to pay around $4,450 USD.

If a simple style is more your speed, then the Carrera Calibre 5 would be a great choice for you. The TAG Heuer Carrera 5 Day-Date models have a clean and classic appearance that make the watches as suitable for more formal events as they are for everyday wear. These timepieces may not have the tachymeter scales on their bezels or the subdials that other Carrera watches have, but they still have highly accurate seconds markers and an uncluttered design. Moreover, these three-handed watches feature a convenient day and date display at 9 o’clock.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Day-Date watches have polished steel cases and bracelets that complement their rhodium-plated indexes well. Aside from giving them a classy and elegant appearance, their cases also provide the timepieces with a water resistance of around 328 ft (100 m). These watches also feature scratch-resistant sapphire crystals that protect the dials and the exhibition case backs. You can buy a Carrera Calibre 5 Day-Date watch for around $2,800 USD.

Another highlight of the Carrera collection is the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T. This model has an impressive modern design that emanates the essence of motorsports — sophisticated engineering and eye-catching aesthetics. It boasts a highly advanced tourbillon movement that only the best of brands can pull off. The chronograph has three subdials that follow the classic 3-6-9 format, with the tourbillon visible at 6 o’clock. The balance wheel of the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T also has a SuperLuminova coating that makes the mechanism visible in the dark. A watch this advanced requires a rather significant investment, so prepare around $13,000 to $41,500 USD to get a hold of one of these timepieces.

If you’re into avant-garde luxury sports watches that still resemble the classics, then the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 might just be perfect for you. This sophisticated timepiece has a rather complex construction that will surely capture the attention of anyone who gets a glance at it. Its skeletonized dial is bustling with interesting movements, and the sapphire glass caseback also offers a view of the powerful in-house caliber 01. This extravagant timepiece is available in combinations of stainless steel, carbon, ceramic, gold, and titanium. Depending on the materials, Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 watches sell for around $3,900 USD to $4,400 USD. Ceramic and gold models cost significantly higher, however, with the gold models selling for about $9,300 USD.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Porsche Special Edition is a timepiece that encapsulates the fusion of TAG Heuer and Porsche. This stainless steel watch is an iconic piece that showcases a great contrast of black and red, resembling the emblem of Porsche. To enhance its visual appeal, its dark gray dial has a texture reminiscent of asphalt, exhibiting the brand’s passion for the road. Its in-house caliber Heuer 02 is another wonder to behold, with the movement providing the timepiece with a power reserve of up to 80 hours. This special edition watch has a price tag of $6,050 USD.

New 2020 Models of the TAG Heuer Carrera 

In celebration of the brand’s 160th anniversary, TAG Heuer released new models for the Carrera collection in the year 2020. The vintage-inspired TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition has a well-loved classic look that resembles the original Carrera watches. There are only 1,860 pieces of this limited-edition model, so it’s a highly collectible piece that can make a fine addition to any collection of luxury watches. 

The TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition has a handsome silver dial with three subdials. This piece has an impressively tidy appearance that can shine in both formal and casual settings. With a 39 mm case and a black alligator strap, the watch has an undeniably sleek presence on the wrist.

While this special-edition timepiece showcases a vintage look, TAG Heuer outfitted the watch with its latest innovations. Instead of the vintage hand-wound Valjoux 72 movement, the automatic Heuer 02 chronograph movement ticks within the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Limited Edition. It runs at a frequency of 28,800 vph, providing the piece with a modern and exceptionally precise movement. The Heuer 02 movement also provides the piece with an 80-hour power reserve. This movement is viewable through the watch’s exhibition case back protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. You can avail of this model for $6,450 USD.

In addition to the special-edition models, TAG Heuer also released four 2020 models that the brand added to its permanent collection. These 2020 Carrera Sport Chronograph models come in 44 mm stainless steel cases that come in different dial/bezel combinations. Like most TAG Heuer Carrera watches, they sport tachymeter scales on their bezels, improved readability, and a nice contrast between brushed and polished.

Perhaps the highlight model of the collection is the black and rose gold 2020 TAG Heuer Carrera Ref. CBN2A5A.FC6841. The watch has a black brushed dial and black ceramic bezel with rose gold-colored details, giving it an undeniably classy look. Its crown and pushers are also made of 18K 5N rose gold. This watch features the Heuer 02 movement with a vertical clutch and column wheel, viewable through the exhibition case back. This outstanding watch is available at a price of $6,550 USD.

History Behind the TAG Heuer Carrera Collection

The TAG Heuer Carrera watches take inspiration from a historic and incredibly risky race — the Carrera Panamericana. The cars ran on an open road with a distance of 2,174.8 miles (3,500 km), and few safety precautions were in place. This iconic race ran for five years since its opening in 1950, but with more than two dozen people losing their lives throughout its five-year run, the Carrera Panamericana became too dangerous to continue organizing again.

Jack Heuer, who began leading TAG Heuer in 1962, later designed watches that would commemorate the perilous race that is the Carrera Panamericana. The brand first produced the TAG Heuer Carrera collection in 1963, and the watches featured remarkable functionality and legibility aimed at professional drivers. They boasted clean, uncluttered dials to improve readability, allowing drivers to read the timepieces even at full speed. Production of the first 36-mm design continued until 1970.

In the 1970s the TAG Heuer Carrera began developing multiple innovations that put it in the spotlight, such as the in-house caliber 11. The caliber 11 was among the first Swiss chronograph movements, and it gave the Carrera collection a solid reputation. However, with the arrival of quartz movements, the collection faced a steady decline. In 1984, TAG Heuer stopped the production of Carrera watches.

The discontinuation of the legendary TAG Heuer Carrera collection was only temporary, however, because the iconic timepieces made a comeback in 1996. These newer models took inspiration from the original chronographs, but TAG Heuer began innovating new designs for the collection once more. Modern versions of the Carrera have advanced features such as the Heuer 01 and Heuer 02 calibers, but the driving forces are still the same: practicality and a passion for motorsports.

Five Reasons to Buy a TAG Heuer Carrera Watch

1. TAG Heuer Carrera watches boast impressive practicality and aesthetics.

2. The watches come in various high-quality materials and designs.

3. Both vintage and modern models have high investment value.

4. Newer models are outfitted with advanced in-house calibers such as the Heuer 02 and Heuer 02T.

5. The watches have a rich history that goes back to the 1960s.

Most Famous Patron of the TAG Heuer Carrera

The TAG Heuer Carrera is certainly a stellar collection of luxury sports watches, and it has its fair share of famous patrons. Perhaps one of the most recognizable celebrities who wear TAG Heuer Carrera watches is the phenomenal actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is often spotted wearing TAG Heuer watches, including ones from the Carrera collection. One of his watches of choice is the Carrera Calibre 1887 Automatic Chronograph, a classy timepiece with a white dial and gold details. 

TAG Heuer Carrera: The Renowned Racing Line 

The Carrera collection is certainly among TAG Heuer’s most prized collections. There’s no denying the collection’s rich history, design, and practicality, after all. Avid watch collectors and motorsports enthusiasts continue to hold this collection in high regard. If classy, clean, and functional are what you’re aiming for, why not invest in a TAG Heuer Carrera watch?