TAG Heuer plays with red in a new Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition.
Press Release information with commentary in italics.
New: TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition
Retail price for the new TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial LE is set at USD 6,750 online with free shipping. This is a limited edition of 600 pieces.
Commentary
The Heuer Carrera is a signature of the TAG Heuer lineup, with lineage throwback to 1963 with Jack Heuer’s design. Made as a tribute to the Heuer Carrera Ref. 2447, the case shape retains the traditional Heuer design. The signature long lugs, faceted with the crease, combine with polished round pushers, a polished sloped bezel and protected by the box sapphire crystal (replacing the plexiglass in the historical model. to complete the vintage vibes. The modest size increase from 36mm to just 39mm shows good restraint, and the new watch is now in the “Goldilocks” just-the-right sized camp.
The original Heuer Carrera 2447 had the Valjoux caliber 72 hand wound movement, but this new iteration carries the Heuer 02 movement which is perhaps fitting as an update to the classic. This is a proven movement with a vertical clutch mechanism controlled by a classical column wheel. A small but nice touch is that the column wheel is anodized in the same hue as the dial.
This is also not TAG Heuer’s first time recreating the Carrera. Many releases have appeared over the last years. From as early as 2015 with a 39mm model, a collaboration with fashion brand Fragment (also in 39mm, but at a significant premium), and even shoehorning the Carrera 02 movement into a larger 44mm case size. A recent example, and perhaps closest to this novelty is the Carrera Green Special Edition released in 2021. But we can’t blame TAG Heuer for releasing more. For one, the Carrera is a historical icon, and new releases are in the spirit of extending the joy of ownership to more collectors. But, cynically, one can also argue that as the releases are so successful, it becomes an easy way for the corporate to fill the maison’s coffers. It is a simple matter of making a dial change.
Release Details
The Heuer Carrera first designed in 1963 defined the timeless signature style of TAG Heuer’s most refined collection of sports chronographs. Today, the Swiss luxury watchmaker once again pays homage to Jack Heuer’s visionary model with a strong and unexpected rendition of his favorite timepiece, infused with modern elegance and performance.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition draws from the same pure, understated, and legible aesthetic that first made the Heuer Carrera a favorite among demanding racing pilots on and off the track. The silhouette of the original Heuer Carrera reference 2447 is retained including the signature lugs and pushers, now scaled up to a contemporary 39-mm. The indexes and hours and minutes hands are faceted, rhodium-plated and coated with Super-LumiNova® for optimal readability.
Under a glassbox, the unmistakable dial with its elegant tri-compax layout, takes on a brand- new style however, in deep red. Although seldom covering the entire dial in the TAG Heuer Carrera collection, the use of red has been a TAG Heuer signature throughout the decades: from the brand logos, subtle design accents such as the red tachymeter scale on the 1960s Heuer Carreras, bright red hands on the Heuer Monaco or Ayrton Senna’s favorite chronograph, to stand-out pieces such as the Heuer Silverstone of 1974, one of the few strong, red-dialed watches of that period, the color is core to the TAG Heuer identity.
Today, this crimson interpretation makes a statement and brings new energy to the classic timepiece. The face is sunray brushed while the three chronograph counters – hours, minutes and permanent second indicator – are snailed, bringing a subtle contrast and mesmerizing play of light to the wrist. The dial naturally sports the emblematic Heuer logo and Carrera name.
The watches’ in-house high-precision chronograph movement, the Calibre Heuer 02, with its outstanding power reserve of 80 hours is also personalized with touches of red on the column wheel and oscillating mass engravings. These can be observed through the sapphire crystal case back.
Presented on a black alligator strap with a steel folding clasp, the TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition is limited to 600 pieces. A true collectors’ watch, each will carry the mentions “ONE OF 600” and “Limited Edition” on the case back. The exclusive TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition expresses the uniquely elegant and sporty character of its emblematic past, with an added touch of flair and modernity. Available from July 2022, this chronograph will be sold exclusively in TAG Heuer boutiques, through the brand’s e-commerce websites and at select wholesale outlets.
TAG Heuer Carrera Red Dial Limited Edition Specifications
Reference: CBK221G.FC6479
Movement
TAG Heuer Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph
Dial
Red sunray brushed dial
3 counters:
– 3o’clock:“snailed”minutechronographcounter
– 6o’clock:“snailed”permanentsecondindicator
– 9o’clock:“snailed”hourchronographcounter
Rhodium-plated applied indexes, hour and minute hands with Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium-plated central hand
Case
39 mm diameter
Polished stainless-steel case
Domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
Stainless-steel standard crown at 3 o’clock with push buttons at 2 and 4 o’clock
Stainless-steel sapphire crystal screw-down case back with special engraving
“Limited Edition” and “ONE OF 600” engraved Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap
Black alligator leather strap
Steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons, HEUER logo
Availability
From July 2022
