Blog
In a year when nearly every one of the brand’s major nameplates received a significant update, the Carrera sports watch series undoubtedly received the most significant changes of all.
Both the sporty and more refined sides of the Carrera chronograph stable were completely refreshed over the course of two massive releases, with a bolder and edgier look and new in-house movement options.
So we can say without a doubt that 2020 was a remarkable year for TAG Heuer!
As far as 2021 is concerned, the brand returned to the Carrera line to align the three-hand side of the lineup with the new Carrera style, resulting in a radically modern new collection.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera “Three Hand Collection”, which includes the TAG Heuer Carrera Day-Date 41mm, TAG Heuer Carrera Date 39mm, and TAG Heuer Carrera Twin-Time, introduces a modern, faceted new look to the Carrera family, with distinctive stylistic and textural touches, giving them a competitive market advantage.
Each TAG Heuer Carrera Three-Hand Collection member has the same basic stainless steel case design, which was greatly influenced by the 42mm Carrera Chronograph Heuer 02 series released in 2020.
The Carrera Date’s 39mm case and the Carrera Day Date’s 41mm case share the Carrera’s trademark angular faceted lug design, with a sharp inward lug bevel paired to a large polished chamfer running the length of the case sides.
Furthermore, the bezel design takes up substantially more visible real estate in the smaller 39mm case, producing a more compact, balanced, and vintage-inflected vibe in first pictures. This same bezel is stretched across a larger dial aperture for the 41mm case variation, giving 41mm models a bolder and more modern dial-forward attitude when viewed from above. Both case variants include sapphire display casebacks and maintain the Carrera line’s sporting credentials with 100-meter water resistant ratings.
The dials of the TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hand Collection, like the cases, essentially follow the pattern of the Carrera Chronograph Heuer 02, but with unexpected new artistic twists.
Each model is inspired by the original Carrera design from the 1960s, with details such the striped pointed baton hands and grooved applied indices lending a little vintage feel to the contemporary design in images.
The 12 o’clock printed Carrera symbol, which uses the same serif typeface as the original 1963 Carrera, adds to the antique aesthetic of the watch – a simple structure, even the smallest detail becomes critical to the design’s success, with intricacies like the slightly rounder shape of the indices and the newly slimmed-down day and date window frames, rewarding attentive inspection in first images.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Date 39mm is the most simple watch of the new lineup, with a nicely symmetrical 6 o’clock date display and four dial variations. The two black dial versions are possibly the most intriguing of the series, ditching the typical matte or sunburst finishes in favor of a totally snailed surface that gives visual depth to the design and evokes memories of vinyl records.
The optional 5N rose gold plated hands and indices give the design a delightfully rich tone that sets it apart from the rest of the collection. The sunburst silver dial option adds a dressier, more vintage air to the Carrera Date, with a beautifully grained sunburst pattern and a matching date wheel. TAG Heuer chooses a traditional cobalt blue sunburst finish for the blue dial model, albeit the choice of a white date wheel here may break the overall visual flow of the dial. The brand uses the same four dial variations for the TAG Heuer Carrera Day Date 41mm, but the larger dial diameter gives the design a slightly more open appearance.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Twin-Time, adds a small red arrow-tipped GMT hand to the Carrera’s dial hardware, having the most striking design in the series. The Carrera Twin-Time, is only available in sunburst blue, also replaces the outer seconds scale on the rehaut with a clean, open 24-hour scale in two-tone blue and pale silver.
Both TAG Heuer’s Carrera Date 39mm and 41mm are outfitted with the Sellita SW200-1-based Calibre 5 automatic movement. The Calibre 5 has been a pillar of TAG Heuer’s range for years, and while the Carrera Three-Hand Collection models are elegantly embellished with perlage across the bridges and a signature rotor with Côtes de Genève, its powerhouse is beginning to show its age.
With the exception of the silver dial Carrera Day Date 41mm, all models in the TAG Heuer Carrera Three-Hand Collection are “lifted” with the brand’s stainless steel H-link bracelet. The H-link bracelet is carried over from the 42mm Carrera Chronograph Heuer 02, with a modern and sporty angular take on the pattern and brushed finishes.
The silver dial Carrera Day Date, on the other hand, is mounted on an alligator leather strap in a warm cognac hue, giving the design a more refined, traditional appearance.
Overall, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hand Collection puts the non-chronograph side of Carrera in line with the brand’s current aesthetic and provides genuinely delicate designs, with new finishes, a sharp new look, and a broad variety of variants.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Three-Hand Collection watches are now available through authorized dealers and come in different price ranges, depending on the model.
For more information and to see the whole collection, please visit us at 50 Zinonos Kitieos Street in Larnaca, or contact us on 24 654506. Alternatively you can visit our website.