TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph
The Swiss luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer and the German sportscar manufacturer Porsche have announced their new partnership: an authentic alliance between two brands whose common DNA in motorsports and racing forges a holistic and long-term collaboration ranging from competition to product development. A new watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph, is unveiled as first celebration of the iconic brands.
TAG Heuer and Porsche have a number of things in common, from their rich histories and reputations for innovation to cutting-edge technologies, powerful and independent mindset, and a knack for excellence in design. Both companies were founded by self-taught entrepreneurs. Edouard Heuer and Ferdinand Porsche were visionaries whose creations changed their chosen fields forever.
Heuer was responsible for the first manufactured chronograph and Porsche invented an electric wheel hub motor. Both these accomplishments earned medals at World’s Fairs held in Paris 11 years apart. Heuer was honoured in 1889 and Porsche presented the first Lohner-Porsche Electromobile with this innovation at the Expo in Paris in 1900.
The true cornerstones of the new partnership, however, are descendants of the brands’ founding fathers. Ferdinand Porsche’s son, Ferdinand Anton Ernst or “Ferry”, joined his father’s engineering office in 1931 at the age of 22 and founded the car brand that bears the family name in 1948. Within a few years, the Porsche name would be associated with race track success all around the world – including a class win in the Carrera Panamericana race of 1954. In honour of its successful participation, Porsche calls its most powerful engine ‘Carrera’.
Edouard Heuer’s great-grandson Jack led his family’s company for decades. In 1963, he created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph, designed to let drivers tell the time at a glance in the heat of action. This ground-breaking timepiece and Porsche’s most powerful Carrera engine united Porsche and Heuer – for the first time – in the spirit of the ‘Carrera’ (or ‘race’), which embodied ambition, speed and technical excellence.
Jack Heuer was also responsible for the Heuer Monaco, the first square-faced, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch. Its name evoked the Monaco Grand Prix as well as the Principality’s renowned Monte Carlo Rally, which Porsche won in three consecutive years, from 1968 to 1970, with its signature 911 model. Just as the Porsche 911 had done for automobiles, the Heuer Monaco – with its distinctive case, its blue metallic dial, its red seconds hand and the crown positioned on the left side of the case – broke with the familiar design codes of traditional watchmaking.
Carrera: an icon of a name that has been associated with TAG Heuer and Porsche for generations – so it was a natural choice for the first creative product collaboration. A tribute to the heritage of two legendary brands, both on and off the racetrack, the new chronograph offers a first glimpse at what they can achieve together.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is an exquisite example of coordination, cooperation and collaboration. Based on TAG Heuer’s Carrera Sport Chronograph design, with its distinctive tachymeter scale engraved on the bezel, it introduces a number of features inspired by Porsche’s design essence. A compelling union of two icons of performance, quality, and innovation, this chronograph is a seamless blend of the Porsche and TAG Heuer universes, reflecting the excellence of both names without diluting the essence of either.
Porsche’s engraved inscription is visible on the bezel and the unmistakable font is also used for the indexes. The Porsche colours of red, black, and grey – which also recall historic Heuer models – are incorporated throughout the watch, and on clear display through the transparent crystal case back is the oscillating mass, which has been redesigned in affectionate tribute to Porsche’s celebrated steering wheel.
It is printed with “Porsche” and “TAG Heuer”. The dial’s asphalt effect, created especially for this watch, perfectly expresses a passion for the road, while Arabic numerals suggest the numbers on the dashboard of fine Porsche sportscars.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is presented either on a soft strap in luxurious calf leather and innovative stitching that echoes the Porsche interior or on an interlocking bracelet reflecting streamlined racing design.
At the heart of this stunning timepiece is the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve. The chronograph mechanism’s vertical clutch and column wheel demonstrate the brands’ unflinching demand for absolute precision.
Finally, the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is a Special Edition watch and is delivered in bespoke packaging with colours and a style consistent with the remarkable watch inside. The black watch box features the logos of TAG Heuer and Porsche in white. Inside the box is a perfectly-sized black travel pouch with an unmistakably Porsche red interior.
Technical details
Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition 44 mm Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic
Reference: CBN2A1F.FC6492
Movement
Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic
Case
44 mm diameter
Steel polished, fine brushed case
Ceramic black tachymeter fixed bezel; Porsche inscription
Domed, beveled sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
Steel crown at 3 o’clock with red
Steel screw-down sapphire case back with special engraving
Water resistance: 100 meters
Dial
Grey asphalt dial
3 counters:
— 3 o’clock: black “azurage” minute chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand red tip
— 6 o’clock: black “azurage” second chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand
— 9 o’clock: black “azurage” hour chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand red tip
Black gold plated applied indexes with white Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium plated hour and minute hands with white Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium plated central hand red tip
TAG Heuer applied logo
6 o’clock date
CARRERA HEUER 02 80 HOURS
Strap
Embossed black calf leather strap with hand stitching; calf skin black lining
Steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
Available from
February 2021
Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph Special Edition 44 mm Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic
Reference: CBN2A1F.BA0643
Movement
Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic
Case
44 mm diameter
Steel polished, fine brushed case
Ceramic black tachymeter fixed bezel; Porsche inscription
Domed, beveled sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
Steel crown at 3 o’clock with red
Steel screw-down sapphire case back with special engraving
Water resistance: 100 meters
Dial
Grey asphalt dial
3 counters:
— 3 o’clock: black “azurage” minute chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand red tip
— 6 o’clock: black “azurage” second chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand
— 9 o’clock: black “azurage” hour chronograph counter; rhodium plated polished hand red tip
Black gold plated applied indexes with white Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium plated hour and minute hands with white Super-LumiNova®
Rhodium plated central hand red tip
TAG Heuer applied logo
6 o’clock date
CARRERA HEUER 02 80 HOURS
Strap
Steel H-shape bracelet
Steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
Available from
February 2021
