Named after the legendary Carrera Panamericana car race in Mexico in the 1960s, the Tag Heuer Carrera has been the most iconic watch in the Tag Heuer collection, and is still made today. The original 1960s early generation Heuer Carrera Chronographs are highly collectible due to their unique heritage, ties to motorsport racing, easy to read dial and in the iconic classic Carrera case. What make this modern re-edition special is the fact that it carries all of what makes the classic Carrera so desirable - it’s opaline black dial, silver rimmed registers much like the Rolex Daytona, raised sapphire crystal and Carrera lugs in a modern 39mm case size.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Calibre 17 1960s Re-issue CV2113 Automatic
The first thing you’ll notice is how classically restrained the watch looks. It wears rather slim for a chronograph and doesn’t feel bulky or top heavy on the wrist. This is due to the Carrera case design (lugs angle downwards) and it wears extremely comfortably on the wrist with no overhang that’s sometimes present in some thicker chronograph watches. It’s just a great design, really - the longer we wore it, the more we fell in love with the watch. It is one of the most comfortable chronographs we’ve ever worn. The dial evokes the brilliance of the simple yet balanced design - a tri-compax chronograph design of vintage chronographs; we honestly think it’s the perfect layout. The chronograph registers are encircled in silver which provides the perfect contrast against the black dial - it draws the eye to the sub registers. Oh yeah, and the current generation Rolex Daytona uses the same dial design style - you can’t go wrong with that look!
Turn the watch to it’s side and you can see how the sapphire crystal sits higher than the case - this not only is a nod to vintage chronographs but in practical everyday wear it actually does help prevent scratches to the front of the case. The caseback is closed, just as it should be for a Carrera Reissue model, and It find it helps draw the overall focus back to the dial instead - this is not the watch you buy for the complexity of the movement - it’s all about the looks and heritage feel.
Wear it on a classic black alligator grained leather strap and it transforms into a dressy chronograph that can easily be worn with business attire. It has just the right amount of restraint worn in this manner - it really is a classic gentleman’s look - with the right hint of sportiness. Change the strap to a classic steel bracelet and you get a much sportier feel to the watch. It really is an all-rounder watch - dressy when you need it to be, sporty enough to take it on the weekend holiday drive. It’s all the enjoyment of a heritage racing sports chronograph without the stress of taking care of an actual vintage watch.
