TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport Watch Review
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport comprises four models, offered in a variety of hues and case materials. Each reference shares the same openworked dial design and impressive Calibre Heuer TH20-00. The Swiss marque has also released the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport. Available in two versions, this watch unites two highly desirable complications that should resonate with horophiles and petrolheads alike. Mark McArthur-Christie guides the reader through these latest expressions of chrono-heaven to originate from La Chaux-de-Fonds.
TAG Heuer design
If you’ve been keeping an eye on TAG Heuer since the reign of the inestimable Jean-Claude Biver ( 2014 – 2018), the new Carrera Chronograph and Tourbillon Extreme Sport (more of tourbillons and sport later), will not be a surprise. The Calibre TH20-09, the movement powering the new Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, is an evolution of the Calibre Heuer 02 from 2016 and the family likeness is clear to see.
This is all good and part of evolution, development and new ideas and a common design language for cases, dials and movements. And it also offers a tourbillon for under £25,000 if you eschew the gold case.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and Tourbillon Extreme Sport – six watches
It’s also impressive when you look at all six – yes six – new watches in the lineup side by side. Two tourbillons, one with a gold case, its brother in DLC Grade 2 titanium. Then the four straight chronographs with very different dial colours: orange, blue, black and titanium/gold. TAG Heuer has managed to build a range of watches that go from full-on bats orange (think of some Formula 1 models from 1986) through to a comparatively restrained and understated black.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – dials
Starting with the dials, the firm says they’ve been ‘ingeniously reimagined for better legibility.’ They’re perfectly legible but these watches aren’t really about being absolutely super-easy to read – they’re about showing off the movement and the glorious openworked wheel that’s highlighted at 6, indicating the date. For the tourbillon models, it’s the balance and cage residing at 6 o’clock that are the stars of the show.
That said, all of the new watches are a cinch to read in low light with Super-LumiNova hand and dial treatment as well as SL backlight for the date.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – cases
As well as dials, you get your choice of case material for the two-part case, namely gold, titanium or a forged carbon and titanium combination. The case sides are striated and sandblasted, so there’s no sense of slabbiness and plenty of visual interest.
Rubber straps are matched to dial colours and are designed to echo the air intake systems of racing cars. The straps themselves come with a Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted folding clasp with double safety push-buttons.
Starting with the three non-gold chronograph models, each has a robust fine-brushed and sandblasted Grade 2 titanium case with a sandblasted ceramic bezel. The fourth model has 18K 5N solid rose gold barrels, featuring gold lugs and a ceramic bezel, while the central body retains the same Grade 2 titanium centre case construction of its fellows. There’s always a bit of debate around ceramic bezels, depending on whether you want your watch to age with character or stay looking pristine. These watches fall into the latter camp.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – CBU2082.FT6275
Perhaps the most characterful of the range is the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport in ‘blazing orange’. It’s about as subtle as the Jagermeister orange classic E28 that was campaigned at Peter Auto events for years. Appropriately, TAG Heuer says it found inspiration for this one from racing. The rhodium-plated skeleton dial has black grained details and an orange outline on the flange. There’s plenty more orange with the lacquered central second hand, Grade 5 titanium crown, with an orange lacquered ring, and the integrated orange rubber strap. They all contrast with the black date revealer amongst the rhodium-plated indexes, hours, and minute hands.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – CBU2081.FT6274
All that orange a bit much? How about this one in TAG Heuer blue? This is altogether more restrained with a blue flange on its rhodium-plated skeleton dial. There’s more blue highlighting on the Grade 5 titanium crown with its blue lacquered ring, plus the blue lacquered central second hand and integrated blue rubber strap. This watch also has a white Super-LumiNova® date revealer that glows green at night.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – CBU2080.FT6272
Blue still a bit flash? OK, if your sock drawer is universally black, how about this one – proper monochrome black DLC-coated Grade 2 titanium case paired with a black sandblasted and fine-brushed ceramic bezel with grey markings. There’s more grey on the dial with black grained details and a grey outline. The openworked date disc is, you guessed it, black, with rhodium-plated indexes and hands for a bit of a highlight.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport – CBU2050.FT6273
If you’re looking for more luxury from your Carrera, the final chronograph combines Grade 2 titanium, ceramic and 18K 5N rose gold. The bezel is black ceramic but with golden markings, while the NAC-coated skeleton dial and the black flange have a golden outline. More gold with the 18K 5N gold-plated indexes and hands. Perhaps the classiest option of the four, it’s also the most expensive at CHF 12,000 (its non-precious metal brothers are CHF 8,200).
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport – two options
Now we come to the star turns (see what I did there?) of the show – the two tourbillon watches.
First, I need to get the whole tourbillon-in-a-sports-watch thing out of the way. The point, logically at least, of a tourbillon is to eliminate positional errors in pocket watches and clocks that don’t do a lot of moving around. The whole idea of a sports watch is to be reliable and accurate in motion. So these watches need a tourbillon like a fish needs a bicycle. But hold on – this is Watchworld. The normal laws of logic and rationality are suspended here. If they weren’t, we’d all be wearing Casio F91-Ws, be miserable and I’d be out of a job. So why not have a tourbillon on a sports watch like this? It’s aesthetically and watchmakingly interesting after all. And for one of the same reasons we all love watches – it defies any sort of common sense.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport – CBU5080.FT6272
So, the first of the pair is an all-black tourbillon, and the second is in gold. Both, like the ‘plain’ chronos, are a chunky 44 mm in diameter. The black version of the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport has a forged carbon (rather than ceramic) bezel with grey markings. I remember a conversation with a watch company managing director where I was a bit sniffy about the need for things like carbon bezels on sports watches. He made the very valid point that some wearers like to rag a racing car around high-G track corners at the weekend. Even a little weight reduction makes a difference. The skeleton NAC-coated dial with black grained details and a black flange with grey outline has bright rhodium-plated indexes and hands.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport – CBU5050.FT6273
Finally, the poshest of the lot is the gold tourbillon with its 18K 5N solid rose gold fine-brushed case, polished stretchers and a black DLC-coated Grade 2 titanium container. The sides of the stretchers are hollowed with a fine-grained finishing. Dialside, there’s an 18K 5N solid rose gold bezel with gold markings. On this model the skeleton dial uses black grained details and a black flange with a golden outline, along with rose gold-plated indexes and hands for better legibility. As a finishing touch, the crown gets an 18K 5N rose gold-plated ring and the tourbillon cage is golden too.
Both watches have an open caseback, showcasing the movement’s laser-engraved checkered pattern and (good to see it back) a colour coordinating column wheel.
Image – TAG Heuer Calibre TH20-09
TAG Heuer Calibre TH20-00 and Calibre TH20-09
Talking of movements, the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport models are powered by TH20-09 in-house calibre, an evolution of the Heuer 02. This has a vertical clutch, column wheel, a new shield-shaped rotor with a bidirectional winding and a 65-hour power reserve. Similarly, as I mentioned earlier, the four chronographs models house the TH20-00 movement with an 80-hour power reserve.
Image – TAG Heuer Calibre TH20-00
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and Tourbillon Extreme Sport – closing remarks
TAG Heuer has managed to design and make a suite of four chronographs and two chronograph tourbillons that will appeal to almost any watchbuyer in search of an interesting chronograph. There’s everything from the weekend racer orange dial right through to the under the radar greys and blacks – and all from the same base designs.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU2081.FT6274
- Case: Grade 2 titanium, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: Calibre TH20-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 80 hours
- Strap: blue integrated rubber strap, with a Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 8,000 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU2082.FT6275
- Case: Grade 2 titanium, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: Calibre TH20-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 80 hours
- Strap: orange integrated rubber strap, with a Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 8,000 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU2080.FT6272
- Case: Black DLC Grade 2 titanium, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: Calibre TH20-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 80 hours
- Strap: black integrated rubber strap, with a black DLC Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 8,200 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU2050.FT6273
- Case: 18K 5N rose gold, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: Calibre TH20-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 80 hours
- Strap: black integrated rubber strap, with a black DLC Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 12,000 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU5080.FT6272
- Case: Grade 2 titanium, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, tourbillon
- Movement: Calibre TH20-09, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 65 hours
- Strap: black integrated rubber strap, with a black DLC Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 25,500 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport
- Reference: CBU5080.FT6273
- Case: 18K 5N rose gold, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph, tourbillon
- Movement: Calibre TH20-09, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 33 jewels, power reserve 65 hours
- Strap: black integrated rubber strap, with a black DLC Grade 2 titanium fine brushed, sandblasted central link. Black DLC Grade 2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons; TAG Heuer shield
- Price: CHF 32,000 (Estimated RRP as of 5.9.2024)
