TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm Watch Review
Three versions of the TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm were unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024. Described by the brand as ‘Copper Elegance’, Mother-of-Pearl Radiance’ and ‘Precious Harmony’, each reference expresses a notable degree of femininity. US-based watch journalist, Meehna Goldsmith shares her thoughts on these ageless beauties.
Heuer Carrera (1963)
When Heuer debuted the Carrera in 1963, it immediately changed the game. Inspired by the track, the watch was designed by company namesake Jack Heuer and featured a precise chronograph. Although not a professional racer, Heuer had a passion for motorsports and was obsessed with legibility. Most chronographs at the time included a bezel marked with 1/5-second hashes for chronograph timing. For the Carrera, Heuer dispensed with the bezel, migrating the hashes to the tension ring to open up the dial and place focus on the indicators.
More than just a precision instrument, the Carrera, which takes its name from the Carrera Panamericana race, came packaged in a sexy and cultivated design that was right at home off the track too. The sensuous angular case sparkled with a diamond polish finish, while the prominent bevelled lugs added gravitas. Jack Heuer was known to have a keen eye for aesthetics and his taste tended toward mid-century modernism, reflected in the work of Le Corbusier and Charles Eames.
TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm – new for 2024
The Carrera proved such a success that TAG Heuer developed other iterations of the watch that included time only and jewellery models, as well as one with a flying tourbillon. Over 60 years later the Carrera still holds allure. Now it gets a more refined treatment with the brand releasing three new models incorporating precious materials, including 18K 5N rose gold, mother-of-pearl and diamonds. Like the original tri-compax Carreras from 1963 and last year’s introduction, the case diameter measures a classic 36 mm.
The models include the Copper Elegance, Mother-of-Pearl Radiance and Precious Harmony. All of the timepieces house the date at 6 o’clock, earning the series the Date moniker.
TAG Heuer ‘Carrera Copper Elegance’
The Copper Elegance features the most streamlined presentation. As the name suggests, the dial comes in a radiant copper hue with a snailed brushed finish. The colour plays with nude tones, scintillating from light brown to beige, while the steel case offers alternate finishing. Both the bezel and crown are crafted from 18K 5N rose gold, which perfectly echoes the 18K 5N rose gold on the indices, hands and logo.
TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Mother-of-Pearl Radiance’
The Mother-of-Pearl Radiance shimmers with the warm glow of nacre on the dial. Similar to the Copper Elegance, its gradient track is finished in nude tones that glint from light brown to beige, again complementing the 18K 5N rose gold-plated indexes, hands and logo. Lighting up the dial is a diamond flange with 76 diamonds totalling 0.288 carats. This version also comes in a steel case with alternate finishing.
TAG Heuer Carrera ‘Precious Harmony’
The Precious Harmony is the fanciest attired of the trio. Again housed in a steel case with alternate finishing, the watch is dressed up with a mother-of-pearl dial, using the same theme of the gradient track in nude tones. Instead of rose gold indices, the Precious Harmony incorporates the flash of diamond-set chatons for the hour markers totalling 0.22 carats. A total of 76 diamonds encircle the flange equaling 0.288 carats. In matching style to the Copper Elegance, the crown and bezel come in 18K 5N rose gold, while the hands and logo are plated in 18K 5N rose gold. The three timepieces are offered with the tapered Carrera H bracelet in a choice of steel or steel and 18K 5N rose gold.
TAG Heuer Calibre 7 movement
Providing the tick inside is the self-winding Calibre 7 movement boasting a prodigious 56 hour power reserve that will get you through the weekend. With an eye towards ergonomics and comfort, the thickness of these timepieces ranges between 10.20 mm and 10.60 mm for a svelte profile.
TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm – closing remarks
While the Carrera was born as a tool watch for racing, the Carrera Date feels right at home in any environment. The newest trio adds touches of elegance to the already iconic design by integrating precious materials. Although Jack Heuer envisioned his innovative chronograph as a tool watch, the Carrera looks just as good wearing a more feminine countenance. Once again, the Carrera transcends its origins with the addition of pieces that are just as timeless as the original.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm – Carrera Copper Elegance (Reference: WBN2350.BD0000)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm – Mother-of-Pearl Radiance (Reference: WBN231C.BD0000)
- Model: TAG Heuer Carrera Date Steel and Gold 36 mm – Precious Harmony (Reference: WBN2351.BD0000)
- Case: steel, diameter 36mm, water resistance 10ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds, date
- Movement: Calibre 7 automatic, 25 jewels, power reserve 56 hours
- Bracelet: H-shape bracelet with steel folding clasp and double safety push buttons
- Price: Carrera Copper Elegance (Reference: WBN2350.BD0000) – £4,350 (RRP as of 27.4.2024)
- Price: Mother-of-Pearl Radiance (Reference: WBN231C.BD0000) – £4,200 (RRP as of 27.4.2024)
- Price: Precious Harmony (Reference: WBN2351.BD0000) – £6,050 (RRP as of 27.4.2024)