A CELEBRATION WITH THE SIGN OF THE VIPER

On the eve of its 55th anniversary, the Carrera has donned a midnight blue ceramic coat and includes on the mechanism the prestigious “Tête de Vipère“ (Viper’s Head) seal issued by the Besançon Observatory, a guarantee of precision and high quality.

The Carrera chronograph is the work of one man, Jack Heuer, the great-grandson of the founder of TAG Heuer (the brand was set up in 1860) and a big fan of motor racing. In 1963, five years after joining the firm, Heuer designed a watch adapted to motor racing, and which was worn by a large number of drivers: the Carrera. In 2018, to celebrate the 55th anniversary of a legendary watch that is now a star of the brand’s collectors’ catalogue, TAG Heuer has introduced a contemporary version with a sophisticated mechanism called the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Chronometer “Tête de Vipère” in a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Housed in a midnight blue case measuring 45mm wide, the automatic calibre Heuer-02T features other blue elements, such as the tourbillon and rotor. The mechanism runs at 28,800 vibrations an hour (4Hz) and provides a power reserve of up to 65 hours.

The open-work dial has a black chapter ring with a precise minute track. Two silvered, luminescent, stick-shaped hands display the hours and minutes in the centre, while the seconds are driven by a tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Also in the centre is the chronograph second hand; the minutes and hours are shown in two rhodium totalisers at 3 and 9 o’clock, respectively.

Price: 19,900 CHF tagheuer.com

By Sharmila Bertin