Past Meets Present In Tag Heuer's Carrera Heritage Collection

BASEL, Switzerland, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TAG Heuer, the leading Swiss luxury watch brand, today introduced its Carrera Heritage series, a premium collection of watches and chronographs that evoke the brand's grand watchmaking traditions. Debuting in October, these models are a true synergy of timeless grace and superior artisanry, ideal for consumers seeking a timepiece that is at once – and forever – a classic.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110324/NY68624 )

The hallmark of the line is its timeless styling, which imbues each model with a decidedly heirloom quality and evokes the glamour and sophistication that defined the 1960s, when the original Carrera was developed. While powered by the modern Calibre 6 or Calibre 16 movement, respectively, the watches and chronographs in the Carrera Heritage collection are designed to look like they have been handed down across generations. This feel is achieved through artistic details such as the flinque texture on the dials, a decorative motif of undulating lines that is traditionally found on vintage timepieces. This aesthetic is complemented by the timepieces' raised and curved Arabic numerals, which are featured in a bright lustrous blue, rich rose gold, polished silver or 18k gold, depending on the model.  

In designing the Carrera Heritage series, TAG Heuer delved into its archives, pulling specific elements, including the linear shape of the pushbuttons and tapered hour and minute hands, from a 1945 Heuer timepiece. Also drawn from this nearly 70-year-old watch were the hands for the small, second counter and chronograph, which boast an elegant delta shape. These stand in stark contrast to the stick-straight hands that sweep along today's timepieces, adding to the new models' antique appeal.

Available in either a watch or chronograph, both Carrera Heritage styles feature a scratch-resistant sapphire caseback, allowing wearers to appreciate the exceptional craftsmanship of the movement. In addition, they are water resistant to 100 meters.

Carrera Calibre 16 Heritage Chronograph

The pinnacle of the line, the Carrera Calibre 16 Heritage Chronograph is a handsome timepiece that takes a three-piece suit or little black dress to the next level of debonair style.  The 41 mm dial hosts three counters: chronograph minute at 12 o'clock, chronograph hour at 6 o'clock and running second at 9 o'clock, each of which offers at-a-glance access to precision timing. The chronograph is offered in the following iterations:

• Stainless steel case, silver dial with blue numbers, minute, hour and chronograph hands on stainless steel bracelet or luxurious blue alligator strap
• Stainless steel case, black dial with polished silver numbers, minute, hour and chronograph hands on stainless steel bracelet or black alligator strap
• Stainless steel case, silver dial with rose gold numbers, minute, hour and chronograph hands on chocolate brown alligator strap
• 18k gold case, silver dial with gold numbers, minute, hour and chronograph hands on chocolate brown alligator strap or steel and 18k gold bracelet

Carrera Calibre 6 Heritage

The Carrera Calibre 6 Heritage is a pared-down, more streamlined watch that meets the standards of today's exacting aficionado. The 39 mm model is available with:

• Stainless steel case, silver dial with blue numbers and hands on stainless steel bracelet or luxurious blue alligator strap
• Stainless steel case, black dial with polished silver numbers and hands on stainless steel bracelet or black alligator strap
• Stainless steel case, silver dial with rose-gold numbers, minute and hour hands on chocolate brown alligator strap
• Rose gold case, silver dial with rose gold numbers, minute and hour hands on steel and rose gold bracelet
• 18k gold case, silver dial with gold numbers, minute and hour hands on chocolate brown alligator strap or steel and 18k gold bracelet

History of the Carrera

The TAG Heuer Carrera was born in 1962 in the pits and paddocks of the racing circuit.  TAG Heuer's honorary chairman, Jack Heuer, served as a timekeeper at the Twelve Hours of Sebring race where he met two talented drivers, the Rodriguez brothers.  As the brothers regaled Heuer with stories of the legendary Carrera Panamericana Mexico Road Race, he was struck by the name "Carrera," which in his words was "elegant, dynamic, easily pronounced in all languages and charged with emotion."   In 1964, he launched the first timepiece to carry the Carrera name.  Since its launch, the Carrera has become an iconic and best-selling series for TAG Heuer.  

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer celebrates "150 years of Motor Racing" in 2011. Founded in Saint-Imier in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, TAG Heuer has set many major milestones of high-end watchmaking, especially in the field of chronographs and ultimate precision. Today, one of the largest and most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, the Swiss legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate timing instruments and watches in the world. TAG Heuer is the first watchmaker to master luxury chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1,000th and 1/10,000 of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper for Formula One in the 90s and the legendary Indy 500 race today, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher. This is reflected in its partnerships with F1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and its World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Audi Sport in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, and the Automobile Club de Monaco and its full roster of prestigious racing events. Now actively engaged in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Le Mans 24 and the Indy 500, TAG Heuer is ''Mastering Speed'' on motorsport's 3 most iconic racetracks. More than ever, the brand epitomizes prestige and performance through active partnerships with Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, LPGA star Suzann Pettersen and WTA tennis champion Maria Sharapova. TAG Heuer is a privileged member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the most exclusive club in the Swiss watchmaking industry. The newest additions to the TAG Heuer legacy are: the Calibre 1887, an in-house, Swiss manufactured, integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that pays tribute to the original Heuer oscillating pinion of 1887, one of the brand's first patents and a major benchmark in modern watchmaking; and the Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph, the first ever column wheel integrated mechanical chronograph with 1/100th of a second display by a central hand, which pays tribute to the legendary Heuer Mikrograph stopwatch of 1916.

The TAG HEUER CARRERA 1887 CHRONOGRAPH has been named the 2010 Swiss Watch of the Year in the Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Geneve's prestigious "La Petite Aiguille" ("Small Hand") category.

TAG Heuer's "150 Years of Mastering Speed" celebrations in 2011 commemorate the brand's unrivalled heritage in motor sports, which include such historic contributions as the 1911 patent for 'Time of Trip', the world's first dashboard chronograph. As part of the celebrations, a unique exhibition showcasing TAG Heuer's greatest racing partners and motorsport-inspired timepieces will tour major cities and racing capitals. Four-time F1 World Champion Alain Prost, a friend of the brand since the 1980s, is the "Mastering Speed" Special Ambassador.

SOURCE TAG Heuer