Collection Gift Guide: TAG, You're It
December 1, 2006
Tag Heuer timekeeping equipment has been part of auto racing (in both the cockpit and trackside) virtually from the beginning. Likewise, racing is also an ongoing source of inspiration for the watchmaker. Jack Heuer’s original 1964 Carrera Chronograph honored racing legend Juan Manuel Fangio for his 1953 win in the Carrera Panamericana, a long-distance sports car event; the instrument was worn by many Formula One drivers in the ’70s. The latest edition, the Carrera Tachymetre Racing ($2,577), came out this year and positively revels in its all-business lineage—a wrist strap of perforated rubber is an option.
A UK blurb politely terms the Tach Racing “robust.” For the race follower who has clicked more than a few speed counters in the pits or the stands, its brute grace is compelling. Massive beveled indexes on the black dial permit distance and speed measurements, and chronograph readings are clear—hours register at 6 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, and minutes at 12. The date window is at 3 o’clock, alongside a monochrome TAG Heuer logo. The luminous hands and markings are broken only by red needles for the main second sweep and chronographs. Recent models include color options.
With its Caliber 16 automatic chronograph movement, this is also a superb conventional instrument. Water resistant up to 164 feet, niceties include a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and polished steel case. The fluted crown for winding is identical to Heuer’s original design, but the start/stop action is now easier and faster. On the correct wrist, this could be “the one.”
TAG Heuer
800.321.4832
www.tagheuer.com
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