The New TAG Heuer Chronograph Extreme Sport and Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport watches are futuristic, bold and aggressive. Here are the basics you’ll want to know before you buy.
The TAG Heuer Carrera will always hold a significant place in the heart of sports watch enthusiasts, After all, it has played an integral role in the brand’s success, not to mention its role in the sporting world. The first pieces arrived in 1963 and were the brainchild of Jack Heuer, who discovered the palpable and tangible adrenaline on the race track of the Carrera Panamericana race – a deadly route that later became banned. The 1950s Mexican road race may have been short-lived, only surviving a run of 4 years, but the Carrera watch itself went on to outlive the race and many other sports watches of its time. The Carrera watch, both aesthetically and function-wise, is deeply rooted in motor racing. The dials take inspiration from racing car dashboards, and the clear legible chronograph functions are easy to use in any scenario. The cases are robust and designed to stand the test of time, while the design as a whole is incredibly timeless and classic. Carrera watches feature tachymeter scales for measuring speed based on distance and come in several styles and designs. Gradually, larger 39mm sizes appeared, while shorter lugs marked the arrival of the second generation.
During the 1970s, the relationship between motor racing and TAG Heuer grew stronger, opening up an opportunity to support the realm of Formula 1 racing. Ferarri team racers had a solid gold watch gifted to them by the watchmaker, bearing their names upon an engraved caseback. After a break from the Carrera, the iconic chronograph returned in the 1990s. Since then, it has become one of the brand’s most popular designs, offering many vintage-inspired creations, not to mention tourbillons and the very special Dato watch. From the year 2010, TAG Heuer began focussing on in-house movements, which upped the desirability status of these watches by a mile. While this quick overview of the Carrera may not even come close to doing the collection justice, the latest releases certainly will.
The New TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports and Chronograph Extreme Sport Tourbillon Watches
The Extreme Sports watch has been around since 2016, but this new collection now comprises four innovative models – two chronographs and two chronograph tourbillons. They each carry avant-garde looks, an advanced case construction and an easily recognisable skeleton dial. Just like the engines inside a Formula 1 watch, everything is put on display through the dial of the new Carrera Extreme watches. Materials like forged carbon, ceramic, titanium and gold are used, along with polished, brushed and sandblasted finishes. Making them even more refined for sports and fitness, the case designs are more athletic too. They are now lighter and thinner and come in colours of monochrome (in both tourbillon and non-tourbillon variants), orange and blue in titanium, and rose gold (in tourbillon and non-tourbillon) for an even more sophisticated look.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport are not for small wrists. They take on a powerful presence with a diameter of 44mm. The watches are crafted from grade 5 titanium, either with or without a black DLC coating, as well as a more luxurious 18ct rose gold tourbillon iteration. While the titanium models feature a forged carbon bezel, the rose gold iteration features a matte black ceramic bezel. Here is where the Carrera takes a new twist, however. While the original Carrera models would feature flat flanks, the new releases boast recessed central segments on each case side. These sides are further accentuated by raised ribs that run partway down the recessed sections.
Heavily-grained black finishes on the recessed sections look particularly striking. They work to enhance the Carrera’s automotive links, while the tachymeter scales on the models are classic and familiar. The lugs on these watches are broad, and angular and turn inward, achieving the popular profile of the Carrera. Each watch is also water-resistant to 100 meters and fitted with a scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front. The dials of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport watches are legible and bold, with a 12-spoke skeleton bridge arranged at the centre. Dual-level engraved finishes and vertical brushing add more detail to the design, as does the asphalt effect of the heavy-grained matte black finish in the recesses. The mainspring barrel and gear trains are all meticulously arranged underneath a sapphire glass top, along with scales and markers that have all been manufactured for optimum legibility.
Of all the models available, the orange-accented titanium watch is one of the most eye-catching, as it the gold case version. The dial looks like a brake disc, while the overall look has been loosely inspired by a multi-spoke racing wheel. Suitably sporty, but modern all the same, these models, with their azurage-filled chronograph counters and polished edges look ready for action no matter what the scenario.
https://www.jurawatches.co.uk/pages/search-results-page?q=TAG%20Heuer%20Carrera%20Chronograph%20Tourbillon%20Extreme%20SportThe non-tourbillon types are just as eye-catching but are more retrained and disciplined. Of course, the skeletonised movement is hidden behind a dial echoing a chequered flag similar to that used on the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph. The escapement, however, is put on show along with the mainspring barrel. To finish, the in-house Calibre TH20-00 and Calibre TH20-09 movements power the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport. The former offers a generous 80-hour power reserve, and the column wheel and vertical clutch combine to promise an overall smoother performance. The TH20-09 has a smaller power reserve of 65 hours but boasts a more exotic escapement.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports watches bear ornate skeleton dials and feature silhouettes with a new complex, more dynamic direction. Paired with in-house movements, these new releases are aggressive and bold, making them perfect for anyone ready to take on the Carrera in a whole new light. If you’d like more information on the new TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports watches, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team here at Jura Watches on 01335 453453. Alternatively, you can send us an email at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
