It’s true when they say life comes a full circle. We see this in so many aspects of our lives. We already see a lot of brands launching ‘Re-imagined’ clothing lines bringing back the trends from a bygone era, and breathing a new life of popularity into these products.
These same trends seem to be emerging in the watchmaking industry as well. A prime example of this would be when TAG Heuer launched their new watch, the Carrera back in 2016, which was a re-edition of a 2447S chronograph the company used to make back in 1964.
The company has now announced a limited edition version of the Carrera re-edition: The Carrera Silver Limited Edition Ref. CBK221B. This new watch, unlike its predecessor, will feature a larger 39mm dial and an all-new redesigned in-house movement, which is claimed to be a step up than the movement featured in the 2016 edition.
A Comparison with Its Predecessor
When held side-by-side, the latest re-edition bears a close resemblance to the original piece from 1964 (which is one of TAG’s most timeless designs). The only major difference, however, comes in the reconfiguration of the small seconds counter from the 9 o’clock to the 6 o’clock position. Seeing how faithful TAG has been to the original design, we know they wouldn’t have made this small modification had it not been for the Heuer 02 chronograph’s construction interfering with the design.
The Heuer 02 is definitely more than just a step above its dated predecessor, which featured a Valjoux 72 as its beating heart. The 02 is a 33 jeweled automatic caliber chronograph that operates at 4 Hz and features an impressive 80-hour power reserve. Its start-stop-reset features are actuated with the help of a column-wheel and vertical clutch.
Specifications and Design
The Carrera Silver Limited Edition’s case features a steel bezel, boxed shaped sapphire crystals, facetted rhodium-plated polished indices and hands with aged lume. The three sub-dials incorporated in the design are sunken, with a circular azurage pattern that perfectly contrasts with the texture of silver sunray brushed dial. Although the dial is mostly monochrome, the black lacquered seconds hand, and three subdial hands perfectly compliment the look.
The case has a transparent case-back, and displays with pride, the inner workings of the Heuer 02 chronograph. Also engraved on the back of the black skeletonized winding is the phrase, “160 YEARS OF AVANTE-GARDE”, along with the Tag Heuer Logo. TAG Heuer announced that they will only be making 1,860 of these limited edition watches, and they are expected to start retailing around June of 2020.