Latest Review
If you’d told me eighteen months ago that the TAG Heuer Carrera would, in very short order, find itself once again at the center of enthusiast interest, there’s a very good chance I’d have laughed you out of the room. And yet, here we sit, 17 months on from the release of the Carrera ‘Glassbox’ and there can be no doubt — thanks in part to an expanded lineup of compelling variants of the 39mm chronograph, as well as exciting interpretations like the widely discussed and sought after Seafarer LE for HODINKEE — that TAG Heuer’s signature chronograph is one of the hottest watches on the market.
But the Glassbox is only one side of the Carrera story. Now, TAG Heuer is leaning into the other side with the unveiling of a new technical chronograph. Where the Carrera ‘Glassbox’ looks to the history of the Carrera, the new Carrera Extreme Sport — introduced as a collection of six watches spread across two models: the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport — present a vision of the future and a bold one at that.
The two new models share a lot in common, most notably a shared aesthetic and case design. Both the Chronograph Extreme Sport and the Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport measure 44mm across, 15.1mm thick, and 49.7mm lug-to-lug. Certainly not small, but also decidedly wearable for a chronograph meant to wear large. The lug-to-lug measure, in particular, is deceptively compact and should be surprisingly wearable for a large diameter, contemporary chronograph (by way of comparison, the much-loved 41mm Tudor Black Bay Chrono comes in just under 50mm).
The visual identity of these new Carrera chronographs comes in the form of skeletonization — not just of the dial, but of the case as well. With carved-out case flanks and minimal dial, a lot of material has been hewn out of these Carreras, and they are all the better for it. TAG Heuer has a long history of accenting its watches with skeletonized details, and they’ve clearly taken all they’ve learned over the last few decades and applied it here, and applied it well; the watches are legible and manage to avoid feeling cluttered or overwhelming. I’m not normally one who goes in for skeletonized watches, but I do appreciate when the process is approached with consideration and attention to detail, which it’s clear these are.
Both the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport and the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport are powered by in-house TAG Heuer movements, with the former equipped with the TH20-00 chronograph movement (the same found in the 39mm Glassbox chronographs) and the latter with the TH20-09 movement — an evolution of the TH20-00 movement that includes a visible tourbillon at 6 o’clock. Each of these movements includes both a vertical clutch and column wheel, and each is backed by a 5-year warranty.
The Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is available in Grade 2 Titanium or 18k 5N Rose Gold. Each of these options comes with a matte black ceramic bezel, and a Black DLC option is available if one opts for titanium, alongside naked titanium options with red or blue accents. Prices for the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport start at 8,000 CHF and rise to 12,000 CHF.
The Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, like the Chronograph Extreme Sport, is available in Grade 2 Titanium or 18k 5N Rose Gold. Here, the Grade 2 Titanium option comes equipped with a forged carbon bezel while the Rose Gold is finished with a fully gold bezel. Prices here range from 25,500 CHF to 32,000 CHF. TAG Heuer
