TAG Heuer Reinvents a Classic for the Brand’s 160th Birthday

Back in January, TAG Heuer unveiled the Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition a pure and classic reinterpretation of the iconic reference 2447S, long admired by serious Heuer collectors as one of the finest Carrera’s ever produced. The silver dial and three register layout is elegant and simple, and what many likely think of when they conjure a Carrera in their mind. The latest TAG Heuer release celebrating the brand’s 160th birthday is a more colorful take on the Carrera, and uses a considerably more oddball reference as a starting point. Let’s take a look at the all new 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition.

TAG Heuer 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: White with blue subdials
• Dimensions: 39mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire        
• Water Resistance: 100 meters                      
• Movement: Heuer 02
• Strap/bracelet: Blue alligator 
• Price: $6,750
• Reference Number: CBK221C.FC6488
• Expected Release: July

First, a primer on the watch this limited edition is based on. The watch is based on the Heuer Montreal, reference 110503W, launched in 1972. This was a two register chronograph with a large cushion case, powered by the iconic Calibre 12 with the distinctive left hand crown placement. At 42mm, the Montreal was big for its day, and part of the great tradition of fun and funky 70s sports watches. With red, blue, and yellow accents complementing a white dial with black subdials, the Montreal was very much a product of its time, and has become extremely collectible over the years. 

The new Montreal Limited Edition isn’t a recreation of the original Montreal, but an attempt to harness it’s spirit and place it in the more refined and traditional context of the classic Carrera. So, we have a dial that’s playful in terms of color, but in a traditional 39mm case with those historic Carrera lines. We still have prominent red and yellow accents on the LE, but the blue element has been greatly expanded, now covering the subdials as well as an outer ring just beyond the hour markers.

The same Heuer 02 movement that powered the Silver Limited Edition linked above is running in the new Montreal. Obviously, this movement wasn’t around in the 1970s, so like the updated Silver, the new Montreal has a different dial layout. This is a three register chronograph movement with running seconds, minutes, and hours at 9:00, 3:00, and 6:00 respectively. While the Calibre 12 featured a date at 6:00, the new movement does not, and the dial is cleaner for it. The Heuer 02 also features a vertical clutch and column wheel, along with an impressive 80 hour power reserve. It’s also notably thinner than its predecessor, the Heuer 01, allowing for a case size that’s easy to wear.

There will probably be some (myself included) who wish TAG Heuer had embraced the unusual case design of the original Montreal and recreated it in some form for this release. But I’m an unabashed fan of case designs that most would charitably consider as non-standard, and it’s hard to argue with the traditional Carrera case shape, particularly at just under 40mm. I think what TAG has done here is take a niche product and make it into something that will be absolutely devoured by the masses, and they deserve some credit for that. With only 1,000 of these being made, it’s likely they’ll go quickly. TAG Heuer