On the other hand, the TAG Heuer Carrera 16 Heritage Chronograph Automatic takes a much more simple approach, even though TAG has also had a troubled past at the hands of the Seiko quartz revolution. Before the 1980s, TAG Heuer was simply known to a lot as the Heuer company. They held a pretty similar, if not slightly more up-market, position that they hold now. If one couldn’t quite make a Rolex or Cartier then Heuer provided a different route entirely to Breitling and Omega, going more with motorsports. It couldn’t last, however. The power of quartz was overwhelming and quick too with many manufacturers being set up specifically using quartz movements. In the mid 80s, to save itself from disaster, Heuer merged with the Japanese TAG company to make what’s known today as TAG Heuer. One of the most recognisable watch brands on the planet along with Omega and Rolex, TAG Heuer has several celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Jensen Button to help advertise it’s timepieces. It’s just a shame he didn’t win, really.
The dial of the Carrera is actually finished quite well. It’s split up into 12 ‘Pie chart’ like segments which have a number at the end. Quite useful if you particularly wanted to know how far into the hour the hour hand is. Comedy aside, it creates a nice glint effect in the correct lighting which you’ll most likely be able to find in an authorised dealer. You can get the dial in either black or white, and some leather strap versions even have green hands on them.
At 12 O’Clock there’s the 30 minute counter without the date windows. At 9 O’Clock there’s a lonely running seconds counter and at 6 O’Clock there’s the hour counter and a date window. Just like the Longines, this is a 12 hour chronograph. Again, like the Longines, there’s only a logo and a the word ‘Automatic’, although this also has Carrera written on it too.
The TAG Heuer is definitely a subtle watch. There’s the sub dials, a logo, some empty dial space and a polished bezel really. Some people like the stark cleanliness to the watch. Some don’t. I’m in the middle really, if it’s done well then I like it, otherwise I’d find it a bit lacking. And that’s where this watch is leaning to for me, it’s almost unfair to compare it to the Longines as it’s got so much more interesting things on it.
Although this has the TAG Heuer Calibre 16 movement in it, which is suitably robust, it’s just not enough to save this watch from the slightly dull category that it’s in. Also, I’m not really sure whether all the sub dials are arranged the same as the Longines for a reason or just by coincidence. I can assure you that I noticed it at the same time that you were reading it.
The Carrera’s sapphire crystal has been given a double siding of antireflective coating. Much the same as Omega watches too. Both the side you can touch and the side facing the dial have been covered in a coating which helps reduce reflections, rendering the crystal invisible when viewed from the right angle. I’ve experienced this on many Omegas in the past and I have no doubts that if it were done on the same way for the Carrera then the result will be the same. Invisible crystal when viewed from the right angle.
