BY JOVAN K
The year of the fire horse watches have already started rolling out as the 17th February draws closer, the date on which the Chinese year of the fire horse will officially begin. Tag Heuer’s contribution to this growing stable is a new golden and red edition Carrera Chronograph; the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Year of the Horse.
The case is 39mm, which puts it in that sweet spot where a chronograph should be. Sharp, elongated lugs from the vintage Carreras are paired with classic piston pushers. The Glassbox crystal curves over the dial like the hesalite crystals Jack Heuer used in the 1960s. This little quirk is simple but changes the whole character of the watch.
The golden champagne dial stays restrained for a special edition. TAG Heuer could have leaned harder into the Zodiac theme, but chose not to as we can see. Red appears in the 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, finished with a gradient that plays nicely with the light. At 9 o’clock, the date window adds a quiet twist, replacing the usual numeral with the Chinese character for horse, a small detail that rewards a second look rather than demanding one.
Inside is TAG Heuer’s vertical clutch, column wheel chronograph TH20-07 with a bidirectional winding system that helps topping up the 80 hours power reserve at 28,800vph. The shield-shaped rotor is visible through the caseback, along with the embossed horse graphic.
TAG revived the beads-of-rice bracelet, the multi-link style Gay Frères made for Heuer decades ago. It feels lighter and more flexible than a typical sports bracelet. The watch costs EUR 8,100 or USD 7,850, in line with other serious chronographs, offering an in-house movement and a limited run of 250 pieces.
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