By Dhananjay Pathak
For Baselworld 2018 TAG Heuer seems to be focusing heavily on its Carrera line of watches. And why not? After all 2018 marks the 55th anniversary of the Carrera series and what better way to celebrate the occasion than launching some exciting new watches. So, on that note let us introduce you to the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph GMT. This watch bears the bold and sporty looks of a modern-day Carrera chronograph and at the same time adds the practical GMT complication to spice things up.
The dial on the Carrera Chronograph 02 GMT has a layered skeletonized design and presents the chronograph functions in a tri-compax layout with a 30 minute counter at 3, running seconds at 6 and a 12-hour register at 9. The skeletonized dial is certainly good to look at as it gives a nice view to the inner working of the movement, but it also ends up hampering the legibility of the watch. That said, this watch is certainly one of the more finely executed skeletonized watches out there. The faceted hour markers along with the raised minute chapter ring provides a sense of depth to the dial.
Another thoughtful decision by the brand is the execution of the frame below the dial, the date wheel and the chapter rings in black color. This small detail not only makes the polished elements on the dial pop, but it also enhances readability. The second time zone can be read using the GMT hand which has been rendered in red distinguishing itself from the rest of the functions on this watch and to ensure optimum legibility, the GMT hand has been placed between the hour and the minute hands enabling it to simply glide over the GMT scale. Finally, there is a date window has been nicely tucked between 4 and 5.
The stainless steel case on this watch has a diameter of 45 mm which makes this a rather large watch, especially for people with smaller wrists. On top of the case is a black and blue ceramic bezel with a 24-hour scale which can be read using the GMT hand. The sapphire crystal on the front gives a great view of the manufacture B-02 movement which has been modified to incorporate the GMT function. This is a column wheel based chronograph movement with a vertical clutch and offers a power reserve of around 80 hours. Water resistance is marked at 100 meters which is quite good for a watch of this type.
The TAG Heuer Carrera GMT Chrono might not be to everyone’s liking, but it can easily be considered a versatile wildcard watch offering two of the more sought after complications in the world of horology in a single package. The watch would be available on either a rubber strap or a stainless steel bracelet and would retail at price of USD 5,950 or USD 6,150 respectively. For more info, visit TAG Heuer online.
