TAG Heuer’s been enjoying a fascinatingly experimental period of late. While there’ll always be plenty of models to keep the traditionalists happy, under the brand’s current leadership those more predictable timepieces have been released alongside a colourful range of collaborations (hello, Porsche), innovations, and unique pieces that have been eye-catching for some and eyebrow-raising for others. The new models unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2023 continue that trajectory, with the iconic Carrera range and its 60th anniversary taking centre stage, albeit with some slightly quirkier siblings along for the ride.
Table of contents
- New TAG Heuer Line-up for 2023 at a Glance
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 39 MM
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon 42 MM
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42 MM
- TAG Heuer Carrera Date 36 MM
- TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde 44 MM
- TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (18-Carat Gold)
- TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (Steel and Gold)
Check out more of the best from Watches & Wonders 2023 below:
Best Watch Releases of Watches & Wonders 2023
New TAG Heuer Line-up for 2023 at a Glance
Our list of all the new TAG Heuer watches for Watches & Wonders 2023 goes as follows:
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 39mm – from $9,350 AUD
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon 42mm – from $34,850 AUD
- TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42mm – from $8,300 AUD
- TAG Heuer Carrera Date 36mm – from $4,600 AUD
- TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde 44mm – from $740,000 AUD
- TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (Gold) – from $26,700 AUD
- TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (Steel) – from$6,800 AUD
Now, let’s take a closer look at every TAG Heuer timepiece on that list and see precisely what they’re all about.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 39 MM
Diameter: 39.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre TH20-00 Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Material: Steel
Water resistance: 100 metres
Price: AUD$9,350
Starting with a model that doesn’t so much mix up the Carrera formula as much as it epitomises its central racing spirit, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 39 MM is the very embodiment of the classic Carrera. While unveiling the black and blue references, TAG CEO Frédéric Arnault and the brand’s Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck agreed that they were the best example of a Carrera that the brand has ever made. Obviously we’re taking that with a grain of salt, but the point stands that these are the kind of watches racing enthusiasts dream of owning.
A fitting celebration of the Carrera’s 60th anniversary – much like the Carrera 60th Anniversary Edition from earlier this year – these timepieces take inspiration from the ever-popular “glassbox” design, the 39mm stainless-steel case is topped with a sapphire crystal shaped like it’s been teleported straight from the ‘70s, although the curve of the glass now meets the case more seamlessly than previous models. The flange and indexes have also been curved to complement this, while the aesthetic is completed with new pushers, shaped and positioned to maximise ease of use.
This stunning new Carrera comes in a blue colourway that sees the striking hue shared across the dial and the calfskin leather strap, however our heart lies with second option, featuring a black-and-silver “reverse panda” dial and black perforated calfskin leather strap. A racer through and through.
Check out the Carrera Chronograph 39 MM
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon 42 MM
Diameter: 42.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre TH20-09 Automatic COSC
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, tourbillon
Power Reserve: 65 hours
Material: Steel
Water resistance: 100 metres
Price: AUD$34,850
Happily, the two Carrera chronographs outlined above weren’t enough to satisfy the team over at TAG Heuer, so here we have an additional model sporting a tourbillon and a striking piece of watchmaking it is too. Very much cut from the same cloth as its 39 mm counterparts, this piece’s dial takes an already impressive offering and elevates it further via the inclusion of a 6 o’clock aperture that reveals a striking tourbillon cage.
Powered by TAG Heuer’s in-house tourbillon movement – the TH20-09 – this watch stands apart in the way it speaks to the elegance of TAG’s master watchmakers’ craft, while maintaining the hard-won grit that comes with the brand’s iconic timepieces having been strapped to the wrist of many of the toughest, most competitive racers the world has ever known.
With its unmistakable TAG stainless steel case and signature blue dial, this is an undeniable piece of work. And while we can still hear the black-and-silver 39 mm Carrera calling our name, this tourbillon model makes a compelling case for itself.
Check out the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon 42 MM
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42 MM
Diameter: 42.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre HEUER02 Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Material: Steel
Water resistance: 100 metres
Price: AUD$8,300
Did you really think TAG was going to stop at just three Carrera Chronograph references to celebrate 60 years since motorsport’s watch of choice first appeared? More fool you. This 42 mm number comes with your choice of a classic blue or black dial, elevated via the addition of a racing stripe, which we feel is pretty sharp. If only it had some fins to lower wind resistance, right?
For those not au fait with dated Simpsons references, the racing stripe we’re referring to takes the form of a striking pop of orange that encircles the more muted black or blue dial and is designed to recall classic race car speedometers in the mind of the wearer. This connection to the racetrack is carried through the both references’ 3-6-9 subdial layout, and quarter-of-a-second scale that runs around the edge of the dial. Reaching back to the original designs of the ‘60s, these watches retain the balance of elegance and aggression that have always been imbued in the Carrera, but with an added – and really quite welcome – touch of brashness. This is mirrored by the commanding red of the central chronograph seconds hand and subdial hands.
This race-ready package features either a blue or black premium calfskin leather strap, completing a Carrera Chronograph package that’s more determined to be noticed than some of its counterparts.
Check out the Carrera Chronograph 42 MM
TAG Heuer Carrera Date 36 MM
Diameter: 36.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre 7 Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 56 hours
Material: Steel
Water resistance: 100 metres
Price: AUD$4,600
A Carrera with an entirely different aesthetic, the Date 36 MM finds TAG Heuer focusing on being bold with its colour palette within a streamlined build. Based on an original design from Jack Heuer himself, this new collection of watches will launch in April with three dial options: Carrera signature blue, pastel green, and a timeless silver. However, a fourth colour – arguably the most striking of the collection – will follow in May with an ambitiously intense pink dial. And while it’s not the kind of watch we’d wear every day, you’d better believe we would wear the hell out of it.
As you’d expect, each reference features a 36 mm stainless steel case and matching bracelet, which now tapers more neatly into the case than in models past. Said case has been slimmed down by 2 mm, resulting in a more elegant offering, which is complemented by a redesigned crown that sits squarer to the case edge than previous iterations. The whole affair is powered by TAG’s new Calibre 7 Automatic movement, offering a 56-hour power reserve
Naturally, the use of Super-LumiNova keeps things legible in low lighting, while a raised track running around the outside of the dial and featuring quarter-of-a-second markings is a subtle nod to the Carrera’s racing heritage. While it may not be as track-ready as some of the other timepieces TAG has launched at Watches & Wonders 2023, the new Date 36 MM is a welcome addition to the Carrera range.
Check out the Carrera Date 36 MM
TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde 44 MM
Diameter: 44.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre Heuer 02T Nanograph COSC
Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, tourbillon
Power Reserve: 65 hours
Material: Aluminium
Price: AUD$740,000
Okay, so here’s where TAG starts pushing the boat out a little further. Last year, the brand unveiled the first fruits of its Diamant d’Avant-Garde technology, which enables it to create and deploy lab-grown diamonds. This time, those diamonds have been cut into customised shapes and placed all over this impressive if peculiar timepiece.
This matte black chronograph finds sandblasted anodised aluminium used to craft the case, bezel, and bracelet, which then have the aforementioned diamonds carefully placed across all three. If you’re wondering how TAG is justifying that astronomical asking price, the case boasts 4.3 carats of 48 diamonds, the bezel holds 26 diamonds with a total of 1.9 carats, while the bracelet completes the look with 34 diamonds with a total weight of 1.9 carats.
You’d think that’d be enough, right? No, the crown is also made of a single 2.5-carat lab-grown diamond, while the dial boasts 12 white gold indexes that are also set with lab-grown diamonds. Clearly, overkill is not a word when it comes to TAG Heuer’s Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde 44 MM.
Check out the Carrera Plasma Diamant D’Avant-Garde 44 MM
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (18-Carat Gold)
Diameter: 40.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre TH31-00 Automatic COSC
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Material: Solid yellow gold / solid rose gold
Water resistance: 200 metres
Price: AUD$26,700
TAG Heuer probably could have gotten away with releasing nothing but Carreras this year, but apparently that would be too easy. Instead, we have twin TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 timepieces to contend with. These are two solid 18-carat-gold – yellow and rose – watches powered by the brand’s new Calibre TH31-00, offering an 80-hour power reserve (and a five-year extended warranty for good measure).
The metals are certainly precious, but the Aquaracer Professional 200 is designed to be a modern sports watch intended to be put to the test in the great outdoors. This is signalled by the use of a high-contrast black DLC-coated steel screw-down crown and lightweight, black DLC-coated Grade 2 titanium caseback. The sapphire crystal caseback keeps the new movement on display while maintaining water-resistant to 200 metres.
Striking gradient dials – blue for the yellow gold model and black for the rose – are enhanced by golden-edged hour markers filled with Super-LumiNova for low-light visibility, as are the hour and minute hands, along with the bulge at the end of the central seconds hand.
Ultimately, TAG’s Aquaracer Professional 200 is an impressive meeting point between refined luxury and sporty ambition.
Check out the Aquaracer Professional 200 (18-Carat Gold)
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 (Steel and Gold)
Diameter: 40.00 mm and 30.00 mm
Movement Type: Calibre TH31-00 Automatic COSC
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Material: Steel and yellow gold/steel and rose gold
Water resistance: 200 metres
Price: AUD$7,350 (40 mm) AUD$6,800 (30 mm)
Finally, we have TAG Heuer’s introduction of bi-colouring to the Aquaracer collection. More accessible than their solid-gold counterparts, these two models up the high-performance sport factor, while maintaining the elegant standard set by their gold brethren.
While they share much of their DNA with the aforementioned models – including the pairing of black with rose gold and blue with yellow – a significant point of difference is the addition of 11 diamond-dot hour markers to the 30 mm models, adding a dash of glamour for those looking to adopt a more petite watch design.
Check out the Aquaracer Professional 200 (Steel and Gold)
