On the occasion of Watches & Wonders 2024, TAG Heuer is presenting the Carrera Chronograph Panda. The Carrera has been around since 1963 and celebrated its 60th birthday last year. We are now seeing a new variant with a Panda dial inspired by the historic 7753 SN from the 1960s. “SN” stands for “silver noir” and refers to the panda configuration with black counters on a white canvas. The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Panda emphasises legibility and features in-house mechanics with column wheel and vertical clutch.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Panda has a 39 mm stainless steel case that emphasises its character as a classic chronograph. Lug-to-lug, it measures 46 mm with a height of 13.86 mm. While the sides are brushed, the polished front adds a touch of elegance. Meanwhile, the straight lines with angularly sloping lugs create a masculine look. The watch does away with a bezel altogether and instead has a domed box sapphire crystal, which on the one hand pays homage to the brand’s past, but also allows a clear view from all sides. On the back, the sapphire crystal back showcases the calibre. The water resistance is 100 m.
The dial is optimised for legibility and thus fulfils Jack Heuer’s vision of a reliable sports chronograph. The applied hour indices, which are also embedded in the flange with minute track, lie on a silver background with a sunburst finish. For nighttime use, there are dots at every hour, which, like the main hands, have blue Super-LumiNova. The five-second intervals are highlighted in red on the minute track and correspond to the red tip of the chronograph hand and the two totalisers at 3 and 9 o’clock. The latter have an azuré-finish on a black background and count 12 hours and 30 minutes respectively.
The small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock steps back to keep the focus on the stop time measurement. However, the date window remains so that these functions are available when needed. A contrasting black tachymetre scale also winds around the dial, allowing for speed measurements.
The in-house TH20-00 calibre based on the Heuer 02 is the mechanical heart of the watch. It operates at a frequency of 4 hertz and has 33 jewels. The integrated chronograph offers both column-wheel switching and a vertical clutch. In addition, there is bi-directional automatic winding via an oscillating weight in the shape of the TAG Heuer shield. The power reserve is 80 hours. Although there is no official chronometer certification, the TH20-00 certainly achieves a corresponding rate accuracy. Meanwhile, the movement is industrial through and through, with a clear focus on performance over aesthetics. The 5-year guarantee also speaks in favour of this.
The watch comes on a three-link steel bracelet. The folding clasp has a brushed finish and bears a stylised TAG Heuer shield. The price is CHF 6,500.
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