Announced at Baselworld last year, TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 01 was positioned as the brand’s newest flagship piece.  The media was all abuzz about the new Carrera as TAG aficionados awaited its release. Since it began shipping last November, the new Carrera has surpassed the brand’s expectations and, I have to admit, mine as well. Never before have I monitored the genesis of a watch with such anticipation.

The Genesis of Genius.

It was barely a year ago that a design team headed by veteran TAG Heuer designer Christoph Behling worked closely with Guy Sémon, TAG Heuer’s General Manager, to conceptualize the Carrera Heuer 01. According to TAG Heuer Chairman Jean-Claude Biver, “Once you know what you want and provided you have the experience to implement, things should not take so long.” Indeed. TAG Heuer was able to design this landmark piece in only two months.

With its multi-part case, skeletonized-dial and in-house, column-wheel chronograph movement, the Heuer 01 quickly became a formidable competitor in the crowded field of automatic chronographs and an instant success for TAG Heuer.

Last summer, I saw an early prototype of the Heuer 01 during a visit to TAG Heuer’s Headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Impressed as I was with this preproduction prototype, I was curious to see what changes would be made to the final production version. And indeed, there were many detail changes.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on both prototype AND production versions of the new Carrera.  I had a chance to wear them both for a couple of weeks, which really helped me understand and appreciate the improvements. Some of the changes were subtle, while others addressed issues identified during the prototype stages. But that’s the purpose of a prototype, right?

Heuer 01: The Basics.

Inside, the Heuer 01 is powered by a nicely finished variation of the Calibre 1887 with its clever “Magic Click” automatic winding system. I’ll cover this more in detail in an upcoming post about the 1887. I just might have one lying around to disassemble...

There was no need to change the movement mechanically, however, a few minor aesthetic details were made to visually adapt the 1887 to its new home.

The dial side of the 1887 received a skeletonized bridge just beneath the TAG Heuer badge.

Perhaps the most obvious change, however, is the addition of a laser cut openwork date wheel.

On the back, the column wheel now has a red surface rather than blue and the oscillating weight has been opened up to follow the skeleton theme of the watch.

Along with these modifications, the new execution of this movement also received a new nomenclature, “Heuer 01.”

The art of subtlety.

Beyond my first impressions, the longer I wore the Heuer 01, the more I began to appreciate the subtle details incorporated into its design. The lugs, for instance, are quintessential TAG Heuer, yet there was something else.

Upon further inspection, I realized that the lugs actually have two distinct finishes. The tip and inside facets (those best protected by the case and strap) are polished to a mirror finish. The top, bottom and side facets are all brushed. These no doubt are the areas most vulnerable to scratches, yet easily brushed out. Practical, yes, but this approach also results in the lugs reflecting light in a unique and alluring fashion.

According to Marc Walti, TAG Heuer’s Product Director, “When we stamp the case in one piece as the previous CARRERA, it is really tough to use different kinds of finishes, but thanks to our “modular” construction we can play more with finishing that gives value to the product and is better when catching the light!”

Dialing in the details.

The problem with openwork dials is that they often look overly busy. In fact, many become downright illegible. Not so with the new Carrera.

The subdial details are most impressive! Notably, the registers are two different sizes. Why? After contacting Marc Walti, Product Director at TAG Heuer, I realized there was a method to their madness. Marc explained, “As with many Carreras, we really try to highlight the chrono feature. The running seconds is not a chrono feature, so we have no need to highlight it too much. We really wanted the contrast between chrono features and running seconds!”

To further distinguish the chronograph registers, the chrono hands are finished in red while the running seconds hand is polished steel.

Besides its size, the running seconds dial is visually minimized with a darker finish. According to Marc, “In the Carrera DNA, we always try to have the chronograph functions more easy to read than any other information and we always try to highlight this function. This is in the DNA of the Carrera as a chrono since 1963. The Carrera is not born as a 3-hands watch but as a chrono! So we decided to have a rhodium treatment on the chrono registers and black gold treatment on small seconds register."

What these registers do have in common is their exceptional finish.  The rings of the subdials are accentuated with polished, chamfered edges that mark a clear distinction from the rest of the face. Even more dramatically, these dials are concave. Tilting inwards, the light beautifully ripples across the concentric rings of the azurage guilloche finish.

The net result is visually symphonic. Designed to take full advantage of the watch's three-dimensional space, details are well organized so that information is prioritized and logically presented. Beyond the practical, the face of the Heuer 01 is simply stunning. There are enough details to get you through the most boring meetings. As Marc explained,  “It’s very important to add value compared to “cheaper” brands by doing really nice finishing. Applying specific shapes provides a nice feeling especially when a consumer takes the product into his hands.”

Where the rubber meets the wrist.

I tend to be partial to straps, especially on sports watches.  Some are good and some, well…not so good.

Still, trying on the Heuer 01, something felt very familiar. This was not just some bargain rubber-like compound. As it turns out, TAG Heuer uses the same rubber created by its corporate cousin Hublot. With three Hublots in my stable, I can attest to the durability and comfort of these straps. This rubber quickly warms up to the skin and molds perfectly to your wrist without feeling “sticky.” The result is a timepiece that stays on the wrist without twisting or sliding.

During my “trial period” with the Heuer 01, I did not baby it. I wore it through my active and sometimes chaotic routines, including running and trips to the gym. In every case, the Heuer 01 was held firmly and comfortably in place. Quite frankly, with its lightweight titanium case and rubber strap, a few times I had that momentary panic of, “oh, I forgot to put on a watch.” (Don’t laugh! You all know that feeling!)

Improving the Carrera DNA

Since its announcement at Baselworld last year, there has been a lot media coverage of this piece. Many of the reviews, however, are based on pre-release prototypes of the Heuer 01. In fact, most of the photos online are actually prototypes. If you liked those images, you’ll be even more impressed with the production.

When I saw the prototype last summer, I was uncomfortable with the TAG Heuer logo printed on the inside of the crystal. Equally disconcerting was the stealth date. Marc assured me that these were limitations of the prototypes and that these exact issues were already addressed for the production pieces.

On the prototype, you can clearly see the skeletonized bridge atop the Calibre 1887. Additional structure was added to the dial to support a TAG Heuer Logo on a three-dimensional placard. The date window was also shifted downwards to allow space for a contrasting background. With the date now more clearly visible, there was no longer a need for the red date window outline.

Another pleasant surprise was the production crown. The prototype felt very sharp, flat and abrupt. The final crown is nicely sculpted and easier to grasp. It simply looks and feels much better and more visually compatible with the rest of the Heuer 01’s aggressive design.

Winding the crown has a very soft, refined feel to it. Marc Walti explained, “all of the movement has been completely reworked by our engineers in order to give the consumer the best experience. This is important to have a nice, smooth feel when people are trying the watch.”

Special consideration was made for the pushers, which each have different colored trim rings. The Start/Stop pusher has a red band while a black ring denotes the Reset function.

You may have noticed in the photo above that the numbers on the bezel are slightly larger and more legible. This too is certainly a welcome improvement.

It is also worth noting that the pushers are exceptionally smooth in the Heuer 01. According to Marc, “This is really for the watch connoisseurs - something nice. It is important to have smooth pushers and that is due to the column wheel design of the chronograph!” I do have other column wheel chronographs and still believe this is perhaps the smoothest. I think Marc is hiding some TAG Heuer secrets from us!

Perhaps the most noticeable change from the prototype is the omission of the mystery lug screws. A distinct part of the initial concept of the Heuer 01, they had no functionality so they were removed.

One other slight change between prototype and production is the clasp. Honestly, both felt solid and worked well so I have no bias towards either. Still, it gave me an excuse for another photo.

So What’s Next?

TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer 01 is the first in a series of exciting new designs from the brand. The Heuer 02 Tourbillon, also announced at Baselworld 2015 will be shipping later this year. According to Mr. Biver, “Heuer 01 will be followed by Heuer 02, 03, 04, etc. It will become our case reference for Carrera.” 

Without a doubt, the Heuer 01 has proven an overwhelming success for the brand.  Those I’ve spoken with in the industry say that they’re typically already sold before they arrive. Mr. Biver confirmed that sales are particularly strong in the USA, the UK, Japan, Germany and the Middle East. He went on to explain, “Sell out is just brilliant and it's already our second best seller !!!! I am afraid we will have some shortage as production cannot adapt so rapidly to the demand.” 

In the coming years, TAG Heuer forecasts production of the Heuer 01 to surpass 100,000 pieces per year. We can expect to see more variations, special editions and a creative mix of new colors and materials. But that’s as specific as the details get. For those who have followed the career of Jean Claude Biver, you probably know better than to try and predict what’s next.

Final Thoughts

Will I add one to my collection? Absolutely. The TAG Heuer 01 is a natural choice for anyone who is a fan of the brand or those who simply appreciate a great chrono. And for around $5,000 USD, it’s difficult to find a reason NOT to own one. To say it’s the best value in a column wheel chronograph is to almost cheapen the significance of this piece. In my opinion, it’s a great watch at twice the price.