Introducing: TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Limited Edition Carrera Chronograph Seafarer

When any collaboration comes out with the Hodinkee name on it, we tend to pay attention. Particularly if the other name on the box says ‘TAG Heuer’.

Their third collaboration (after the Carrera Skipper and Carrera Dato) is called the TAG Heuer Chronograph Seafarer x Hodinkee, and it’s easy to see where its roots lie: the legendary Seafarer that was specially produced for Abercrombie and Fitch by Heuer (as it was then) back in 1968.

These days, Abercrombie and Fitch is known for its preppy fashion and models who are too cool for school. Back in the 1960s though, the company was very different, being primarily an American sporting goods supplier for those who were into hunting, shooting, fishing and the great outdoors – rather than ripped designer denim.

The relationship between Abercrombie and Fitch and Heuer actually dates back to the 1940s, when the store first commissioned a special watch that would incorporate a subdial to tell its wearers when fish or game were most likely to be active. This was based on the ‘Solunar Theory’ that described the alignment of the sun and the moon, which directly influences the tides. That commission is a perfect illustration of the ‘tool watch’ era led not just by Heuer but many other brands back then, all of which sought to showcase a specific role. Back in the pre-digital age, watches were often there to do a specific job and convey precise information, rather than simply tell the time or act as a fashion accessory. These functional watches were worn hard, playing a pivotal role in peoples’ lives and jobs, and were regularly put through their paces with no mercy shown. Such was the lot of a tool watch.

The ‘Solunar’ display was clearly something of a niche function, but when combined with a regatta timer (as seen on the Heuer Skipper) and a running seconds subdial, the resulting three-register chronograph proved to be a massive hit for Heuer from the 1950s onwards. This watch, exclusive to Abercrombie and Fitch, was called the ‘Seafarer’: part of a long history of successful collaborations that has defined TAG Heuer’s story over the years.

And with the original Seafarer being born out of a collaboration with an established US retailer, it’s somehow appropriate that the new version lives again through another well-known American outlet.

Hodinkee’s tribute is based on the ‘definitive’ version of the Seafarer that came out in 1968, sharing the same basic aesthetic as the Autavia (in fact, the Seafarer never had a dedicated case of its own). That ‘compressor’ case from the Autavia also guaranteed 100 metres of water resistance: clearly a desirable attribute on an ocean-going watch.

The Hodinkee Seafarer looks a bit different to the original, as it’s now wrapped in the 42mm ‘glassbox’ case of the current Carrera (which also gives it a pleasingly ‘Skipperara’ vibe). But the dial itself is pure Seafarer, with the inclusion of new shades of sea blue added to the traditional royal blue – just with the bezel now within the glassbox case rather than outside of it. 

It’s of course branded a TAG Heuer these days – some recent re-issues, including the 2017 Autavia that I’m lucky enough to own, chose just to resurrect Heuer branding only. On the bottom register you’ll also find an updated ‘Seafarer’ logo that puts its heritage beyond doubt. The caseback features a ‘TAG Heuer x Hodinkee’ engraving, as well as the limited edition number (out of 968: a nod to the 1968 original). The first 125 are being sold directly via Hodinkee (at $7950) but the remaining examples will be sold through TAG Heuer boutiques.

The movement is billed as all-new but is in fact an evolution of the familiar 02 in-house mechanism, featuring a tide indicator. This can be reset via a chunky pusher right next to it, on the left-hand side of the case as you look at the watch. As tides and the moon are linked (by gravitational pull) the tide indicator can also be used as a moon phase indicator, making it “the only instrument in the world to offer the sportsman’s own kind of time – lunar time”, according to Hodinkee. Wow.

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. For more details, including purchasing information and technical specifications, visit Hodinkee.