We all know the story behind the Heuer Carrera, and how the name was originally taken from one of the toughest road races in the world: the Carrera Panamericana, which was essentially a flat-out dash across Mexico on public roads in the 1950s. That race was so dangerous it’s been banned for more than half a century now, but this doesn’t mean that the Carrera name belongs in the past. The new family of TAG Heuer Extreme Sport watches – which consists of six models – has been designed to showcase the present, with the accent firmly on motorsport and technology.
The Extreme Sport range actually dates back to 2016, but TAG Heuer – a company with an ever-increasing profile in Formula 1, to the point where they might even take title sponsorship over from Rolex next year – has pledged to bring the current generation’s links to motorsport even closer.
TAG Heuer Extreme Sport Collection
The new Extreme Sport collection consists of four chronographs and two stunning chronograph tourbillons, each with their own distinct personalities. What they all have in common is futuristic technology, with an avant-garde look thanks to advanced case construction and distinctive skeleton dials. Often these are hard to read, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here, with TAG Heuer concentrating on legibility thanks to bold black lines on the hands to mark out the shape, as well as the generous use of Super LumiNova.
Just like a Formula 1 engine, everything is on display in the skeleton dials, including the date disk along with all the other intricate inner workings. The integrated rubber strap is apparently inspired by the air intakes of racing cars, a theme that TAG Heuer has used before. Throughout each detail of the watches, the parallels with the most advanced forms of motorsport are clear thanks also to a selection of high-tech materials: including gold, titanium, ceramic, and forged carbon. There are brushed, polished, and sandblasted details, giving several layers of texture.
Following the current trend, the chronograph is smaller than its predecessor, as well as thinner and lighter; making it well-suited to extreme sports activities. The lightness comes principally from the titanium case, but what really makes these watches stand out is the colours: orange and blue, as well as a black monochrome or rose gold look to add an extra air of sophistication.
However, there’s also a show-stopping tourbillon in this latest set of releases; or rather two of them. The first is an all-black tourbillon and the second is in gold. There’s of course a display caseback to exhibit the in-house TH20-09 movement, an evolution of the Heuer 02. The chronograph uses the TH20-00 movement, which also comes with a five-year warranty: a strong statement of intent.
The watches cost just over £7000 for the chronograph and nearly £23,000 for the tourbillon but don’t worry if you can’t afford them, because they are also available as a digital face on the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch, which can be yours for around £1500. Which just goes to show that there’s a TAG Heuer out there for every motorsport fan.
