Jewellery & Watch News
Released as Porsche took to the racetrack at Le Mans 2024 this month, the new Carrera Chronograph x Porche 963 Limited Edition watch bears some special nods to the relationship between the watchmaker and car manufacturer.
Ever since Porsche created the 911 model, itself and Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer have been crossing paths. Spearheading the partnership is the classic and unforgettable Carrera watch design, which is not only inextricably linked with the world of motorsport racing, but has become a pillar of the brand’s superior and ultra-precise chronograph offerings. When we look at the designs TAG Heuer has contributed to in motorsport, it’s hard not to associate them with the thrill of the ride and the innate passion felt behind the wheel. When I look at the design of TAG Heuer’s latest offering – the Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 936 – I can’t help but be transported back to the year 1963, when Jack Heuer unveiled this iconic design for the first time. The inspiration is clear when you look at it. Heuer, being a passionate racer and skier himself, knew exactly what a racing driver needed in a watch. Additionally, he knew what those who stood at the side of the track needed too. The two concepts melded together to form the Carrera Chronograph - a bona-fide sports watch with a legible chronograph design, robust case, and high-performance movement.
The truth is, that TAG Heuer and Porsche are a perfect fit, so it comes as no surprise that the watchmaker chooses to celebrate this partnership with yet another exclusive timepiece in honour of this special relationship. The new Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 936 Limited Edition watch retains the design codes of the faithful Carrera watch but adds several subtle yet tasteful nods to Porsche within its steel and carbon aesthetic. The design codes of the watch are still relevant today. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a time when the chronograph complication will ever be made redundant.
The Carrera was the name Heuer adopted for this early 1960s chronograph. He felt it sounded mysterious and intriguing, like the motorsport event itself. The fast-paced Carrera Panamericana race, which took drivers down the coast of Mexico, ran for five years. Consequently, it proved too dangerous, resulting in the loss of over 20 people in its few years of existence. But the Carrera watch was a mainstay in the brand’s collection and so too were Porsche’s engines, also named after the race.
Without a doubt, there is a lot of passion behind the design of the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 936 Limited Edition. A little like TAG’s entire sports watch offerings. All of the brand’s connections with motorsport create a tapestry of adventure, speed, success, adrenaline and performance. Porsche, for example, is a thread to the Le Mans racing event, where it has experienced huge success over the years, securing a total of 19 wins. The Porsche 963 itself is based on the Multimatic chassis of the famous Le Mans Prototype, designed for competing at the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Its engine is designed to run on renewable fuels and takes inspiration from Porsche’s 918 Spyder road car. Meanwhile, the Monaco watch is closely associated with Le Mans too, since it was sported by the actor and racing driver Steve McQueen during the 1960s film “Le Mans”. Above all, however, the new timepiece keeps the faithful design codes of the original Carrera Chronograph intact, while demonstrating an altogether exclusive feel thanks to design elements like the Porsche logo on the side of its openwoked case and the luminous-coated Porsche lettering on the surface of a carbon forged tachymeter bezel.
Whether you’re a fan of Porsche, or racing, or both (or neither!) – the watch boasts a design that you can easily fall in love with. Yes, the watch is sports-driven, but thanks to its 100-meter water-resistant case in brushed stainless steel with black PVD-coated elements, it constitutes the perfect, sporty daily beater for wearing every day of the week. The watch features a black crown and push pieces to match a black carbon tachymeter bezel, enabling you to measure speed based on distance easily. In addition to this, the dial is also black and features three chronograph counters in their usual positions. The 3 o’clock counter features the minutes, the small second sub-dial sits at 6 o’clock, combined with a date window, and the third counter at 9 o’clock features the chronograph hours. All of these features, including the luminous coated hands and markets of the dial, are protected underneath a sapphire crystal glass front.
The remarkable design of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 936 watch is limited to a very apt 936 pieces worldwide and features four luminous-coated panels on the sub-dials that echo the LED lights of the Porsche 911 model in the dark. The date window is also finished in the same fashion. Red indexes also appear at the 4 o’clock location, nodding to the countdown of the race. The skeleton dial, complete with tubular features that mirror the Porsche chassis, reveals part of the movement through its surface. The TH20-00 movement lies underneath this dial, complete with a personalised red column wheel, vertical clutch, and oscillating mass inspired by the steering wheel of a Porsche racing car. Even the watch’s black rubber strap is inspired by the NACA-style low-drag air inlets that you’d expect to see on a race car, one of the earliest being the Porsche 917.
If you’d like more information on the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 Limited Edition watch, you can call and speak to a member of our C W Sellors team today on 01335 216004, who will be willing to guide you through the process of securing one of these special timepieces. Likewise, you can also email a question to us at sales@cwsellors.com
