VIDEO: The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph collection, a sharp new formula for a classic
In a year that sees TAG Heuer peaking with vintage inspiration, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph collection comes sliding into our feeds as a fresh take on a classic. There is strong inspiration from its ’60s heyday, while a contemporary 42mm case, and a sparkling new engine inside in the Heuer-02 movement, inspires a timeless quality worthy of the strong Carrera heritage, with no need for fauxtina. In these four strong references, we have a distillation of the design codes of the Carrera, which is to many the epitome of a 1960s chronograph. There is an elegant, urban touch that contemporarizes the classic design, and underlines how colours, dial details and strap choices transforms it from bold monochrome racer to the formality of a boardroom, without losing its strong identity. The tension in the case, underlined by the polished bezel and slim, angled lugs, creates an emphasis of balance between sports and elegance. The monochromatic black dial version has the purest vintage inspiration here, while the angular brushed steel bracelet sweetens the deal for a bold wrist presence. The sunray finish of the blue dial version is an exquisite bright navy, with an enigmatic hard-to-capture on camera quality. The…
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If, like me, you love the svelte lines and sharp details of the vintage Heuer Carrera, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Collection blue dial chronograph (available for purchase here) is a reliable, sleek modern rendition. This is faithful to the lineage, in a contemporary 42mm. The deep blue dial blends formality with the clear motorsports lineage of the range, and is yet another strong contender from La Chaux-de-Fonds. There is no doubt that you are wearing a Carrera, yet this shows just how much a new rich colour brings to the resilient DNA. A sleek, suit-ready take on one of the most important chronographs of the last 50 years is no mean feat. The recognisable case is well proportioned, rendered in a vintage-inspired aesthetic, with a dynamic between dial, bezel and case body. The dial emanates a sporty vibe, and should you catch the right angle, you’ll have it winking at you with a delicious hint of purple. The delicate blue sunray scene is complete with sharp polished indices, register pointers and those classic baton hands. Under the caseback sits the Heuer 02 caliber, with its proven track record and weekend-safe 80-hour power reserve, yet another reason why this take…
Editor’s note: Bulgari leapt to the aid of Australia earlier in the year, when they donated a glorious Serpenti to our Watch & Act! Auction in aid of the Australian bushfires. It turns out it wasn’t out of character. Since then the brand has shown tremendous moral leadership through 2020, and it continues with this special ‘Tricolore’ Edition of the Aluminium, which we’ve covered on video here and in a written review here. When the COVID-19 pandemic initially hit the world, Bulgari from the outset leveraged its resources in order to better service the Italian people. When hand sanitiser was in short supply, Bulgari lent a helping hand by having its fragrance manufacture halt the production of product in favour of producing and bottling hand sanitiser to donate to hospitals within the country. Their latest effort in the fight against COVID-19 is a partnership with the venerated Aeronautica Militare. Together, they join forces on behalf of the Italian nation in a spirit of solidarity to present a limited series of watches: the Bvlgari Aluminium Tricolore. The backstory The primary task of the Aeronautica Militare is to defend Italian airspace. However, like other armed forces around the world, the Aeronautica Militare has recently…
The Louis Vuitton Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève is an unabashedly large futuristic dark metropolis under sapphire. I see an angular maze-like horological architecture within an organic patterned cutting-edge composite case. Hypnotised by the 9 o’clock rotating magic of the Flying Tourbillon you’ll notice it being delicately cut into the dark and recognisable structure of the LV logo. The dial – or is it the movement? The dial complexity is such that the LV signature – bold and large within an intriguing depth of openworked haute horlogerie — becomes a natural part of the movement architecture. It is almost as if the movement construction itself has dictated the shape of the recognisable overlapping L and V. This is, in my humble opinion, easily the best integration of a logo within a dial for the last 10 years, but this watch is so much more than what merits this irrelevant prize. If we work our way in from the bezel-less design, we have a discreet dark sweeping rehaut, which is a reminder of Louis Vuitton’s luck of the draw – the only manufacture with exactly 12 letters in their name, elegantly substituting the hours, engraved and lacquer filled. The Geneva…
There aren’t many watch brands that can proudly claim to be Australian, but Bausele is one of the select few. Founded by Christophe Hoppe in 2011, Bausele have just announced their partnership with the RAAF to produce two watches that will celebrate the Royal Australian Air Force Centenary in 2021. It is exciting news that an Australian-based brand has been chosen for such a significant collection of watches, and a testament to Bausele, as they were competing against a number of globally recognised brands. Christophe Hoppe and the design team at Bausele have created the Bausele Royal Australian Air Force Centenary Airfield and Aviator for the project. Both collections were designed in partnership with the RAAF and inspired by the themes of the Air Force Centenary, “Then. Now. Always.” More specifically, the designs have literally incorporated the history of the RAAF, with both watches featuring pieces of aircraft that were flown by RAAF pilots over the last five decades. The first design is the Airfield, which looks back on the history of the RAAF, and sought inspiration from the officially issued RAAF Pilot watches from the middle of last century by IWC and Jaeger. You know, the Dirty Dozen watches. Available…
Brellum has just released a resolutely modern, yet classic take on a pilot’s chronograph, with the sharpest of details – and shows how much colour and texture transforms the aviator personality of the Brellum Pilot Power Gauge Chronometer. This is another strong reference from Brellum that will follow your lead, be it battle-ready flight instrument under a leather jacket sleeve, or as a sharp sports chronograph on a bracelet. From the monochrome bulletproof image of the black dial version, to the delicate silver sunburst dial on a classic steel bracelet bringing a modern formality to the table. If we start on the classic end of the scale, the strong monochrome dial with a vintage-inspired hand-sewn brown strap is familiar and emphasises the proportions and legibility of the Brellum design language. The brushed 41.8mm case has curved lugs, with the broad stroke of a polished bevel that widens towards the lug tips, accentuating the broad-shouldered look. The purposeful image is underlined in a slim polished bezel, and the retro-perfect domed sapphire crystal creates charming hints of distortion on the edges of the dial. The pushers for the chronograph are a solid pump design, balanced nicely by the big crown typical of…
For me, the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition (available for purchase here) could quite possibly be my favourite from the maison in the last 20 years, and I am not exaggerating. This is a pure Carrera chronograph, a sharp, clear and distilled version of its forefather, the silver monochrome Carrera 2447SD. It approaches the epitome of what a chronograph should be, and sits in the Goldilocks zone of a slender 39mm steel case. We are looking at a supremely comfortable size, though with a visual impact more like 40mm due to its delicate polished bezel and light silver tone. This is a powerful yet discreet presence on the wrist. The razor-sharp monochrome visage on a classic black leather strap means this will go with any outfit, from a summer shirt to a dark winter merino knit, and that sharp Italian cut suit. It might be the perfect one-watch collection, had it not been for its colourful namesake fighting for attention — the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Montreal Limited Edition (available for purchase here). Though I admittedly want them both, I will carefully dissect each detail with a loupe to see what differentiates these two Carreras, down to…
Editor’s note: Grand Seiko turned heads at the start of 2020 with the announcement of a brand new in-house movement – the Grand Seiko 9SA5 caliber. It was first launched in the Grand Seiko SLGH002 60th Anniversary Limited Edition, a quintessential yellow gold dress watch from the Japanese watchmaking firm, and it left jaws on the floor with what it had achieved. We saw the 9SA5 caliber again earlier this month in the Grand Seiko SLGH003, this time in a sportier watch in stainless steel that was a statement of intent from Grand Seiko. But what makes this new movement so special? We thought we’d get an independent watchmaker to answer that question, our friend Reuben Schoots. We first spoke with Reuben in NOW Magazine Issue II, about his journey building a tourbillon pocket watch according to the George Daniels method. By hand. You read that right. The first of its kind in Australia. By hand. So without further ado, here’s Reuben. Grand Seiko’s new movement, the 9SA5, boasts 80 hours of power reserve, a new movement architecture, a new escapement, a new balance, a beat rate of 36,000 vph, +5 to -3 seconds accuracy per day, oh, and the…