Watches and Wonders: TAG Heuer Releases a Monaco Split-Seconds and a Fleet of New Carreras

I don’t think we need to spend time reviewing TAG Heuer’s strong bonds with things that go fast down a track.

So, let’s cut right to the finish line and check out some of the watches TAG Heuer brought to Watches and Wonders 2024!

A split-seconds, or “rattrapante,” chronograph is a complication with which TAG Heuer has a great deal of history (even before auto racing), beginning in 1916 when the timing function found its way onto the Mikrograph stopwatch used by Olympics timers throughout the early 20th century.

The 1960s saw the popular 11.402 reference stopwatch. But eventually, in 1989, TAG Heuer brought the split-seconds chronograph to the wrist with a quartz timepiece worn by racing legends from Ayrton Senna to Michael Schumacher.
 

But given the pure racing appeal of the function (like when determining who came in first and how many seconds behind were all the others), I can’t think of a better home for a rattrapante chronograph than on the iconic square dial of a TAG Heuer Monaco, which is marking its 55th anniversary this year.

Case-in-point: The 41mm Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph revealed at Watches and Wonders 2024 packs in a well-balanced, partially skeletonized dial approach while remaining a clear celebration of the Monaco collection’s outlier design.
 

Plus, with its Grade 5 titanium construction and new 65-hour reserve (sans the use of the chrono) TH81-00 mechanical chronograph movement (developed in partnership with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier), it is also the lightest automatic chronograph movement ever released by TAG, weighing in at just 85 grams.
 

By now, we are very used to seeing a lot of Carrera novelties from TAG Heuer at Watches and Wonders. But let’s lead off with a glimmering model that isn’t inspired by motorsports but by yachting. The Carrera Skipper Chronograph in 18K 5N rose gold brings more than a knot or two of elegance to the show-stopping steel Skipper from last year.
 

The 39mm case rendered in gold, however, just adds to the allure of this timepiece. Meanwhile, the “glassbox” crystal design, Heuer 02 movement, color callbacks to the 1968 Reference 7754, and its full-on sailing utility remain perfectly untouched.
 

Available as you read this, the Carrera Skipper Chronograph in rose gold lists for CHF 21,000.

Recent additions to the Carrera Chronograph line have been focused on referencing the iconic timepiece’s heritage and then using those touchstones as jumping-off points for moving the design forward. Well, that trend continues with the release of the Carrera Chronograph 7753 SN Heritage. (Fun fact: the “SN” in the model name has always stood for “silver/noir.”)
 

A fairly faithful ode to Jack Heuer’s silver/black models from the late 1960s, today’s “SN” is presented in a vintage-inspired 39mm steel case with an equally vintage-inspired “glassbox” crystal, with classic mushroom chrono-pushers and three-link steel bracelet.
 

Moreover, this new model features a silver sunray dial with black bi-compax sub-dials to honor the original 7753 SN’s “panda” dial. However, if you look closely, you will see that there are actually three sub-dials: a black minute counter at 3 o’clock, a silver small seconds sub-dial that blends into the dial at 6 o’clock, and a black hour counter rides at 9 o’clock.
 

Also available as you read this, expect to pay CHF 6,500 for your trip back in time.