For TAG Heuer, motoracing is not only a part of its essence, it's a part of its DNA. This is why it is driven to be associated with and sponsor legendary motoracing competitions such as the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico. Known as the world's most grueling open-road endurance competition, this great race that inspired the Brand in naming it’s the iconic watch series, Carrera, celebrated it’s XXVI edition Oct 25 to the 31^st, 2013. 

The History 

Jack Heuer, the man responsible for some of the most groundbreaking advances in sports timekeeping, in 1963 turned his attention to the specific needs of professional motor-racing drivers. A long-time fan of and participant in the sport, he knew exactly what was needed: a wide-open, easy-to-read dial with a shock-resistant and waterproof case tough enough for even the most intense road wear. 

He also had in mind an ideal inspiration: the “Carrera Panamericana Mexico Road Race”, the world’s most grueling open-road endurance competition. “I first heard about the Carrera from Pedro Rodriguez at the Twelve Hours of Sebring, where I was the Official Timekeeper. He and his brother Ricardo were two of the fastest, smartest and bravest endurance drivers of all time. To hear them talk of the carrera, which our brand’s longtime friend Juan-Manuel Fangio had  won in 1953, but which had been stopped in 1955 after a number of fatalities, made my imagination soar. Just the sound of the name itself - elegant, dynamic, easily pronounced in all languages and charged with emotion. I knew then that my new chronograph was the perfect tribute to this legend.” 

Among the star pilots to wear a Carrera over the next decade were Ferrari drivers Jackie Ickx, Clay Regazzoni, Mario Andretti, Carlos Reutemann and Jody Scheckter. Every member of Ferrari’s 1970s 'scuderia', with whom Heuer had signed on as Official Sponsor and Timekeeper, received a solid gold Carrera engraved with his name and blood type.

Since then, it has been worn by all TAG Heuer driving greats: David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Alain Prost...

THE TOUGHEST RACE

Exactly what makes the Carrera Panamericana so hard? It is a combination of things. The tour begins in a tropical climate where the temperature is high and damp and extends along a road that goes from sea level to a sweltering height of three thousand meters! The variations in temperature ranging from 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit) to just a couple of degrees before the freezing point, all this in 7 days of intense competition with very little time to rest.

Experts say that it is a combination of the Grand Prix of Tripoli, the "Mille Miglia" Italian, the German circuit "Nurburgring" and the 24 Hours of Le-Mans.

The race is hard, not just for the drivers, but also for their racing teams. The road is paved with a mixture of volcanic ash, a highly abrasive substance that dramatically reduces the performance of a new tire. Even the best engine tuning, carburetor tests and the best selection of sparkplugs require alterations every 160 miles or so.

THE XXVI EDITION OF THE CARRERA PANAMERICANA

The 2013 edition of the Carrera Panamericana ran for over 3 thousand kilometers. The race started in the Port of Veracruz where the day began with qualifiers on the Paso de Ovejas-Huatusco-Xalapa road, a stretch of 136 kilometers, divided into two sections, of which only 5.7 kilometers are pure speed.

The route continued through (Mexico) Oaxaca, Mexico, Querétaro, Morelia, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, finally reaching the finish line in Zacatecas, pushing the limit and testing the ability of the drivers every stretch of the way. TAG Heuer was named Official Watch of the 2013 edition of the Carrera Panamericana and therefore had a lot of visibility throughout this long stretch including logo stickers on the cars, a large logo on the arches of the finish line, logos on the official posters, podium table, route books and a dedicated page on their official page Carrera Panamericana website www.lacarrerapanamericana.com.mx.

It was of exceptional joy for all to see two-time champions Gabriel Perez and Ignacio Rodriguez, in their 54 Studebaker, take the overall racing title with an amazing advantage of nearly two and a half minutes on the second place winners Emilio Velazquez and Javier Marin.

CARRERA 2013: THE NEXT GENERATION

This year’s Carrera chronographs all house one of TAG Heuer’s proudest technical achievements - the in-house manufactured movement that re-engineers one of Edouard Heuer’s greatest contributions to watchmaking: the oscillating pinion of 1887.

TAG HEUER CARRERA PANAMERICANA LIMITED EDITION OF 250 PIECES

The Carrera Panamericana set the perfect stage and opportunity to introduce the TAG Heuer Carrera Panamericana 2013 Limited Edition, watch of 250 pieces, representing one of TAG Heuer’s greatest technical achievements and made entirely by TAG Heuer headquarters in La Chaux de Fonds.

This is the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph, the first TAG Heuer chronograph movement with an intergrated column wheel, a power reserve of 50 hours, vibrating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and consisting of 320 components. This watch won the 2010 "La Petite Aiguille" (The small needle award) for "Best Watch of the Year" at the Grand Prix of Horology in Geneva.

Speed, Emotion, Glamour: A half-century after its dramatic arrival on the motor-racing scene,  TAG Heuer continues to celebrate the anniversary of the CARRERA series, the flagship of the brand with unrivaled motorsport history, and does so in Mexico and at the competition that inspired it’s creation back in 1963.