It’s hard to imagine today’s TAG Heuer range without the Carrera, the model that was at the heart of the range for more than twenty years, but disappeared in 1985.
Making its comeback in 1996- initially as a Limited Edition- the Carrera is now available in more than 40 different models, with case sizes ranging from 39-43mm and an array of quartz and automatic movements.
While this breadth means there is no shortage of choice, it also means that it’s a ongoing challenge to give each of the models its own distinct …

Without doubt the most discussed watch on Calibre 11 is the Carrera 1887, the new Carrera announced at Basel 2010 powered by the in-house Calibre 1887. Regular readers will know that the design of the watch has changed twice, with TAG Heuer showing a third version of the watch late last year.
There has been some confusion on the changes: why they happened and which markets would be getting which version. We asked Carrera designer Christoph Behling for his take on the changes when we spoke with him a few weeks …

It’s hard to remember a time when there has been so much focus on the movement that sits inside a watch- where it comes from, who designed it and who made it. It may sound strange to say that there was little focus on movements until around 2000- after all, they are not only an integral part of the watch, but are the actual components that deliver the primary function of a watch- keeping time.
I suspect that a big part of the reason was that by the 1990s no-one, putting …

TAG Heuer have made a second round of changes to the Carrera Calibre 1887. The model has been available in some markets for the last few months, but ahead of the launch rolling out globally, further detailed updates have been made to the design of the watch. The changes only impact the dial- the case, pushers, hands and movement are unchanged.
The Carrera 1887 prototype was first displayed in March at the Basel show and was followed by an updated version in May (a change some foolish observers called the “Final …

TAG Heuer’s links with motor-sport has provided many an excuse over the years for racing-inspired Chronogragphs. This month alone, TAG Heuer have announced three such watches, all of which were previewed at Basel: the Monaco Twenty-Four and Grey Monaco Vintage have been reviewed before at Calibre 11 and today it’s time to review the new TAG Heuer 300 SLR.
The 300 SLR (Ref. CAR2112) is a tribute to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR of the 1950s, which had both a glorious and infamous racing career. The high point was the victory …

The short life of the Calibre 1887 movement has been far from dull. Over the last 12 months we’ve had the announcement of the new movement, the initial controversy over its origins, the excitement of the launch of the Carrera 1887, the post-Basel re-design and now- finally- the first watches arriving in stores.
And these developments have been covered in detail here at Calibre 11, including this article that discussed the origins of the movement and how it differed to its Seiko origins.
And there have been two questions that have dominated …

Without a doubt the best received production TAG Heuer watch at Basel this year was the TAG Heuer 300 SLR, a limited edition version of the Carrera Calibre 1887 due to be released in the next couple of months.
The 300 SLR (Reference number CAR2112.FC6267) will be launched to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Mercedes 300 SLR victory in the 1952 Carrera Panamericana, which of course is the same race that gave the Heuer Carrera its name.
While based on the new Carrera 1887, the 300 SLR has several important differences, …

The highlight for me of TAG Heuer’s Baselworld watches was the TAG Heuer 300SLR, a new limited edition heritage watch to be released in October alongside the Monaco 24 and the new Grey Heuer Monaco re-edition.
While I didn’t manage to take any photos of the new watch, Hodinkee did manage to get some shots, which you can see here.
The 300SLR (ref. CAR2112)  is based on the new Carrera Calibre 1887, but loses the external bezel and carries no Carrera markings. The dial itself is a metallic bronze colour, reminiscent of …

Debating the merits of watch movements is usually a sport reserved for the true Watch Idiot Savant. When I bought my first automatic watch (a Heuer Monza re-edition), I took it back to the store shortly after I bought it because I noticed that if I didn’t wear it for a few days, it tended to stop. The funny thing is that as soon as I started wearing it again, it worked fine…surely I can’t be the only one who has done this.
One of the secrets of the Swiss watch …

The much talked-about TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 will finally be unveiled at Basel tomorrow. The new model is a successful evolution of the exiting Carrera CV2017, and of course is fitted with TAG Heuer’s new movement.
Of course, there is a separate and very interesting story to the Calibre 1887 itself, but for now let’s focus on the watch itself.
At launch there are two models available- white (CAR2111) and black (CAR2110) dial, both available with either a leather strap or a bracelet.
The first thing that you notice about  the watch …

Update
Looking for the review of the Carrera Calibre 1887? Click here
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The first photo of the Calibre 1887 powered Carrera is out a few weeks ahead of Baselworld 2010.
TAG Heuer have been in touch to say that there was a mix up with the embargo dates for the photos of the Carrera Calibre 1887 and so have asked all websites to take down the images. So, if you didn’t get a chance to read the story earlier this morning, sorry…but you ‘ll have to wait another couple of weeks to see …

A quick update on the Calibre 1887 controversy, which if you’re not familiar with you can read about at this link where the story first broke
The issue has created an amazing amount of column inches and threatened to over-shadow the build-up to TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary in 2010.
My view hasn’t really changed since the original post, where I wrote:
“It is clear that TAG Heuer has made a very significant investment in its movement design and manufacturing capabilities over the last few years, and of this it is rightly proud. It …