Borna Bosniaks
TAG Heuer has been a big part of my watch journey since I was a little kid. My father wore his iconic two-tone Quartz Professional from the late 1980s for over 30 years, and I’ll never forget seeing a big advert for a skeletonised Heuer 01-powered Carrera Chronograph. The latest TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports continues the latter lineage and represents the brand’s current intention across the Carrera collection. Building on the framework of a recent limited-edition Porsche collaboration, the new Carrera Extreme Sports is the latest edition of the popular skeletonised Carrera Sport, offering lighter (and more precious) materials at an attractive price point.
Dial
Though a new model, the Carrera Extreme Sports is definitely more evolutionary than revolutionary. The three-register layout against the lattice-like openwork background remains the same, but the spider web on the bridge is more pronounced thanks to a change in finish. The subdials themselves are larger, the seconds hand at 6 o’clock has been cut, and the date window has been moved from 04:30, a choice that will please many. But the skeletonization theme is carried through to the dial design and the see-through date wheel that circles its inner periphery, without overly altering the TH20-00 caliber underneath.
As seen on some recent TAG Heuer Carrera models, the bridges have an asphalt-like texture, accentuated by the polished silver outline and azure finish on the subdials. You can go for a relatively monochromatic look or opt for red, blue and gold highlights, with the gold matching the case material. This style of dial has been very popular on many TAG Heuer models over the past decade, but the introduction of the small, vintage-looking glass box marks a departure from this avant-garde look and justifies the new, distinctive nomenclature of the Carrera Extreme Sport.
Incident
As retro designs start to become popular again, we are seeing a noticeable decline in complex skeleton dials and the disappearance of large cases. The new skeleton Carrera chronograph certainly bucks that trend with its 44mm diameter, but that doesn’t mean this new release should only appeal to those with a well-endowed build. At 49.7mm lug-to-lug, it actually fits perfectly on wrists that are around 17cm. Believe it or not, not many people are going to complain that the NOMOS Club Campus is too big at 49mm lug-to-lug. Admittedly, a smaller lug-to-lug size can only reduce the actual size of the watch, and while this is certainly large, kudos to TAG Heuer for improving the proportions over the original, which had lugs that were over 50mm long.
The Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports extends the skeletonization theme to the case profile, where the lugs wrap around the midcase to form a spaceframe-like structure. Not only does this tie into the overall design, which is centered around high-octane sports, but it also significantly reduces the visual bulk of the watch, helping to make its 15.1mm thickness less noticeable on the wrist. However, it is worth noting that the color scheme varies slightly depending on the case material. In the two grade 2 titanium variants, the midcase is black, outlined in a muted gray tone of titanium. In the DLC-coated titanium and 18k 5N rose gold models, the midcase matches the color of the lugs and is contrasted by the ceramic bezel and titanium caseback and pushers.
strap
While it will no doubt go unnoticed by some, one of my favorite elements of the Carrera Extreme Sports redesign is the integration of the rubber strap. Previous models also had integrated leather and rubber straps, but they were barely integrated into the actual case and ended abruptly. Here, a titanium center link separates the rubber material between the lugs, giving the look of a more organic strap and case combination. That being said, the rose gold model keeps the center link in black titanium, somewhat reducing the effectiveness of this design.
Aside from this neat integration trick, the rubber strap is quite unadorned, sitting comfortably on the wrist and nicely balancing the weight of the large watch case, and is finished off with a titanium folding clasp adorned with the TAG Heuer shield.
motion
To go along with the new Extreme Sports name, TAG Heuer has also rolled out the latest update to their in-house Heuer 02 movement, now named the TH20-00. Thankfully, this isn’t just a name change, the movement has been upgraded with bidirectional winding, an impressive 80-hour power reserve, and a five-year warranty, something that is often overlooked when buying a watch.
The decoration is minimal, but compared to the same movement in the Glassbox Skipper for example, the rotor coating is darker, which suits this sporty watch. I’ve always liked how TAG Heuer matches the color of the column wheel to the highlight color of the case, and in the Extreme Sport this extends to the rotor engraving as well.
Verdict
TAG Heuer has had very few missteps recently and is in my opinion experiencing one of its strongest periods in recent years. The Carrera Extreme Sports update comes with a price increase, but it’s not as big a jump as we expected and it’s still good value for money, especially when you consider the solid gold model. While watches like the 1970s-inspired gold Glassbox and Skipper are to my taste both style-wise and size-wise, the Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport is a smart continuation of a popular model line, with all the necessary upgrades to fit in with the brand’s current lineup.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports Pricing and Availability
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports is available now. Price: $8,200 USD (Titanium), $8,400 USD (DLC Titanium), $12,300 USD (Rose Gold)
Brand TAG Heuer Model Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sports Reference CBU2081.FT6274
CBU2082.FT6275
CBU2080.FT6272
CBU2050.FT6273 Case Dimensions 44mm (D) x 15.1mm (T) x 49.7mm (LTL) Case Material Grade 2 Titanium and Ceramic
DLC coated grade 2 titanium and ceramic
18K 5N rose gold and ceramic Water resistance 100 meters Crystal Sapphire crystal front and back Dial Blue, red, black, black and gold, open Strap and bracelet Integrated rubber strap, titanium folding clasp Movement TH20-00, in-house, automatic, column wheel Power reserve 80 hours Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph Availability September 2024 Price USD 8,200 (titanium)
$8,400 (DLC Titanium)
$12,300 (Rose Gold)
