TAG Heuer Carrera Dato Limited Edition for HODINKEE 39 mm automatic Full Set 2021

The little story

Jack Heuer was a businessman who led the family business to profitability after taking it over in 1962 at the age of 30. The models produced by Heuer during his first decade at the helm of the brand are now considered the greatest triumphs in the history of the chronograph: Monaco, Autavia or even Monza. And if there is one collection that best illustrates Heuer's approach to watchmaking, it is the Carrera collection.

First introduced in 1963, the Carrera model served as the basis for a new generation of Heuer wristwatches. Its rapid success gave the company the financial foundation to continue experimenting with design and engineering. In 1965, Heuer launched the first Carrera with a date complication. This watch is reference 3147; not only was it the first Carrera with a calendar complication, but it was also one of the first chronograph wristwatches to feature the now standard date wheel display.

Dubbed the "Dato 45" for its combination of a 45-minute counter at three o'clock and a date display, this new age chronograph had the same sleek and compact case profile as the classic Carrera.

A modern watch that doesn't look like one

This watch made by Hodinkee and TAG Heuer is a real success! We find all the codes of the chronographs of the 1960s that watch collectors love so much: pushers with pumps, a 39mm "glassbox" case and a black dial topped with applied indexes. But the attention to detail doesn't stop there. For this limited edition, we also find the vintage Heuer logo and a black alligator leather strap with a folding clasp signed Heuer. A reissue very close to the original model!

A Manufacture calibre

This reference features the Heuer 02 caliber. It is the most advanced caliber of TAG Heuer in terms of chronographs! It was developed in the 2010s with the aim of bringing together in a single movement all the technical specifications one would expect for a 21st century chronograph.

But to recreate the unique layout of the Carrera Dato dial, TAG Heuer had to remove the sub-dials at six and nine o'clock. The Manufacture also developed an all-new date disc with the period font. It is also a fully integrated caliber that operates with 33 jewels and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. This Heuer 02 caliber also has an impressive power reserve of 80 hours, all stored in a single barrel.

Technically, the Heuer Caliber 02 uses both a column wheel and a vertical clutch mechanism, one of the best combinations for a chronograph. Visible through a sapphire crystal caseback, the finish of the Heuer Caliber 02 is simple but attractive, with crisp Geneva stripes on the plate and a blackened, openworked rotor that commemorates the brand's recent 160th anniversary.

The package

This Carrera Dato will be delivered full set with its case and all its papers. Its warranty card is still blank, but its purchase invoice dated 2021 is authentic. This watch is in perfect condition and has no defects. It is also still guaranteed by TAG Heuer. This watch is also covered by the Lepage Vintage 1 year warranty.