Hands-On with the New TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 Limited Edition Watches

As part of the partnership between the two brands, TAG Heuer has released a pair of new limited edition Carrera chronographs celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary Porsche 911 Carrera which debuted on October 5th, 1972 at the Paris motor show. These TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 limited edition watches come in colorways that pay tribute to two of the twenty-seven colors the original Porsche Carrera was produced in. With a steel model in Glasurblau (Glazier Blue) and a red gold model in Indischrot (Guards Red), they present a pair of attractive and fun options for the many Porsche enthusiasts who are also watch collectors. (Or is it watch collectors who are also Porsche enthusiasts?) And with total production numbers for each watch in the hundreds, these are limited editions that are actually limited. The base watch here is the 42mm Carrera Chronograph that was released in 2020 with a design inspired by the original 1963 model. These have a classic tri-compax layout with chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o’clock and a running seconds hand plus date window at 6 o’clock. By not giving the running seconds a full-fledged sub-dial, the dial manages to avoid that heaviness that can accrue with three sub-dials and a date window. Inside is the Calibre Heuer 02 movement that operates at 28,800 vph and has an 80-hour power reserve. With the basics of the two watches out of the way, let’s take a look at each one beginning with the steel variant. The TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 in steel comes with both a matching steel bracelet and, more interestingly, a matching white and blue fabric strap with Porsche insignia. I would likely keep this watch on the strap for a vast majority of the time considering the aesthetic cohesion but also just because it’s so supple and comfortable. On the dial-side, the hands are done in blue lacquer and lumed while the indices and seconds hand are rhodium-plated. Maybe I’m easy to please with certain color schemes and combinations but I just think this execution of the Glasurblau exudes a crispness and coolness that is so effortlessly appealing. There are subtle and also more overt Porsche references throughout the watch. You’d be forgiven for not immediately recognizing that the framing around the chronograph sub-dial at 3 o’clock is designed to evoke rims while it’s nearly impossible not to note the Carrera text and stripe running down the left side of the case. Where the steel model went blue, the rose gold iteration has a Indischrot aka Guards Red color scheme. This model uses red touches and lacquering with red-gold plated indices on the dial as well as an engraved Carrera insignia on the left side of the case. I can imagine the added cost of a solid gold bracelet would make this a tougher sell than it needs to be so it only comes on an alligator leather strap which is very nice (and also very red). I appreciate when a watch commits to its theme even if the design may be a little divisive which I can certainly see the use of such a punchy red here being. Still, this is most likely a moot point as only 250 of these red gold Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 watches will be produced. Well designed and executed, this pair makes for a fitting tribute to a car as iconic as the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, especially for an occasion like its 50th anniversary. The TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche RS 2.7 in steel (Ref. CBN2016.EB0275) will be limited to 500 pieces with a price of $7,750 and in red gold (Ref. CBN2045.FC8316) will be limited to 250 pieces with a price of $22,550. You can learn more at tagheuer.com