Jack Heuer — great-grandson of TAG Heuer’s founder, its former CEO, and current Honorary Chairman — turns 88 years old today, and the watch company that still bears his surname is celebrating with a very special timepiece in rose gold, Jack’s favorite material, based on his favorite vintage watch, the Heuer Carrera Ref. 1158CHN. Here’s what you need to know about the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Jack Heuer 88th Birthday Gold Limited Edition.
The watch hails from the recently introduced Carrera Chronograph family, a somewhat dressier iteration of the motorsport-inspired original Carrera, which Jack Heuer famously created in 1963. This model traces its lineage to the all-gold Carreras of the 1970s (back when the company was still called simply “Heuer”), which Jack, then the CEO, would present as good luck charms to Formula 1 racing drivers such as Clay Regazzoni, Niki Lauda, and Ronnie Peterson, during the watch company’s partnership with Ferrari. These 1158CHN timepieces, which were engraved with a specific driver’s name and blood type (the latter in case of accidents on the track, presumably), are now among the most rare and collectible Heuer watches. Also significantly, this new birthday edition marks the return of 18k rose gold to TAG Heuer’s modern collection.
The 42-mm rose-gold case frames a silver opaline dial that is noteworthy for the horizontal applied “8” symbols in its center, representing both Jack Heuer’s 88th birthday as well as a double infinity loop, a sly visual reference to Jack’s motto, “Time never stops, why should we?” — which also appears as engraved text on the rotor of the movement. As on the historical model, the subdials at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are black, with a sunray-brushed finish. The hands and indices are rose-gold-colored with a polished finish and enhanced with Super-LumiNova. An applied, gold-colored TAG Heuer shield logo at 12 o’clock is harmoniously balanced by a small-seconds indication at 6 o’clock, one of the few features not found on the watch’s historical predecessor, along with a date window.
Like its siblings in the Carrera Chronograph collection, which are distinguished from the mainline Carrera models, by the lack of a tachymeter scale on the bezel, the watch contains the automatic, Swiss-made Caliber Heuer 02. On display behind an exhibition caseback, its integrated stopwatch function is driven by a column wheel and a vertical clutch, while its special, motto-engraved rotor helps the movement amass a lengthy 80-hour power reserve.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Jack Heuer 88th Birthday Gold Limited Edition (Ref. CBN2041.FC8306) comes on a black alligator leather whose black lining also bears Jack Heuer’s signature in gold script. Limited to 188 pieces and priced at CHF 18,000, the watch is available for pre-orders now, and expected to be available in TAG Heuer boutiques and online in March 2021.
| Manufacturer: | TAG Heuer SA, Rue L.-J. Chevrolet 6a, 2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland |
| Reference number: | CBN2041.FC8306 |
| Functions: | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, date |
| Movement: | Manufacture Caliber Heuer 02, automatic, 28,800 vph, 33 jewels, hack mechanism, quick date adjustment, column wheel, vertical clutch, eccentric fine regulator, Kif shock absorber, 80-hour power reserve, diameter = 31 mm, height = 6.95 mm |
| Case: | 18k 5N rose-gold case, beveled and domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective coating, water resistant to 100 meters |
| Bracelet and clasp: | Black alligator leather strap with 18k rose gold pin buckle |
| Dimensions: | Diameter = 42 mm, height = 14.55 mm |
| Price: | CHF 18,000 (limited edition of 188 pieces) |
How much this watch cost??
Dynamic in it’s simplicity and Classic Design, a fitting homage to the man, with History, Synergy and Respect. Happy Birthday, Jack.