The name ‘Carrera’ is an emblematic one for both Swiss watch manufacturer TAG Heuer and German marque Porsche. To pay tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, the first 911 to bear the Carrera name, the duo have joined forces to create two collaborative timepieces.
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But what came first, the Carrera or the Carrera? Well, the first Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was revealed on October 5th, 1972, making its debut at the Paris motor show. Designed for rallying and racing (the RS stands for ‘racing sport’), it was the first Porsche 911 dedicated to motorsports and was the fastest German production automobile of its time. Lightweight and aerodynamic, the road-legal vehicle was intended to enable customers to partake in racing events.
Now, the Heuer Carrera Chronograph (Heuer was purchased by TAG in 1985) was released nine years prior, in 1963, with Jack Heuer — great-grandson of Edouard Heuer, founder of the watch company Heuer, and then-Chairman of the company — naming the watch after the Carrera Panamericana. The Carrera Panamericana was a high-stakes race that was introduced in 1950 and ran for five consecutive years. An open road border-to-border race in Mexico, it covered over 3500km with little regard for safety precautions and was eventually deemed too dangerous to continue, with over two dozen people losing their lives over the five years it was held.
The Porsche 911 also derived its moniker from the Carrera Panamericana; with both the car and watch sharing not only a name but a racing spirit, it seems only natural the two should unite. The collaborative limited edition TAG Heuer x Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 watches reference two key colourways selected from the initial range of 27 vivid hues the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was offered in. The shades of Indischrot (Guards Red) and Glasurblau (Glazier Blue) appeared on the five-spoke rims, the Carrera and Porsche logos on the body panels, and in a striking solid line down the panel of the car; contrasting against the rest of the white body.
The same two-tone aesthetic was applied to the watches, which are based on the 42mm TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph; featuring a tricompax layout with minutes and hour chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o’clock and a permanent second indicator and date window at 6 o’clock. Naturally, the collaborative timepiece required a movement befitting of the powerful engine of the automobile it pays tribute to, with the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 selected. Boasting a power reserve of 80 hours, it’s visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, with the movement’s oscillating mass customised to represent Porsche’s three-spoke steering wheel and emblazoned with both the Porsche and TAG Heuer logos.
Clad in a polished steel case with rhodium-plated indexes and hours and minute hands that recall the chrome door handles of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, the blue iteration is limited to 500 pieces. The dial has a smooth white opaline finish, with the two sub-counters featuring a snailed finish. Blue lacquer on the chronograph and central hands as well as the pushbuttons and shield logo nod to Porsche’s design codes, as do the blue markings on the Calibre Heuer 02. The right sub-counter references the aesthetic of the rims of the 911 Carrera RS 2.7, while the signature colour stripe and (Porsche) Carerra logo appear on the dial, flange, case side, and fabric strap (it’s also available on a steel bracelet).
Meanwhile, the red edition is available in a limited run of 250 examples. Taking on a dressier tone, the case, crown, pushers, and caseback are crafted from 18k rose gold. The white dial is framed by a Guards Red circular line which compliments the rose gold indices, permanent second indicator, and hour and minute hands. Continuing the elegant aesthetic is a red alligator leather strap with a rose gold-plated pin buckle.
A tale of two Carreras indeed.
Words by John Deckard
