LVMH Watch Week 2024: TAG Heuer Unveils New Carrera and Aquaracer
TAG Heuer had plenty to share at LVMH Watch Week 2024. From new Carrera additions to five new dials for the Aquaracer series, there is a lot to unpack.
Watchmakers and brands at the LVMH Group have been busy. In total, TAG Heuer showcased eight new exquisite watches during LVMH Watch Week 2024. Enthusiasts of either (or both) the iconic Carrera collection or the adventurous Aquaracer series would be pleased with the refinements made, aesthetically and mechanically. Not to mention, TAG Heuer is adamant on leading the lab-grown diamond scene as the maison introduced a yellow variant made possible with its revolutionary Plasma technology.
Read on for a breakdown of the magnificent novelties announced by TAG Heuer during LVMH Watch Week 2024.
CARRERA CHRONOGRAPH
First impressions: a stunning glimmer of teal green. The introduction of the shade into the Carrera collection was no mere fancy or coincidence as TAG Heuer chose it as a homage to motorsport history. It’s particularly reminiscent of the vintage green shades of the racing cars from the 20s to the 60s. Two masterpieces have been splashed with the vibrant teal green, though both inspired by the DATO layout and features the iconic 2023 Glassbox design.
The first, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph, masterfully combines the iconic Dato vintage look with the technical enhancements of improved case ergonomics, a gracefully curved flange, and a dial with circular brushed finishing. Crafted from steel and with rhodium-plated indexes and hands, the watch showcases the date at 9 o’clock and a teal green azure mono subdial at the 3 o’clock position. Its open caseback reveals the in-house movement Heuer 02, listed as TH20-07, complemented with a bidirectional automatic winding mechanism, delivering an extraordinary 80-hour power reserve. In addition, the watch boasts a distinctive shield-shaped rotor, a symbol synonymous with TAG Heuer.
The second variant is the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon, furnished with a similar elegant teal green circular brushed dial but with the tourbillon cage at the 6 o’clock position. Courtesy of the Glassbox design, the 42 mm watch’s curved sapphire crystal offers a panoramic view of the tourbillon from all angles. Completing the dial’s design is a teal green flange, rhodium-plated applied indexes, and deep azure subdials surrounded by green rings. At its heart is the Heuer 02 – TH20-09 – crafted by TAG Heuer Movements Director Carole Forestier-Kasapi and the Swiss watchmaker’s technical teams. Like the first variant, its significant efficiency and accuracy is managed by the bidirectional automatic winding mechanism.
AQUARACER PROFESSIONAL 200 SOLARGRAPH
It’s been two years since the groundbreaking TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph and now, a fresh lineup of TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph watches is set to once again play to the tune of the great outdoors as the perfect companion. Reimagined in a new, more versatile 34 mm size, the models come complete with the key Aquaracer features: a unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown, water resistance to 200 meters, luminous markings, sapphire crystal and a double safety clasp.
While all equally capable in high performance and in even the most extreme conditions, the collection sees a spectrum of five new dials. For the everyday line, there’s the TAG Heuer’s iconic Aquaracer Polar Blue dial and another in TAG Heuer’s signature blue dial complete with the signature Solargraph elements. The remaining three feature a first for the Solargraph series: mother-of-pearl dials. Although enchantingly beautiful in sight, the choice of the material broke new ground for the maison as Solargraph technology typically requires semi-transparency to harness solar energy. The brand was able to achieve this feat by adapting the mother-of-pearl to allow light to pass through, resulting in three variant models: a sleek version, one adorned with indexed diamonds, and a third with diamonds gracing both indexes and bezel.
CARRERA DATE PLASMA DIAMANT D’AVANT-GARDE
Back at Watches and Wonders 2023, TAG Heuer introduced lab-grown pink diamonds. For LVMH Watch Week 2024, the maison has taken another step with the TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde. Adorned with 4.8 carats of lab-grown diamonds, including 1.4 carats of stunning yellow Diamant d’Avant-Garde, the avant-garde creation is a testament of the maison’s revolutionary Plasma technology, which enables the delicate growth of lab-grown diamonds, especially imbued with colour.
Set in white gold and a 36 mm case, a single 1.3-carat yellow lab-grown diamond sits at the signature diamond crown. Elsewhere on the watch is a Diamant d’Avant-Garde shield elegantly adorning the 2.9-carat polycrystalline dial, punctuated by 12 white gold indexes set with white baguette-cut lab-grown diamonds of 0.5 carats. Then, amidst the skeletonised hours and minutes hand is a yellow lab-grown diamond in its signature shield cut just below the Carrera logo at 12 o’clock. The captivating glimmering dial, on the other hand, is made possible by growing a vast number of diamond crystals as one, yet another creative feat using the Plasma technology.
