Overview
In the early 1960s the Heuer watch company began work on the development of a clean and legible chronograph that would be used for timing car races. The idea stemmed from an interaction CEO Jack Heuer had with Pedro and Ricardo Rodríguez de la Vega in 1962. The two brothers, who drove for Ferrari at the time, spoke of the dangerous Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico that ran the previous decade. Jack was so captivated by the name that he registered it for Heuer and within one year developed the racing chronograph he’d been dreaming of—the Heuer Carrera.
For the next two decades the Carrera saw various developments, including the introduction of an automatic movement in 1969 and the usage of barrel-shaped cases in the 1970s. However, by 1982 the Quartz Crisis had taken its toll on the company and Jack was forced to step down as CEO. Just 2 years later the Carrera ceased production and the company was bought by TAG ("Techniques d'Avant Garde”) in 1985. The once legendary Carrera was now just a historical footnote of the TAG Heuer brand.
That all changed in 1996 when, for the first time, TAG Heuer looked to its heritage catalog to design a re-edition of the 1963 Carrera. The new watch was nearly identical to the original, featuring the same 36mm polished case, pump chronograph pushers, acrylic crystal, and three-register dial design. In the spirit of the original release, the new Carrera Re-Edition came in multiple configurations including steel-encased black, silver, or salmon dials, or an 18k gold-encased silver dial. Each of these utilized a decimeter scale, and the silver dial went so far as to include the same light blue text used in the originals.
The move to faithfully reissue a historical model did not go unnoticed. Following the success of the Carrera Re-Edition, TAG Heuer went on to produce re-editions of its other storied models including the Monaco, Monza, and Autavia. Nearly 30 years after its launch, the Carrera Re-Edition remains a popular watch on the secondary market and, despite rising prices, continues to provide collectors an affordable alternative to the scarce and expensive originals.
Specifications
Brand:
TAG Heuer
Model:
Carrera 1964 Re-Edition
Reference:
CS3111
Year:
1997
Case Number:
No. 06556
Case Material:
Stainless steel
Diameter:
36 mm
Lug Width:
18 mm
Thickness:
13.0 mm
Lug-to-Lug:
43.8 mm
Dial:
Black
Lume:
Tritium
Crystal:
Acrylic
Movement:
Hand-wound
Caliber:
Lemania 1873
Bracelet/Strap:
Black calfskin strap with TAG Heuer tang buckle
Max Wrist Size:
Hand model has a wrist size of 6.2 in
Condition
Case: The stainless steel case is super clean and shows very little wear with only faint hairlines and a couple micro nicks. The faceted lugs are thick and sharp with superb definition at the edges. The thin bezel is practically flawless. The caseback shows a few hairlines and some light scratching on the back of the lugs from strap removal. The brushed finishing is very well preserved and the brand and serial number engravings are extremely sharp and detailed.
Dial, Hands, & Crystal: The black dial and polished hands are in excellent overall condition. The dial and decimal ring show no stains or discoloration. The tritium across the dial and hands is a nice shade of yellow and briefly glows when exposed to UV light. The lume plot at 3 o’clock is slightly larger than the rest, but is consistent in color and UV response. The minutes hand exhibits a couple micro scratches visible on close inspection. The acrylic crystal is strong, with no major scratching and plenty of life left to give.
Bracelet/Strap: The black leather strap has been lightly used but shows no major fraying, creasing, or peeling. The back of the strap has darkened naturally from wear. The buckle is nice and clean with no major scratching and a nicely preserved Heuer logo engraving.
Performance
Functions: All functions including the crown winding, time setting, and chronograph start/stop/reset are working as expected.
Service History: Unknown.
