Reinventing the wheel can be overrated—sometimes, expanding on an already-beloved design is the best way to drum up excitement. The original Heuer Carrera—released in 1963 as Jack Heuer’s horological love letter to the 1950s Carrera Panamericana Road Race held in Mexico—would develop as a symbol of motorsports success over the following decades, frequently gifted to victorious drivers at huge events. As the current official timekeeper of Formula 1, the Swiss company is continuing that legacy of motorsports prowess with new watches in the Carrera Day-Date collection, keeping the elements that have made the watch an icon, while pushing the design ever forward.
With six new models and ample features, the Day-Date collection can seem as daunting as an F1 circuit at first. Five of the models, though, are mechanically identical, with differences ranging from materials to color schemes—these are the “regular” Day-Date pieces, while the Date Twin-Time represents a distinct complication. First, let’s take a look at the new Day-Date references.
Each Day-Date features a fine-brushed and polished steel 41mm case with a steel polished crown at 3 o’clock, a beveled and domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment, and a steel screw-down case back that touts a 100m water resistance. A Calibre TH31-02 automatic movement pulses inside each Day-Date, and a day-date window sits at the 3:00 position. White Super-LumiNova additionally coats the hour and minute hands on each model. The most obvious variances between the watches are in dial color and design details—five distinct looks separate the pieces, as do the included bracelet and strap materials.
The WDA2110.FC6614 model (say that ten times fast) wears a black-grained dial and flange anchored by the rhodium-plated polished applied indexes, hour and minute hands, TAG Heuer logo, and day-date window border. A bright red seconds hand gives the watch a classic tachometer look, like you may be pushing redline on track day instead of late for your morning meeting. The included perforated black calfskin strap features light blue lining to match that on the dial.
The next two Day-Date references—WDA2112.BA0043 and WDA2113.BA0043 respectively—feature either a blue sunray brushed dial and matching blue flange, or a red dial with contrasting black flange. Both splashes of color add a sporty character to the watch and a more subtle look that could be at home at a post-race press conference or on a dinner date. The included steel fine brushed and polished three-row bracelet with a double-folding clasp caps off the versatility of the two pieces.
For a more upscale look, the WDA2111.BA0043 and WDA2111.BD0001 models tag in a black dial and 18K rose gold details—the applied indexes, hands, and TAG Heuer logo all wear the material. For a podium finish, these models come on a steel and 18K gold fine brushed and polished three-row bracelet. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres should be on hand.
The Twin-Time, however, adds a complication and switches up the more subtle look of the Day-Date models. A teal sunray brushed dial encircled by a teal and silver 24-hour scale flange gives the Twin-Time a charismatic visual pop, and instead of the hour markers of its Day-Date cousins, it features numerals in rhodium. A polished GMT hand with a red-lacquered tip sweeps around the dial, while a date window sits at the 6 o’clock position. Additional text details mark the Twin-Time as such, and it comes on the steel fine brushed and polished three-row bracelet. A Calibre TH31-03 movement powers that extra 24-hour complication.
Whether you like to tear through the mud in a rally machine or nail those apexes on the track, TAG Heuer offers a Day-Date model that fits your aesthetic. The new TAG Heuer Day-Date collection is expected to be available this month. Pricing starts at CHF 3,900. TAG Heuer
