Time ‘n Place
The Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Automatic CAR2A90.FT6071 Men’s Watch full black matte ceramic made its debut at the Geneva Watch Fair, 2017. It made the watch-loving world come pretty close to madness for the first half of the year.
Getting’ to the watch:
The first thing that strikes you is the sizable case of the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Automatic CAR2A90.FT6071 Men’s Watch and then, its extreme lightness. Ceramic is lighter than metal yet stronger; then you move towards admiring its dark looks. The same shade would look different on metal. This is because the matte black surface absorbs all the light around it. This is its oomph; it makes the watch really pop-up on the wrist despite the absence of any contrasting color. The matte, ceramic makes the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Automatic CAR2A90.FT6071 Men’s Watch arguably one of the most stealth-looking watches around.
Before going any further, it must be made clear that it’s not just the case of the Tag Heuer Carrera Chronograph Automatic CAR2A90.FT6071 Men’s Watch that’s ceramic. Most of the visible components are; stainless steel is present only in the inner box section and as the case-back. It maintains the integrity of the 100m water-resistant rating. Rest is titanium carbide. Look at the push-pieces and the crown for a view. Or, the very dark-looking, skeletonized dial and the grey accents over it. This is a slight contrast that creates the pop.
The date window gels with the rest of the ensemble to the point of being invisible until you want to have a glance. It is legible enough to be read in a short time. Overall legibility, while not being astounding, is not disheartening either. The lack of contrast and the skeletonized dial combination doesn’t pose much bar towards reading all the indications clearly and quickly after a while; after you get used to it. But that’s a characteristic of the blacked-out watches; the characteristics that make them look very distinctive on the wrist. It looks even better if it’s bulky!
The modular case construction of the Tag Heuer Watches – along with its design and execution – resonates some of the Swiss watch industry trends, but still manages to stay very much a TAG Heuer.
The format & the layout:
The dial lay-out of the TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Men’s Watch is consistent throughout and maintains traditional chronograph format. The central long hand measures the seconds elapsed after starting the chronograph, while regular seconds are counted on a sub-dial at 9. The chronograph indicates 12-hours (at 6) and 30-mins (at 12) elapsed-time counters with matte grey hands, same as the regular time indicating hands. They offer some contrast against the dark dial and also enhances the whole look of the watch. The in-house TAG caliber 01 (self-winding, mechanical, automatic chronograph movement; 28,800 vph; max power reserve: 50-hours) is partially visible through the dial, with its details showing. The sapphire crystal back gives a clearer view. The splash of color will surprise you.
