From avant-garde expression to vintage stylings, TAG Heuer extends the Carrera in distinct directions at LVMH Watch Week 2026
If you’re taking your first steps into the world of horology, it’s fair to wonder what the point of a chronograph really is. After all, do we really need a mechanical stopwatch in an age when our phones can time laps, split seconds, and more? Beyond the novelty of pushing a pair of pushers and watching gears spring into action, the chronograph appeals to a more instinctive part of the brain—one that responds to the simple fact that it’s just really cool.
And when it comes to cool, sportive chronographs, few names fit the bill quite as well as the TAG Heuer Carrera. Introduced in 1963, the Carrera was conceived by Jack Heuer with a singular objective: absolute legibility under pressure. Named after the Carrera Panamericana road race, the timepiece—with its clean dials and measured proportions—was designed for professional drivers who needed information instantly and without distraction.
While the Carrera has undergone subtle design shifts over the decades, its essence has remained largely unchanged. At LVMH Watch Week 2026, TAG Heuer builds on that continuity, presenting the Carrera in three expressions—contemporary, vintage-leaning, and technically ambitious—each a variation on the iconic collection.
Expanding A Classic
Fans of the brand will be familiar with the modern Carrera Glassbox series which was first introduced in 2023 to celebrate the collection’s 60th anniversary. Defined by the return of a fully domed (sapphire) crystal that flows seamlessly into a curved dial flange, the timepiece recalls the acrylic “glassbox” crystals of early Carrera models. Couple this heritage-oriented styling with a 39mm case size, and it’s easy to see why the Carrera Glassbox caught the eye of collectors.
For 2026, TAG Heuer expands the line with a new 41mm variant that sits between the original 39mm model and the larger, more contemporary Carreras in the catalogue. While the Carrera Glassbox, with its bezel-free construction and sharp lugs, has never been shy on the wrist, the increase in size offers the timepiece a little more presence without disturbing the harmonious design language
Offered in three dial variations, the 41mm Glassbox retains its classic appeal. A deep blue version serves as the most traditional expression, pairing a circular-brushed main dial with azuré-finished chronograph counters and rhodium-plated hands and indexes while a subtle green dial introduces a more contemporary note. Finishing the trio is a black dial with striking red accents variation that best captures the brand’s racing heritage and automotive-inspired sensibilities.
Powered by the in-house TH20-01 automatic chronograph calibre, the timepiece retains the collection’s classic tri-compax layout and clear typography, resulting in a contemporary watch rooted in its decades-old design codes.
A New Wave
Collectors seeking a novel route through the brand’s archive, however, will find the release of the new Carrera Seafarer immediately appealing. Inspired by the brand’s mid-century tide watches such as the Heuer Seafarer and Solunar, the model draws on a lesser-known strand of the company’s past. These original watches were developed in the late 1940s for Abercrombie & Fitch, incorporating mechanical tide indicators designed to track high and low tides over the lunar cycle.
The brand now brings this historic complication into the modern era, introducing it into the Carrera Glassbox silhouette. Housed in a 42mm Glassbox case, the Carrera Seafarer shares the domed sapphire crystal and curved dial flange of the contemporary Carrera line, but quickly distinguishes itself through colour and layout. A champagne opaline dial sets a warm, subdued foundation, offset by teal and yellow accents drawn from historic regatta timers.
At 9 o’clock sits the defining feature: a rotating tide indicator disc marked for high and low tide, driven by the dedicated TH20-04 automatic calibre developed specifically to accommodate the complication. Once set via a discreet pusher integrated into the case flank, the disc tracks the lunar cycle, completing a full rotation over just under thirty days.
Despite the added information, the dial remains harmonious. Chronograph counters at three and six o’clock balance the tide display, while the domed crystal brings the indications closer to the eye, enhancing legibility. Applied gold-toned indexes and hands introduce a note of warmth while retaining its controlled allure.
Paired with a seven-row steel bracelet—a contemporary take on a classic beads-of-rice design—the Carrera Seafarer is also accompanied by an additional textile strap in a muted beige tone.
While the Seafarer brings back a beloved compilation, the most technically ambitious Carrera released at LVMH Watch Week 2026—the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph—reflects the brand’s avant-garde ambitions. Split-seconds chronographs are familiar territory for TAG Heuer, having already found a natural home within the Monaco collection, where the rattrapante has served as a platform for the brand’s most expressive technical work.
Housed in a 42mm grade-5 titanium case, the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph merges elevated horological performance with the collection’s signature clean design language. Sporting the same Glassbox construction, the lightweight case with the domed sapphire crystal frames an eye-catching dial.
Rendered in translucent sapphire, the dial offers a clear view of the skeletonised movement. Applied sub-dials and a curved tachymeter scale follow the profile of the crystal, maintaining order and legibility despite the added complexity of the split-seconds function. Red accents on the chronograph and rattrapante hands provide functional contrast, while the remaining indications are kept clean and uncluttered.
The split-seconds mechanism is operated via a third pusher integrated into the case flank at 9 o’clock, joining the elongated chronograph pushers at two and four. Powering the watch is the TH81-01 calibre, developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Beating at 5Hz, the movement combines high-frequency precision with extensive hand-finishing, including black-polished screws, hand-bevelled bridges, and TAG Heuer’s checkered-flag motif, visible through both the sapphire dial and caseback.
