TAG Heuer introduced a slew of new Carrera models to ring in this year’s LVMH Watch Week, and alongside a new 41mm glassbox design (and a trick split second chronograph) we also find a new Carrera Seafarer boasting a very old-school colorway. The new Seafarer builds on the contemporary concept first seen in a collaboration with Hodinkee back in 2024, a watch that recalled the reference 2446C. With this, they take a step further and take inspiration from the time-only Solunar, and the eventual ref. 346 chronograph that date to the late 40s and early 50s, a concept made for NYC based sporting goods retailer Abercrombie & Fitch. The result is a creamy off-white dial with teal, dark yellow, and gold accents providing a very different vibe than the Hodinkee collaboration.
The design of this watch follows the rather unusual concept put forth by the then Abercrombie & Fitch president Walter Haynes. The idea would eventually lead to a tide indication function that a young Jack Heuer helped develop with his school physics teacher to get the correct gear ratios. This allows for a disc to make one rotation each 29.53125 days, which when set correctly using the ‘Tide’ button along the nine o’clock of the case, will accurately display when the tide will be at its lowest and highest points. Yes, it’s a niche complication, but it fits the theme presented with this watch, which is also a chronograph with a regatta timing priority.
This Seafarer represents an important part of Carrera history, and further exemplifies Heuer’s commitment to the science of timing. This is the kind of lore that creates an enviable foundation, and with this watch, it allows those stories to be communicated to a new generation. In the process, the Carrera reclaims a bit of its swagger. At a cost, of course. As we’ve seen with many of the established Swiss stalwarts, pricing takes another leap here with a $8,800 MSRP. Here’s what that gets you.
Like the collaboration reference, this Seafarer uses a 42mm steel case with a mix of polished and brushed surfaces, though here we find it affixed to a seven link bracelet. TAG Heuer is using their caliber TH20-04 here, which adds a date complication to the dial at the six o’clock position. This is likely a move made for commercial consideration, and it sadly breaks the flow of the design as experienced in the original. The movement does get 80 hours of reserve and a nice enough finish to merit a view through an open caseback.
The dial is the real star of the show here, with the intoxicating colorway demanding a closer look to be fully appreciated. Even the lume running down the center of the hands matches the teal used elsewhere on the dial. The rest of the furniture is rendered in 18k yellow gold, which compliments rather than competes with the subtle colorway. The oddity of the complication set is the final cherry on top.
This is a welcome addition to the Carrera collection and one that further establishes the glassbox design in its contemporary identity. While the old-school inspiration is well done, I think a fully modern, unique take on the configuration would also go a long way. For that, you’ll have to be content with the Split Second Chronograph. TAG Heuer