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TAG Heuer Scales Up the Carrera “Glassbox” to 41 mm

Familiar but larger.

TAG Heuer is growing its signature line of chronographs literally and figuratively with the Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” 41 mm. Stylistically similar to its 39 mm counterpart, the new Carrera features a larger “Glassbox” case but is otherwise almost identical, right down to the pump pushers and TH20 automatic movement, though enthusiasts will like the fact that the date display has been eliminated.

Initial thoughts

The “Glassbox” case is a good starting point, being distinctive but not as unconventional as the Monaco. The Carrera is retro-inspired but of an entirely modern construction, with its bowl-shaped dial, raised flange, and domed crystal. One of my favourite characteristics of the Carrera is the model’s pump-style pushers that give it a distinctive profile. Large and welcoming, the pushers provide the impression of a chronograph built to be used. And the 41 mm has the upside of doing away with the date.

While the larger case is arguably not as well suited to the retro case design, it is a good fit for the TH20 that’s a relatively thick calibre. So while bigger, the 41 mm model is better proportioned in some ways.

Commercially, the logic of the 41 mm is clear as well, since larger watches do well in many of the markets where TAG Heuer is historically strong, like the United States and Australia.

Notably, the 41 mm includes a similarly scaled up version of the versatile seven-link stainless steel bracelet found on the smaller model. It echoes a “beads of rice” bracelet, but the flatness of the links gives it a slightly more formal look that manages to be both sporty and dressy. The bracelet gives the Carrera a go-anywhere, do-anything feel that’s reinforced by its 100 m water resistance rating.

Domed but larger

The original Carrera of the 1970s was 36 mm. TAG Heuer followed up with the original Carrera “Glassbox” in 2023 that was 39 mm. And now the model grows to 41 mm, while retaining practically all of the details of the smaller model.

The dial is now an overt three-counter design, as compared to the 39 mm that approximated a two-register dial with a “ghost” constant seconds. While it gains a counter, the 41 mm surprisingly does away with the date, which gives it a cleaner look.

41 mm (left), and 39 mm

Three dial versions are available at launch, blue, green, and red, all sporting a metallic finish with circular brushing. The green and blue are conventional and relatively muted, while the black dial has red accents that call to mind TAG Heuer’s racing ties.

The case sticks to the familiar Carrera style, with a highly domed sapphire crystal that goes without a bezel – explaining the “Glassbox” nickname – which gives the dial an open feel. The dome of the crystal is matched by a raised, domed flange carrying the tachymeter scale.

As with the 39 mm model, the new Carrera is still thick at 14.17 mm high, including the crystal, but the larger case suits the case height better.

Horsepower

Like other ‘glassbox’ variants, the watch is powered by the in-house TH20-01 automatic chronograph movement, a variant of the Heuer cal. 02. An eminently modern design, the TH20 dispenses with the oscillating pinion, originally invented by Heuer, in favour of a vertical clutch. The TH20 also incorporates a column wheel and offers a class-leading 80-hour power reserve.

A heavily engineered movement, the Heuer 02 platform and its derivatives like the TH20 take full advantage of modern manufacturing techniques; the result is a chronograph with fewer than 170 parts. While complexity is part of the appeal of mechanical watchmaking, watchmakers focused on reliability typically try to limit the number of things that can go wrong by streamlining their designs to require as few parts as possible. In that respect, the TH20 is an achievement.

The lower right lug is engraved with a victory wreath emblem, a new addition to the Carrera case design that symbolises TAG Heuer’s auto-racing history