Tag Heuer Revive Carrera Skipper with New Glassbox Chronograph

This year Tag Heuer are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Carrera racing chronograph and we’ve already been spoiled for choice when it comes to new releases. There was the Anniversary Edition at the outset of the year and the absolutely gorgeous Glassbox in spring. Now, they’ve taken that Glassbox design and given it a nautical makeover based on a heritage Carrera from the 1960s known as the Skipper. Meet the new Tag Heuer Carrera Skipper.

If you’re at all familiar with vintage Skippers then chances are that you’re actually used to seeing it as part of the Autavia collection rather than the Carrera. That’s because in the 15 years that it was produced from 1968-1983 only the very first ones (approximately 300 of them) were Carreras. It means those early Skippers are highly sought after and increases the hype of seeing the model make a return today.

As mentioned, the modern interpretation is based on the Glassbox, and as such it has the same case. It measures 39mm in diameter with a stainless steel construction and 100m water resistance. Not quite so suited for the water as say, the 1,000m Aquaracer Superdiver, but enough to survive a spill off the side of yacht. And yachts are the name of the game considering that the original Skipper was built in honour of the Intrepid, an Americas Cup winning yacht.

The Intrepid’s influence on the design of the modern Tag Heuer Carrera Skipper becomes more apparent when you look at the dial. The blue, light teal and lagoon green colourway is a reference to the signature colours of the boat floating on the dark ocean. The 12-hour chronograph counter at 9 o’clock, inscribed with the word Skipper, is completely teal (a shade described as Intrepid Teal) while the 15-minute regatta timer at 3 is a combination of teal, green and orange. The orange is designed to give a sense of urgency as you enter the last five minutes of the countdown at the beginning of a boat race. For the same reason, the central chronograph hand itself is also a vibrant orange.

I really like the look of the piece, it’s like an aquatic cousin to the Tag Heuer Monaco Gulf. It’s one of those strange coincidences of life that the motorsport and yacht racing teams that Tag Heuer are historically associated with share a very similar colour scheme. On top of all that, the style of the Glassbox with its domed sapphire crystal is one of the best versions of the Carrera they’ve made recently.

Below the surface, the watch houses the Calibre TH20-06 Automatic with 80-hour power reserve and bi-directional winding. The pitching and tossing of a boat are likely to keep that power reserve topped up nicely. Alternatively, if you prefer not to wear it while being active, it’ll still be ticking when you get home after leaving it behind for a weekend of racing. Or, as a third alternative, it’s just a cool watch and you don’t actually have to worry about how you can fit yachts into your life.

As for price, it’s £5,900, which makes it a touch more than the previous Carrera Glassboxes at £5,600. It’s only a slight but noticeable increase although to be honest, the colourway is nice enough that having to spend a few extra pounds likely won’t stop anyone who wants one from buying one. As a final note, Tag Heuer have specified that the release of the Carrera Skipper marks a concerted effort to return to the arena of aquatic racing and sport. What that means is a little vague at the time of writing but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them collaborate with a yacht racing team akin to the relationship between Panerai and Team Luna Rossa.

​Oracle Time 

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