TAG Heuer launched the new Carrera Skipper watch, which has been successful since its launch in 1968.
TAG Heuer’s decades-long history in sports timekeeping has spanned everything from motorsport to skiing and from horse racing to the various disciplines of the Olympic Games.
But it’s the fiercely competitive world of top-notch yachting that has resulted in one of its most beloved and distinctive chronographs: the brightly colored and instantly recognizable ‘Skipper’.
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – July 12, 2023: Produced in several editions, from the original version in 1968 to the latest model in 1983, the Skipper was once a familiar sight on the wrists of professional and amateur boaters alike – and now , exactly 40 years after disappearing from the TAG Heuer catalogue, the beloved Skipper is back.
Although later versions of the Skipper used the Autavia case, the first examples (of which only around 300 were made) were based on the celebrated Carrera chronograph.
Retaining this important aspect of TAG Heuer’s nautical heritage, the new generation Skipper is derived from the recently launched Carrera ‘glassbox’, whose design seamlessly morphs into the creation of a nautical watch that is both beautiful and practical.
Due to the absence of the bezel, the way the glass case extends to the edge of the case, the ingenious “curved flange” dial and the perfectly placed chronograph counters, the Carrera Skipper is extremely readable in all conditions.
This high degree of legibility is especially important when a boat is floating in the water during the crucial “pre-start” period of the race before the gun is fired to signal the start.
The new Skipper also gets the robust and elegant 39mm diameter case from the Carrera, the latest TH20-06 movement with bi-directional winding, an 80-hour power reserve – and of course, a high-quality, durable fabric strap. .
But while the 21st century Skipper is technically up to date, it owes its unique, must-see look to the original model that was born out of Jack Heuer’s involvement in the world’s most historic yacht race – the America’s Cup.
The new Skipper takes up this distinctive and colorful decor, with a circular main dial brushed in Carrera’s signature blue (a hue initially inspired by the sea) and sharply contrasting counters – the 12-hour counter being ‘Intrepid Teal’ and the Regatta counter being ‘Intrepid Teal’. 15 minutes has segments in Intrepid teal, Lagoon Green and Regatta Orange.
Other features drawn from the historic watch include the prominent triangle-shaped markers positioned at five-minute intervals around the outer curved edge, the bright orange central second hand, and the inclusion of the ‘Skipper’ name at the base of the 12-hour counter.
Interest in the Skipper was revived in 2017 when TAG Heuer collaborated with specialist website Hodinkee to produce a run of just 125 watches that paid homage to the 1968 model.
Collectors subsequently began looking for original versions of the Skipper, some of which fetched $80,000 at auction.
The new Carrera Skipper, however, promises to be considerably more affordable upon its launch in July as part of the flagship collection – and the watch that will serve as the ‘flagship’ of a whole host of other marine models that will mark TAG’s return. Heuer to the world of yachts and yachting.
