To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911 RS 2.7, the very first to bear the Carrera name, TAG Heuer releases two limited edition Carreras bearing its signature colours.
Ever since Jack Heuer put the Heuer emblem on F1 driver, Jo Siffert’s, race overalls circa 1968, they have been an intrinsic part of motor racing around the world. Therefore, when TAG Heuer recently announced a brand new collaboration timepiece with Porsche, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. However, both TAG Heuer and Porsche actually share a deeper infatuation with speed, danger and excitement than you may realise, and the clue is in the name – Carrera.
For TAG Heuer, the first Carrera watch was created in 1963 by Jack Heuer, the great-grandson of the brand’s founder, and remains one of the staples of the brand until today. The first Porsche to bear the Carrera name was the 1972 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 and the name has stuck throughout the years. Both these legendary icons were named after an even more legendary race, the Carrera Panamericana.
This race ran for only five years starting in 1950 to 1954 and was widely considered the most dangerous race in the world. The race took place along the newly built 3,500 km Pan-American highway beginning from just across the international border in El Paso, Texas to Chiapas, situated near the Guatemala-Mexico border. This nine-stage, five-day race saw participants travel across gruelling distances and over a variety of terrain including the tarmac of the highway, narrow dirt paths and even volcanic sands. Additionally, throughout the race, there were significant elevation changes, ranging from 100m to 3,195m above sea level, that made it even more difficult.
Naturally, this attracted glory seekers from around the world, representing virtually every motorsport including Formula 1, rally, endurance racing, hill climbing and more. The long and often treacherous route meant that typically only one-third of participants could finish the race. And so, by 1955, following the disaster during the 24 hours of Le Mans race, the Carrera Panamericana was cancelled. In the years since the race has been revived only a handful of times, but its legacy still reverberates in 2022.
For Jack Heuer, it was the grandeur of the race that inspired him to create the Carrera chronograph in 1963. For Porsche, the Carrera name was bestowed upon the 1972 911 RS 2.7 to commemorate the successes it garnered during the short-lived Carrera Panamericana race.
To celebrate 50 years since Porsche first adopted the Carrera name for its 911 series of sportscars, TAG Heuer is collaborating with this German marque for the fourth time to release two limited edition timepieces as a tribute to the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7.
Although 27 colours were originally produced, TAG Heuer chose the blue and this red to represent the collection.
The highly iconic design of the first Porsche Carrera works beautifully on the TAG Heuer Carrera.
“The name and spirit of the Carrera are incredibly meaningful and emblematic for both TAG Heuer and Porsche. So, for the 50th anniversary of the very first Porsche 911 Carrera, the iconic RS 2.7, we wanted to create a tribute watch that would express the character and power of this ground-breaking sports car within our own signature TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph. The two timepieces we imagined together are sleek, assertive, memorable; they reflect their illustrious past while also projecting something even more exciting – what Porsche and TAG Heuer can now achieve together,” says Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer.
When the car was first produced in 1972, it came in a range of 27 vivid colours. However, the most iconic element of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 was the bold five-spoke rims, Carrera and Porsche logos on the body panels and a solid line down the side of the car; all of this was contrasted against a bright white body.
Even the emblematic Carrera on the Porsches side panel has been transferred onto the side of the watch case.
Thus, for their limited edition, TAG Heuer chose this styling and reimagined it within one of their own Carrera models. The result is a stunning timepiece offering a vivid blue ring, blue numerals and a blue hand, on a brilliant white dial. The finely polished steel case measures 42mm in diameter and inside, TAG Heuer’s most advanced chronograph, the in-house Calibre Heuer 02, powers this machine. This beautiful ‘engine’ is visible through the transparent caseback where it is accompanied by a rotor designed based on Porsche’s three-spoke steering wheel and bears both partners’ logos. This version is limited to 500 pieces.
The steering wheel design on the oscilating rotor is a great touch, ensuring fans of both the car and the watch will be taking it off their wrist often to see it in action.
For fans of the fiery red version of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7, this colour is also available. This time it is accompanied by an 18k 5N rose gold case giving it a more elegant demeanour. To complete the look, the watch is paired with a red alligator leather strap and is limited to only 250 pieces worldwide.
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