- May 10, 2014 The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback is a study of both the past and the present, in that it combines three innovative ideas from the 1960s into a modern, contemporary chronograph. The first of these ’60s icons is of course the Carrera itself, with the case design of the current range staying true to the very first Carrera of 1963.
- TAG Heuer CARRERA Manuals & User Guides. User Manuals, Guides and Specifications for your TAG Heuer CARRERA Watch. Database contains 2 TAG Heuer CARRERA Manuals (available for free online viewing or downloading in PDF): Instructions and guarantee card, User manaul.
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The launch of the Grand Carrera range in 2007 was a crucial one for TAG Heuer. Not only was it the first new series introduced since the S/el way back in 1987, but the new range had the tough task of pushing into a more premium segment of the market and to an older set of buyers, many of whom may have never owned a TAG Heuer before.
The importance of the series meant that it took four years to develop, with lead designer Christoph Behling telling Calibre 11 about the countless prototypes and variations that were considered before everyone was happy that they had the right look. We also know that finding the right name also took some time, with “Vanquish” being a contender until late in the development.
Four years on, I was keen to take a closer look at the GC series. I’d spent a couple of weeks with both of the Calibre 36 models last year, but this was the first time that I had test driven the other three models- from the basic watch through to the elaborate Rose Gold titanium model. And as often seems to be the case, the model that I liked the most was the one that I thought that I’d like the least when the watches first arrived.
TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Design theme
The design theme of the Grand Carrera is given away by its name- a watch that takes the simplicity and sportiness of the Carrera and “premium-ises” it. Each of the models features several key design touches:
- Hand applied logo
- Applied hour markers
- Double sapphire case back
- Rotating System disc
- Extensive Côtes de Genève finishing
- Double-crown
None of these features on their own are especially remarkable, but when combined do give that feeling of quality. A more premium watch than a Carrera, albeit one that is less sports-orientated.
Each of the models is available with either a stainless steel bracelet or a crocodile leather strap, with the Chronograph models also available on a great looking rubber strap.
Supporting the premium look is a premium approach to movements: The GC is the only series in the TAG Heuer range not to be offered as a quartz version. Not only are all models automatic, but all are Chronometers, meaning that their automatic movements have been COSC certified.
The Rotating System Disc
Perhaps the design signature of the series is the Rotating System, (“RS“) disc used across the range. The discs replace the traditional sub-dials and are decorated elaborately with semi-circular, polished frames.
So why bother with the RS disc? It does give the Grand Carrera series a unique look, which in some cases is more legible than the reading the elapsed units from a dial (although it’s less accurate than a traditional dial as the units are in larger increments, as you can see above).
In reality the real benefit of the RS disc is that it allows designers greater flexibility on the shape and size of sub-dials- you certainly don’t need a full circle, or even a half-circle to accurately read the time. The sub-dial windows could be half the size that they are and they would still be just as legible.
But there is a downside to the RS disc system- and it’s one of perception rather than any lack of accuracy.
Some buyers are surprised that the disc does not rotate as smoothly as they expected, and wonder if something is wrong. The answer is that nothing is wrong, but what you see is the limitations of a mechanical movement amplified by the use of a disc rather than a thin hand.
If you look closely at the seconds hand on your automatic watch you’ll notice that it too doesn’t sweep around the dial smoothly. The limiting factor here is the speed at which the movement vibrates. Traditionally, a movement that beats more than 18,000 times per hour is considered to be “High-Beat”. The Calibre 6, 8 and 17 movements used in the models you see here all beat at 28,000 beats per hour, or 4 hz, while the Calibre 36 models beat at 36,000 beats per hour, or 5 hz. The more beats per hour, the smoother the hand or disc will rotate, but there will always be a degree of “jerkiness”.
Grand Carrera Calibre 6 RS
The starting point for the range is the Calibre 6 RS watch. The Calibre 6 is a simple two-hand watch, with the RS disc showing elapsed seconds at 6 o’clock. The lack of the usual central sweeping second hand simplifies the dial, giving the watch an elegant look. Adding to this feeling is the moderate case size- the 40mm case is the smallest in the GC range.
The Calibre 6 RS dial features a thin inner bezel with minute markers, an outer-ring of circular textures and then a flat inner circle. The outer bezel is flat and quite plain- a look similar to that one the 300 SLR from 2010.
The Calibre 6 movement inside the watch is a COSC version of the ETA 2895/2, which itself is a derivative of the ETA 2892. In fact, while every model in the range uses a different movement, all except the Calibre 36 are derivatives of the ETA 2892.
I really like the combination of the black dial and black crocodile strap. Generally I think TAG Heuer over-use the crocodile leather straps. They give more of a dress-watch feel that often doesn’t fit with a sports-orientated watch, but in the case of the Grand Carrera I think it fits perfectly.
The red indicator on the sub-dial frame provides a nice contrast to the black and silver- a nice, subtle touch.
Grand Carrera Calibre 8 RS Grande Date GMT
The Calibre 8 RS takes the basic design and functionality and adds:
- Grande Date function
- GMT function
- Larger case (42.5mm)
This time the RS disc window at 6 o’clock shows the second time zone, and so a central second-hand is added.
The movement in this model is the Calibre 8 GMT movement, which is a COSC-version of the ETA 2892-A2 but with complications added by Soprod, with its TT651 module adding the Grande Date and GMT functions.
To accommodate these additional functions, the dial of the Calibre 8 is less pure than the Calibre 6, with the Grand Carrera script moving to the 9 o’clock position and the TAG Heuer logo moving to the 3 o’clock position. The Calibre 8 also has a more detailed inner-bezel to allow more accurate reading of elapsed seconds.
As someone who rarely uses the date function on a watch, I’m not really a fan of Grande Date function, as it gives too much space on the dial to something that I don’t use. I do however like the idea of having the second time zone read from the sub-dial, as its simpler than adding another hand.
Like all GC models, the case back has a two-piece sapphire window- each in the same shape as the sub-dials on the watch.
Grand Carrera Calibre 17 RS Rose Gold Titanium Chronograph
Finally, we have the Chronograph version of the series- the Calibre 17 RS. The Chronograph looks immediately different to the other models with its two sub-dials in the traditional bi-compax (3 and 9 o’clock) format. Again, this model uses a bespoke case, being 43.0mm- a fraction larger than the Calibre 8 watch.
The version you see here is the Rose Gold titanium model (CAV518), which uses a Grand 2 titanium case with Rose Gold highlights, the most obvious of which is the fixed tachymetre bezel, which is a little thinner than the bezel used on the non-Chronograph models. The Chronograph pushers are the screw-down variety, a feature that the Rolex Daytona made popular, but one that I don’t see as being all that practical.
The Calibre 17 movement is the ETA 2894-2, which is a Chronograph version of the ETA 2892 movement. The double sapphire case back has a smoked finish to match the stealth look PVD case, although its hard to be all that stealthy with all that bling Rose Gold on the watch.
Grand Carrera Calibre 17 RS2 Titanium
As well as the Rose Gold Calibre 17 Grand Carrera, there is this model- the titanium Calibre 17 RS2. This model is available with either the strap you see above, or with a plain black rubber strap, which I prefer. Note that the bezel on the Calibre 17 RS2 is unique to this model, having serrated edges.
Grand Carrera Calibre 17 RS150
To mark TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary in 2010, TH released two special edition versions of the Calibre 17 RS2, called the RS150. 150 versions of each were made, with the Yellow model for Europe and the blue model for the UK.
Grand Carrera Calibre 36 RS
Sitting at the top of the tree is the TAG Heuer Calibre 36 GC that was reviewed in detail by Calibre 11 last year. Again you can see the design flexibility offered by the RS disc, as the dial of the Calibre 36 has a totally different look to the other models, even though its organised in the traditional tri-compax (3, 6 and 9 o’clock) arrangement. The Calibre 36 uses bespoke pushers and has a unique caliper system to read 1/10th accuracy.
In Summary
Of the three models that I wore for a week, my favourite was the simple Carrera 6RS. The size was perfect for me and its a very smart, elegant, well-built watch. I found the layout of the larger Calibre 8 GMT model to be too unbalanced. I don’t kow if it was the dial colour or the larger case size, but the outer bezel also looked too broad on this model- I think it would benefit from a slimmer bezel as used on the Carrera 1887, or even the one from the Calibre 17RS.
The Rose Gold GC Ti is a magnificent watch, but too bling for me. The Rose Gold is a truly beautiful colour that contrasts perfectly with the black titanium- its a statement watch that some will love.
The fact that I thought I’d find the Grand Carrera 6RS to be too dull, but ended up really liking it shows the value of actually trying on a watch before you commit. Yes, its great being able to buy watches on the internet, but in my view you won’t know whether you really love a watch until you actually see it on your wrist.
What’s next?
A refresh for the range can’t be too far away and I’ve also heard whispers that the GC will be the that the next watch that will use the Calibre 1887. Given that production of the Calibre 1887 movement is still ramping up, the Grand Carrera 1887 may be a year or more away. Until then, there are more than enough dial, case and movement variations of the series to keep everyone happy.
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Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Instruction Manual
TAG Heuer’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Carrera continues with this new watch, the 2013 TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback. This is the first time that the Carrera has featured the Calibre 36 movement- TAG Heuer’s modified version of the famous Zenith El Primero, perhaps the classic Chronograph movement, which traces its origins back to 1969.
The new flagship Carrera’s look are a development of the 2011 Heuer Mikrograph design, with a little of the new Ceramic Bezel Carrera 1887 thrown in for good measure.
The Calibre 36 also features a Flyback complication for the first time- a function that we’ll explain shortly.
Design
The Carrera Calibre 36 is a thoroughly modern development of the Carrera, perhaps disappointing those hoping for a retro-themed model to mark the 50th anniversary of the Carrera. In fact, TAG Heuer has resisted the temptation to release any re-edition Carrera models this year. A good thing in my book.
The watch features the classic Carrera case in a 43mm diameter- a large size case, which in part explains the design of the dial. When the El Primero movement was launched back in 1969, most men’s watches had a diameter around the 36-39mm mark- significantly smaller than today’s watches. Using a vintage movement like the El Primero means that the position of the sub-dials and date are fixed, so despite the case and dial being larger, the movement is unchanged and so can look awkward in a larger case.
To get around this problem, TAG Heuer has created a two-part dial. This allows the registers to sit inside the inner dial while the broad outer ring adopts the style of the Heuer Mikrograph (below). Also like the Mikrograph, the time is read from the inner dial (hence the shorter hour and minute hands), while the outer ring is purely for reading the elapsed time of the Chronograph.
The inner dial of the Carrera is a “sunburst” Anthracite finish, with either a Black or “Silver” (Officially Silver…but White to you and me) outer ring and flange. The outer ring features double Arabic minutes, a similar style to the recently released Carrera 1887 Ceramic Bezel.
The Titanium Racing model takes a different approach, with a black Sunburst dial, but without the contrasting outer ring.
The hands follow the current TAG Heuer trend of being Silver with Red tips- Red also being used for highlighting the “Calibre 36” and “Flyback” script on the dial.
Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback- CAR2B10 Black Dial
There are three dials variants of the Flyback Carrera, the first being the Black/ Anthracite model above. The watch is available either with the Grand Carrera “square-brick” bracelet, or a Black leather Alligator strap.
While it’s hard to be too definitive based on press photos alone, I reckon that this will be the pick of the models, as the two colours work well together- the Black offering a more subtle contrast than the white dial.
Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback- CAR2B11 Silver Dial
Like the Black dial, the Silver/ Anthracite model is also available with a Black alligator strap, or the Grand Carrera bracelet you see above.
Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback Racing- CAR2B80 Titanium
The hero model in the Carrera Calibre 36 line-up is the Titanium Racing model. While the other two models offer a stainless steel case, the Racing version uses titanium-carbide coated Grade-2 Titanium case. To add to the stealth looks, the hands, sub-dial rings and minuterie are finished in Black Gold.
The Calibre 36 Racing also gets a unique overmolded rubber Crown and “piston-style” Chronograph pushers
This is the second Titanium Racing model in the Carrera range, joining the 1887 Carrera Racing (below).
The titanium case is also available with a Black strap. It’s an interesting design, which layers a Black Rally-style layer.
Movement: Calibre 36 Flyback
The Calibre 36 is a development of the Zenith El Primero 400 series- in this case, the El Primero 405 (the flyback variant).
So, what is a “Flyback”? In a normal Chronograph you press the top pusher to start and stop timing and the bottom pusher to re-set to zero- fine for timing say a 100m sprint. But if you were timing a car around the race track, a flyback allows you to finish one lap and then immediately continue to time the next. As you re-set the chronograph, it will automatically start timing again, rather than having to press stop, re-set and then start.
The 2013 Carrera Calibre 36 is the first of the new watches from Baselworld 2013. Read about each of the 2013 Carrera models here and stay tuned to Calibre 11 in the next few hours as we’ll be bringing you live photos of some very cool watches.
Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback Price and Availability
So, how much will the new Carrera cost? The watch is priced as you would expect for the premium Calibre 36 movement.
We understand that the Silver and Black models will be priced at CHF7,500 (that is, Swiss francs) in Switzerland, while the titanium Calibre 36 Racing model will be CHF8,500. To put that in perspective, the standard Carrera 1887 41mm is priced at CHF4,750.
Live Photos
Paul Boutros, a Senior Moderator over at Timezone.com took these great shots and kindly agreed to share them with us- thanks Paul!
Tag Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Manual Pdf
50 Years of Carrera
The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback is part of the 50th anniversary range of TAG Heuer’s most famous model- the Carrera. Click on the image below to learn all about the history of the Carrera and see the entire 2013 Carrera range.
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