Following a welcome return to the world of yachting with last year’s release of the Carrera Skipper Chronograph in steel, TAG Heuer unveils a new version of this maritime-inspired watch, this time setting sail in a 39mm rose gold case that is water tight to 100 meters.
Like the steel model, the gold Skipper benefits from the ‘glassbox’ design launched in early 2023 to mark the 60th anniversary of the celebrated Carrera chronograph. This clever design includes a ‘curved flange’ dial beneath its crystal to ensure exceptional legibility from all angles, especially when the watch is being used in a regatta situation for timing the vital 15-minute period before the starting gun is fired.
In terms of its color scheme, the Skipper in gold harks back to the historic Skipper Reference 7754 from 1968 by combining a sea-blue dial with two, sharply contrasting sub-dials – a 12-hour counter in ‘Intrepid Teal’ and a 15-minute regatta counter divided into three, five–minute segments of different colors.
These colors replicate those used on the original Skipper chronograph of 1968, which was launched under the leadership of Jack Heuer to celebrate the victory of the New York Yacht Club’s ‘Intrepid’ over New Zealand’s ‘Dame Pattie’ in the previous year’s America’s Cup.
Heuer had equipped Intrepid’s crew with hand-held yachting timers and Aquastar wrist watches for the event, the latter of which featured a countdown mechanism in the form of a red and white disc that rotated behind five holes.
To mark the association with Intrepid, the Skipper’s tri-colored 15-minute countdown sub-dial was divided in the following way: Lagoon Green (inspired by Intrepid’s rigging); Intrepid Teal (the colour of her deck) and, for the final five-minute ‘get ready’ sector, Regatta Orange.
Like the steel model, the Skipper in 18K 5N rose gold also features triangular markers (a motif drawn from heritage Heuer models) at five-minute intervals around the outer curved flange, a lacquered ‘regatta orange’ central seconds hand and a discreet ‘Skipper’ writing at the bottom of the 12-hour sub-dial.
Turning the watch over reveals a transparent case back through which can be seen the in-house Heuer 02 (Ref. TH20-06) Skipper calibre – a column-wheel chronograph movement with vertical clutch and 80 hours of power reserve that is equipped with a new, bi-directional rotor in the shape of TAG Heuer’s distinctive shield symbol.
The TAG Heuer Skipper chronograph is attached to a blue fabric strap and has a price tag of $21,500.
To learn more, visit TAG Heuer, here.