FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T 'Australian' Limited Edition Tourbillon Chronograph

CAR5A8AK.FC6570

According to the TAG Heuer website the CAR5A8AK 'incorporates design elements that encapsulate the essence of Australia'. What they might be beyond the colour blue I'm not entirely sure, but it's slightly odd that this watch looks almost exactly like the CAR5A98.FC6471 'Nordic Edition' (save for the DLC coating) released a few years ago. I mean, I'm no expert on Sweden or Australia but they don't immediately strike me as obvious bedfellows. 

Leaving that slightly contentious claim aside, this (like the Nordic edition, oddly enough) is quite a nice looking Carrera, and reminds me slightly of the old Red Bull Heuer 01 Special Edition that I've considered on numerous occasions. The CAR5A8AK though is limited to just ten pieces, so a truly 'limited' Limited Edition (unlike the Nordic edition incidentally, which ran to a massive twenty pieces!). 🤣

This one is actually on TAG Heuer's Australian website, where you can glean some useful information like the price (A$35,200), the bezel material (blue ceramic) and whether the tourbillon movement is COSC certified (it is). You might feel comfortable assuming all TAG Heuer's tourbillons are COSC certified, since the whole point of a tourbillon is to improve accuracy*, but actually this doesn't seem to be the case. The blue glassbox tourbillon is, but it seems that the newer teal model isn't. Now that is a bit odd isn't it?

*Well, technically yes, but in reality in the twenty first century a tourbillon is simply a way to show people you are wealthy. 

The website is typically opaque when it comes to some other details though. From experience we know these straps are a combination of leather and rubber, but all the website will tell you is that it's 'blue' - actually blue and black, as if you couldn't see that from the pictures... it does however tell you that the clasp folds and is made of sand blasted black PVD coated steel. So that's good. 

And it's also a little more forthcoming about the movement, relating that it has a power reserve of 65 hours, a one-minute tourbillon and a balance frequency of 28'800 (4 Hz). 

Every time a new one of these comes out we get comments on the THF Forum that these are looking dated and need refreshing. It's true that this basic design has been around for about eight years now, and at 45mm they aren't going to suit everyone. But given the only TAG Heuer alternative is the frankly hideous 42mm glassboxes I would definitely choose one of these every single time. And personally I don't think they look dated as such, just 'familiar' where pretty much everything else from the JCB era has been replaced. Except the Links of course, the ladies Links are still going super strong!

Talking of the THF Forum, let's now hear from the Council of Considered Opinion, cos we know they love nothing better than a 45mm modular Carrera! 🤣

4.5/10: "Nope. Too much skeleton for me. Well chosen colours btw..."

2/10: "It’s just weird. So glad there’s only 10 fools out there who will get one."

6/10: "This TAG Heuer Carrera H02T Tourbillion Nordic Edition Limited Edition for Australia looks rather decent and I shall score it a strong 6."

2/10: "When the first skeleton Carreras were launched under the influence of JCB (2015) I was amazed by the revolutionary (for the Carrera line) design. But today I can not understand at all why there are still more iterations of these. It's not a design type that will be a classic with an eternal appeal like the simplistic original Carreras. TH should have stopped this Design years ago, it's just outdated.

4/10: "I tend to agree. Whilst I hated the mutant Carreras when they launched, and still do, I did have some love for a couple of the H02 models, but not this one. It's just bland and forgettable and it's actually clear to see that the designer had no concept of the golden ratio."

3.5/10: "I’d tend to agree with both of the above. The design concept seems a bit tired by now. The saving grace of this one is the “tourbillon for cheap” aspect - but definitely not the colour scheme."

8/10: "It’s not my favourite Tourbillon version, but I love this case style (much more than the new glassboxes), so it’s a 8/10 for me."

5/10: "I’m really not a fan of the strap and case design. At first glance it looks like one of their smart watches to me. The tourbillon is cool, but absolutely not for me. Its a meh for me."

3/10: Too, too busy looking, I had to look to see the time rather see the time then the watch."

4/10: "I've never liked these Skeleton Carrera Tourbillons; this one does nothing to change that."

2/10: "Not my cup of tea. But kudos for a very limited number."

3/10: "I feel like the faux skeleton tourbilion is done now. Needs redesigning to be an actual skeleton, or maybe in a new Carrera case to keep it interesting."

7/10: "Still a good watch and a good option for "cheap" Swiss tourbillon however outdated it might be."

2/10: "Two for me, they should not have made these in this case. They should have picked a current Carrera not this old design."

3/10: "Just yuck!"

5.5/10: "I like the Grey/Blue look but i find it a bit hard to see the hands and the dial sort of looks a bit messy."

4/10: "I think the design of the subdials makes them disappear into the main dial and similarly the hands don't stand out so overall it's unclear and hard to read.  Shame, because I'm normally a fan of the skeleton models."