Way back in the dark ages I remember seeing various 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' limited edition Carreras in the TAG Heuer outlet at Bicester Village. It always struck me as slightly odd that watches that were limited to such small quantities (125 / 250 pieces) should remain unsold, and perhaps that's why we haven't seen any in recent years...?
But with TAG Heuer doubling down on their commitment to motorsport I guess it shouldn't be a massive surprise to see this new limited edition of 100 pieces. Initially released to members of the Goodwood club, the model is now available on the TAG Heuer website for £6450, which given it has rather a unique look to it, doesn't seem too bad.
There's definitely a bit of a 'Breitling for Bentley' vibe about this one, but then it's supposed to echo historic British motorsport so I think we can take that as a positive rather than a criticism. It's certainly quite surprising just how different this looks to the regular 42mm Carrera chronographs given that it's just a bespoke dial / chapter ring and a racing strap.
I must admit it's not really my cup of tea, but at the same time I think it hits the brief and I've seen lots of positive comments on the THF forum. I also appreciate that it's more than just a stripe or a logo on a standard dial, it feels like at least some thought went into the design and for that TAG Heuer should be applauded. I do like that the dial has been kept 'brand' free, I think this is often a good idea and it's one of the reasons the very first 'Red Bull' Formula 1 is still the best of the bunch.
The display caseback features the 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' logo and is individually numbered (as all limited editions should be - not this One of One Hundred nonsense!) and the watch is powered by TAG Heuer's in-house Calibre TH20-00 (formerly the Heuer 02) and as such benefits from a five year warranty.
Annoyingly TAG Heuer's website does not provide us with a product code for the racing strap, and in fact simply adds a suffix of 'NS' to the basic black dial model, which I find a little peculiar. Clearly there will be a part number for the strap, so given they aren't publicising it I wonder if they will actually sell it to anyone or whether you can only buy it for this particular model?
Okay, once again it's time to invite the Council of Considered Opinion to cast their verdict, will it be thumbs up or thumbs down this time? I'm tending towards positive, but we know for sure there will always be some dissenting voices...
9/10: "I like this Carrera Elegant case much more than the new glassbox case/bezel, and I like this FOS version. Nice strap and also a properly numbered LE XXX/100 so it’s a 9/10"
9/10: "I like this one but since it’s only a 100 pieces no chance of getting one, so price doesn’t matter, 9/10 due to limited availability. Makes me wonder about the green dual time, will ask next time I see my AD."
3/10: "Nice to see a Goodwood LE, great strap. Shame the watch is hideous."
7/10: "Wow, this one I need to see the live pictures or video to really rate it justly. Based on stock photo alone, I would say 7/10."
8/10: "A very decent and sexy release, a strong 8 of 10."
7.5/10: "Looks good in the render, wish there were more pictures to go off of."
7/10: "Really need to see real pics, and from multiple angles. I'll give it a 7/10, based on the renders."
9.5/10: "They're just getting better and better and better..."
10/10: "This is wonderful. It's a limited edition item that I really want to buy somehow. The decoration on the dial and the colours are also wonderful. It's been a long time since I've seen a watch that gets full marks."
5/10: "It clearly knows what it's referencing, I'm sure it's a lovely watch, just not for me."
9/10: "I love the classic case, and the minute track on the dial. Nothing over the top, but the texture on the dial adds a little refinement."
7/10: "I love the texture and colour of the dial, not so keen on the strap though."
7/10: "A very interesting release, probably the freshest Carrera design in years. However, it's not for me, the dial is too busy for my taste. The strap looks great though. It's being offered to Goodwood members first, and with only 100, it's basically unobtainable (minus half a point for that)."
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