The watch is actually also available

There is something that watch maker Tag Heuer has which trumps most of its competitors. That thing is the person Mr. Jack Heuer. I sat down with Jack Heuer back in 03 to discuss his legacy and the debut of the Carrera Jack Heuer 80 Limited Edition watch. The timepiece was released in honor of Jack's 80th birthday as well as his more or less retirement from try really hard to seeing the brand. Though I have a feeling watch and Tag lovers will spot him around. So what is so special about Jack?

In 1958 Jack Heuer joined the household company Heuer as an electrical engineer. Jack is the great grand son of Edouard Heuer who started the Switzerland timepiece maker in 1860. In the 60s and 1970s "mechanical" was more or less the state-of-the -art in watch making with electronic watches being a simply edge. It was in this way, the last golden age of the consumer mechanical watch, before they became luxury items. During this time period brands ran to make the best sport watches, which included watches for racing, diving, precision timing, and of course space travel. Heuer collectors fully know what role the brand had in advancing the mechanical chronograph wrist watch. It was an important player with a real history of innovation, design, and legitimacy. Jack Heuer was there during this time period, eventually running the brand and ushering in new products like the Carrera watch family.

Jack represents a link to this important era. Not just because it was the past, but because it was the main pre-age of luxury watches. A time when the hard-to- get collectibles of today were available at your local department store. It was when the wrist watch was a necessity, and when precision chronographs had a very real and extremely valuable purpose. It was an age of nostalgia that many watch brands like to reminisce about today -- and in the mean time, Jack Heuer is a living and breathing connection to that point, and ambassador to everyone that is Heuer history.

In the 1980's, TAG purchased Heuer and eventually created the brand TAG Heuer. In the 1990's, TAG Heuer was purchased by the larger luxury group of LVMH. So what again does TAG Heuer have that most of its competitors don't? A real face to the story of their past. A person who can speak on the legacy of innovation and interesting products that they released. A recollection of the good times and bad times. He is the human side of the corporate identity that most large brands lack. This is not to say that current TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin is any less human. Quite the contrary, but Babin is not an Heuer and is a relatively recent addition to the Tag Heuer family. The Carrera collection for example, is one of the brand's best sellers. It is intentionally retro in design because we like to consider it as a connection to the era it represents, and Jack Heuer was there to launch it.

Hence the Carrera Jack Heuer 80 Edition watch was so heavily anticipated by collectors. I was lucky to check out and photograph the piece personally owned by Jack Heuer himself. The trunk of the watch comes complete with his signature in red and his family crest. It is a bi-compax version of the Carrera Chronograph with a Good quality teen automatic movement. The Good quality teen is unfortunately not the integrated in-house produced 1887 chronograph movement, but is a good quality base Switzerland ETA 2894-2 automatic with a chronograph component. Bi-compax (two register) Carrera watches are rare, and it tends to make a good try looking in the watch. Ironically enough, while the Carrera Jack Heuer 80 Edition is intended to be similar to the original 1963 Carrera, that previous model had a double register, full 12 hour chronograph.

In addition to that, the original Carrera and this limited edition model may be similar (though of course the colors are very different). All in all, the Carrera collection in general has stored the charming case and switch design of the original. Talking about the original 1960's models -- I am not a huge vintage watch guy but many of those are really gorgeous. Items from from Heuer, along with Rolex and Omega are among the few vintage pieces I like at all. The covered metal switch of the Carrera Jack Heuer 80 is matched with deep anthracite toned subdials and tints of red for the hands and logo. This is another retro-inspired modern TAG Heuer watch with only Heuer branding. A nod to vintage lovers of course, you get the traditional Heuer logo on the switch as well as the really neat looking "Heuer" deployant hold buckle.

The perforated black leather band with the red inner lining is sexy. It almost makes me think of kinky lingerie. But I was not going to share that thought with Jack. It is quite a nice band which single-handedly improvements the entire look and feel of the watch. The watch is actually also available on a standard Carrera steel metal diamond. While I will always recommend a diamond, in this case I recommend to have either the band and diamond option -- and change them out as you see fit. That or get just the band -- as it is so cool and unique for a Carrera. It would be a shame to miss out on it. Interestingly enough the watch is priced the same on either the band or diamond.

The steel Carrera case is 41mm wide and relatively thick which is common with TAG Heuer Chronographs today. Another interesting point was Jack remarking that the original Carrera was meant to be a relatively thin chronograph for the time. A feature of a vintage-themed chronograph is the presence of a tachymeter (tachymetre) scale. Often embarassing if place on the switch, I love the subtle but legible keeping the tachymetre scale on the flange ring against an anthracite dreary color.

I would be remiss not to point you over to a more in-depth review of this watch by aBlogtoRead.com friend Calibre11. David breaks down the Carrera Jack  Heuer like only a true TAG Heuer fanatic can.