TAG Heuer Carrera Jack Heuer 80th Birthday

80th Birthday. The Carrera Chronograph was designed by former Heuer CEO Jack Heuer, and was first released in 1963. To commemorate Jack Heuer's 80th birthday year, TAG Heuer has released a limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera Jack Heuer 80th Birthday. The watch has classical lines in its design. It's silver sunburst dial is labeled Heuer, appropriate for a design, harking back to the days before TAG acquired Heuer back in 1985. 

One thing we do find odd is the decision to place just one counter for the stopwatch on the dial. At the 3 o'clock position, the watch has a sub-dial to display running seconds, while at the 9 o'clock position the watch has a 30-minute counter used in conjunction with the main second hand for the stopwatch function. The reason we find this odd is that the first Carrera designed by Jack Heuer had a 30-minute and 12 hour counters (See image on the right. Image source: Wikipedia). Personally, I do like the cleaner looking dial. The dial also displays a date in the Window at the 6 o'clock position.

The watch case is 41 mm in diameter. On the case back, you will find Jack Heuer's signature engraved in red. Inside the Jack Heuer Carrera is the Calibre 17 movement, which is a Tag Heuer modified ETA 2894-2. We have not seen these movement in use in TAG Heuer watches released recently. This movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 42 hour power reserve.

TAG Heuer Carrera Jack Heuer 80th Birthday is a limited edition watch with a production run of 3000 units.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

TAG Heuer Calibre 1887 Gold Automatic Chronograph 41 mm

Calibre 1887 controversy. The Calibre 1887 movement has been a bit controversial for TAG Heuer shortly after its announcement almost three years ago. The source of the controversy, the movement was actually designed by Seiko Instruments, Inc. (SII). The Calibre 1887 movement is actually based on SII TC78 platform which was patented by Seiko in 1997.

Tag Heuer purchased the rights to the SII TC78 patent from Seiko. Part of the controversy was that the movement was designed in Japan and not by a Swiss company. In part also because statements were released saying it was designed in house. Finally, in part is that the new movement was actually a over ten year old Seiko design. On the plus side, those who know Seiko watches do know that they produce some of the best movements in the world.

TAG Heuer Calibre 1887 Automatic Chronograph Rose Gold 41 mm. At BaselWorld 2012, TAG Heuer announced a variant of its 41 mm Calibre 1887 Chronograph watch.  Watch is your prototypical chronograph with the main second hand being used in conjunction with a 30 minute counter at the 12 o'clock and a 12 hour counter at the 6 o'clock to measure elapsed time. A date is displayed inside the sub-dial at the 6 o'clock. Continues running seconds is shown by a sub-dial at the  9 o'clock. The Calibre 1887 movement inside beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 50 hour power reserve.

The design is now new, but the availability of models in 18 Ct gold cases is. There are two Rose Gold variants and one in yellow gold and stainless steel.

The Rose Gold model with the dark anthracite dial is particularly striking. With the stainless steel versions of this watches retailing at about US$3,500-4,200, I would not want to venture a guess on the price of the gold ones, especially the Rose gold models. This and a similar release last year, indicates TAG is trying to penetrate the upper markets.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

BaselWorld 2011: Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th of second chronograph

360,000 vph movement. TAG Heuer is known for its chronograph watches and racing tradition, and at BaselWorld 2011 it did not disappoint with a new chronograph watch, capable of measuring intervals of time to a precision of 1/100th of a second. This is not the first time TAG Heuer has released a chronograph capable of measuring up to 1/100th of a second. We already saw the Tag Heuer SLR Calibre S 1/100th of a Second Chronograph three years ago.

Previous 1/100th per second accuracy was achieve through a combination of mechanical and quartz technology. The Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th of second chronograph is a purely mechanical wonder. The fastest beat 36,000 vibration per hour mechanical movements only beat 10 times per second, which would only allow for 1/10th of a second accuracy. 

In order to achieve 1/100th accuracy in a purely mechanical watch two movements were used. A standard 28,800 vibration per hour movement with a 42 hour power reserve is used to measure hours, minutes and seconds. This is a self winding movement. A second movement, running at a incredibly fast 360,000 vibrations per hour is used for the chronograph. Understandably, this only has a 90 minute power reserve. This second movement needs to be manually wound in order to charge. The two movements are integrated into one watch. This is truly a amazing horological creation. This chronograph is more than a chronograph. It is a true complication watch.

The dial. Displaying the 1/100th of a second measurement prevision is done using two counters on sub-dials and the central second hand. Chronograph minutes are displayed by the counter at 3 o’clock while, chronograph seconds, by the counter at 6 o’clock. The blue central hand display the 1/100th second reading. These three hands are powered by the manual winding 360,000 vibrations per hour movement.

The watch also has a power reserve percentage indicator at 12 o’clock. The last sub-dial at the 9 o'clock displays the continuous seconds. Date is displayed at a window at the 6 o'clock. These functions are connected to the 28,800 vibration per hour movement. 

The watch has a 43mm case diameter, with the was manufactured in rose gold. Production of the watch is limited to 150 pieces. 

No TAG. We did notice, that the TAG branding was dropped from this watch. It looks like higher end creations will be sold under the Heuer brand and this may indicate a fork in the road for the company. In any event, the company has brought something truly interesting and innovative out this year at BaselWorld 2011. Salute!

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 8RS

From Tag Heuers Facebook page: "Matthew McConaughey’s character, Michael “Mick” Haller wears a TAG Heuer watch (Grand Carrera Chronometer with Grand Date, silver dial, brown alligator strap) throughout several scenes in the film. The watch can also be seen in the official movie poster."

Specifically, the watch worn by Mr. McConaughey, is TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 8RS. Inside is a TAG Heuer Calibre 8 RS C.O.S.C certified self-winding movment. The window at the 6 o-clock display a second time zone. At the 12 o’clock is a dual window "Grande-Date". 

This is a fairly large watch, with a 42.5mm case diameter. Water resistance is rated at 100 meters. The watch is available with either a black or silver dial, with either a steel bracelet or black and brown alligator straps. 

TAG Heuer's Grand Carrera series of watches, which includes several chronographs is one of the companies most stunning designs, incorporating old world design elements into a modern sports watch.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

Baselworld 2010: TAG Heuer 1887 Chronograph

150th Anniversary. TAG released a new watch in its Carrera line, at Baselworld 2010 the TAG Heuer 1887 Chronograph. Watch makes this watch special is the Calibre 1887 movement, in more ways the one. The watch is powered by the in-house Calibre 1887 movement which was announced at the 150th Anniversary of TAG Heuer in December 2009.

This movement cause a small controversy on the internet because TAG Heuer claimed to have been developed it 100% in-house. Some really knowledgeable watch enthusiast noted that it was rather similar to the Seiko TC78 movement. Eventually, TAG Heuer clarified the situation and stated that it had used technology acquired IP rights from Seiko Instruments Inc. to the TC78 which it based the Calibre 1887 movement on. So is it an in-house movement. Yes. The Calibre 1887 movement is completely built by TAG Heuer. Is it 100% developed in-house. No. It uses technology developed by Seiko.


The big winner in all this is Seiko. When a well known Swiss watch company which specializes in chronograph movements acquires rights from Seiko, it must mean that Seiko movements are pretty good. How did TAG Heuer fair in all this? Most of it client base won't really know about all this or even care. TAG a mainstream brand and few of the watches it sells has in-house movements. If this happened to Rolex, it would be a major debacle. For TAG Heuer, it was just a uncomfortable moment.


Back to the watch. The watch has a round 41 mm diameter case and comes with a choice of a black or white dial. Both dials can be had with a bracelet or a black leather strap. The watch is your basic two-button three sub-dial chronograph which has two counters (at the 12 and 6 o'clocks) to measure intervals of time of up to 12 hours. Continous seconds is displayed in a third sub-dial. The date has move to the 6 o'clock position from the 3 o'clock position in the TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph. The bezel of the watch has a Tachymetre scale which is used for measuring the speed of a moving object moving through a given distance. All in all, your basic chronograph. Coming in the same size as the older Carrera's, looking too much like the older model and it's in-house movement being less than ground breaking... well, lets just hope it does not cost much more than the older watch.

Heritage. The Carrera line of watches is not named after the Porsche Carrera but after a race called the Carrera Panamericana. After the Mexican section of the Panamerican Highway was completed in 1950, the Mexican government sponsored a nine-stage, five-day race across the country. The race called, Carrera Panamericana, was intended to attract international business into Mexico. The race was ran along the new Panamerican Highway, which crossed Mexico from north to south for a total distance of over 3,000 kilometers. The race was limited to stock sedans with five seats. While many professional drivers joined, many of the competitors were regular Joe's who ran as privateers.

To commemorate this race, TAG Heuer launched a new line of chronograph watches in 1963 called the "Carrera."

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

2010, SIHH, Basel and Silverstone

We are approaching a new year, but from a horology standpoint, the new year does not start in January 1, 2010, but on January 18, 2010 which is the start date for the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie 2010 where A.Lange & Söhne, Alfred Dunhill, Audemars Piguet, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, JeanRichard, Girard Perregaux, Greubel Forsey, IWC, Jaeger LeCoultre, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Parmigiani Fleurier, Piaget, Ralph Lauren Watch & Jewelry Co, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, Vacheron Constantin, and Van Cleef & Arpels will be showing their latest releases.

For other watchmakers, including heavyweights Patek Philippe, Rolex and Omega and smaller independents like Oris, the new year starts on March 18, 2010 which is the start date for the BASELWORLD 2010 Watch and Jewelry Show. Needless to say the next few months will be interesting.

But one company is starting the celebration early, December 2009 is Tag Heuer's 150th year Anniversary. To commemorate this, Tag Heuer is re-issuing in limited numbers the Silverstone, a classic chronograph watch. A nice Christmas present to what is usually a boring time in the horology calendar.


Enjoy the Christmas, but the the Horology new years will definitely more interesting.

Press release from Tag Heuer:

SPRINGFIELD, N.J., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Heralded by watch enthusiasts as one of the most coveted collector's pieces from the TAG Heuer archives, the brand's Silverstone Chronograph will be re-issued in February 2010 as a limited-edition timepiece. The release corresponds with TAG Heuer's year-long celebration of its 150th anniversary.

Originally introduced in 1974, the Silverstone chronograph's hallmark feature is its cushion cut-shaped case. This beautiful blend of square and round emulates the curvature of the Silverstone Circuit, a famous English racing track for which the timepiece is named. The chronograph's design also was inspired by the distinctive square case of its predecessor, the Monaco. Prior to the Monaco's debut, watchmakers had been unable to create perfect water-resistant square or barrel-type cases, forcing them to produce only circular dials. TAG Heuer's patented water-proofing system allowed for a break from convention, and the creation of the Monaco's clean, geometric shape.

For the Silverstone, TAG Heuer's design team softened the bold angles of the Monaco, while retaining its technological legacy. Both the original Monaco and Silverstone housed the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the first-ever self-winding automatic chronograph with micro rotor. This revolutionary movement provided wearers with precision timing comparable to the standards of professional chronometer instruments. Before the Calibre 11, chronographs had to be constantly hand-wound to keep accurate time, and watchmakers placed the crown at 3 o'clock for easy accessibility. Because the development of the Calibre 11 freed TAG Heuer's designers from this constraint, Jack Heuer decided to place the crown of the Monaco and Silverstone at 9 o'clock.

The re-issue of the Silverstone is powered by an updated version of the Calibre 11 with Dubois-Depraz module.

The latest iteration of the Silverstone also celebrates TAG Heuer's history by featuring the brand's original Heuer logo, which is flanked on the dial by two silver counters at 3 and 9 o'clock. Stainless steel pushbuttons at 2 and 4 o'clock, a hand-applied date window at 6 o'clock and curved, sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment complete the watch's look.

Available with a rich blue or brown dial on a matching, perforated alligator strap, the Silverstone is available in a limited worldwide quantity of 1,500 pieces per color. It will retail for about $6,500.

TAG Heuer Celebrates 150 Years of Watchmaking Innovation
The year 2010 marks TAG Heuer's 150th anniversary - a milestone that celebrates the brand's evolution from a small workshop in the Swiss Jura Mountains to its status today as a leader in the luxury watch market. Since its inception, TAG Heuer has demonstrated a passion for accurately measuring even the smallest increment of time. It is the only watchmaker to develop a mechanical automatic chronograph movement that displays 1/10th and 1/100th of a second, as well as the only brand to capture 1/10,000th of a second. The brand's 150-year legacy is peppered with displays of engineering prowess, including the world's first oscillating pinion, patented in 1887, and the recently launched Monaco V4, which features a double-patented belt-driven movement that shatters the basic tenets of how a watch keeps time. Through a constant pursuit of excellence and innovation, TAG Heuer creates timepieces that are a defining symbol of state-of-the-art originality.

The History of Silverstone Circuit
Originally used as a World War II bomber base, the Silverstone Circuit is a world-renowned racing track located in the English village of the same name. The circuit is best known as the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted in 1948. Two years later, on May 13, the opening race of the first-ever FIA Formula One World Championship started at Silverstone. Today, Silverstone remains one of the most historic and challenging tracks.

TAG Heuer's relationship with Silverstone is deeply rooted in the brand's motor racing heritage. In 1949, TAG Heuer's first-ever ambassador, Baron Emmanuel de Graffenreid, won at Silverstone. Over the last three decades, several other brand ambassadors and F1 team partners, including Jo Siffert, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton, have raced to career-making victories on the track. In 1974, Jack Heuer paid homage to this impressive lineage with the introduction of the Silverstone series of chronographs.

About TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer, the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is one of the largest and fastest growing luxury Swiss watch Brands. The Swiss watch making legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate measuring instruments and sports watches in the world. TAG Heuer is today the first watchmaker ever to master luxurious Chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th and 1/1,000th of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper to within 1/10,000th of a second for the legendary Indy 500, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher, as reflected in its partnerships with Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in Formula 1 and its two aces: Fernando Alonso, youngest ever and already two times Formula 1 world champion and Lewis Hamilton, GP2 world Champion in 2006. With two times Formula 1 world vice-champion and Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen, with world number 1 golfer Tiger Woods and WTA number 1 tennis player Maria Sharapova, Champcar four-time world champion Sebastien Bourdais, promising talent Bruno Senna as well as Hollywood and Bollywood icons Leonardo DiCaprio and Shah Rukh Khan, TAG Heuer more than ever epitomizes Sport and Glamour!

TAG Heuer Monaco Twenty Four Concept Chronograph

Icon. The TAG Heuer Monaco, a watch associated with 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race and Steve McQueen, is probably the company's most iconic watch. TAG Heuer celebrated the 40th Anniversary of its Monaco series with the re-release of the original Tag Heuer Monaco watch and a completely new Monaco and modern version, the TAG Heuer Monaco Twenty Four Concept Chronograph.

Monaco Twenty Four Concept Chronograph. Monaco Twenty Four Concept Chronograph pays tribute to the 24 of Le Mans, by featuring an oversized "24" at 12 o'clock. It is also distinguished by the iconic blue and orange colors of Gulf Oil, the colors worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans. But more than the aesthetics, this watch is a truly amazing design.

The new watch has a polished black PVD-coated 40.5mm in diameter case constructed with a new tubular design, incorporating shock-protected components to guarantee the watch will withstand even a 20-meter fall. The timepiece is 100-meter water-resistant.


Functionally, it is a chronograph with the typical start/stop and reset buttons. What makes it different is the sub-dials positioned at 9 and 3 o’clock positions. The sub-dials have “doubled” hands, with the first part of the hand displaying the minutes and the second part of the same hand passing under the upper dial. The watch also has a date display at the 6 o’clock position. Inside is the TAG Heuer Calibre 36 self-winding movement which beats at a high 36,000 vibrations per hour (rather than the typical 21,600 to 28,800 vph).

All in all, it is a thoroughly modern version of a timeless classic.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

The Watches of Wimbledon

In truth, precision timekeeping really is not all that important in tennis, and maybe the most important thing that time tells you is basically, a long match is a hard fought one. Despite the fact that time keeping is not all that essential to tennis, many manufacturers associate their watches with tennis and its players.

Rolex has been the official time keeper of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship's since 1978. And this relationship with Wimbledon has resulted in a truly unique Rolex creation, the only Rolex digital watch, which is found on the scoreboard at Center Court.

Rolex also has two tennis players who are Rolex Testimonees: Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic. Roger Federer has won Wimbledon five times.


Tag Heuer is represented by former Wimbledon Champion Maria Sharapova.

The defending Wimbledon Champion, Rafael Nadal, who was forced to withdraw from this years tournament represents the lesser known watch brand, Time Force.

Tag Heuer Monaco 40th anniversary Re-edition

Time heals all wounds. Basel 2009 is over, but we still have plenty of watches left to cover. Even in these trying economic times so many new excellent watches are being released. It is just a reminder that, life will go on, an no matter how bad things seem now, the situation is temporary.

1969. The TAG Heuer Monaco was launched simultaneously in Geneva and New York on March 3rd, 1969. The watch was striking with its square-cased Avant-Garde design. The watch was named after a racetrack, but its racing spirit was more than just in name. In the same year, Jo Siffert Swiss racecar legend, was sponsored by the watch company Heuer. Siffert was the first-ever driver sponsored by a watch brand. After seeing the watch on the wrist of Siffert, acting legend Steve McQueen decided to wear that watch in the 1971 movie Le Mans. The watch made it from the racetrack to the big screen, and made it one of the most iconic watches of its day.

It was not just the racetrack and the silver screen that made the Monaco iconic. Powering the watch is Tag Heuer's Calibre 11 self winding movement. This made the Monaco the first commercially available watch with an automatic powered chronograph movement.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the watch TAG Heuer has released another limited edition Monaco watch.


Tag Heuer Monaco 40th anniversary Re-edition. The Tag Heuer Monaco 40th Anniversary has the blue dial and red themed hands of the watch worn by Steve McQueen. The watch is a chronograph with a date function. The date is displayed at the window at the 6 o'clock position. A subdial at the 3 o'clock position displays continuous seconds while the one at the 9 o'clock position is used in conjunction with the chronograph function as a 30 minute timer.

The case itself is small by contemporary standards with a 38mm case diameter. This is refreshing in a world of watches which seem to be growing larger by the year.

The Tag Heuer Monaco 40th Anniversary is powered by the Tag Heuer Calibre 11 self winding movement that powered this watch when it was originally released. Other Tag Heuer Monaco watches now use the Calibre 17 movement. The use of the Tag Heuer Calibre 11 movement makes this watch rare. The fact that only 1,000 of them will be built also guarantees its collector status.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic

Carrera Panamericana. After the Mexican section of the Panamerican Highway was completed in 1950, the Mexican government sponsored a nine-stage, five-day race across the country. The race called, Carrera Panamericana, was intended to attract international business into Mexico. The race was ran along the new Panamerican Highway, which crossed Mexico from north to south for a total distance of over 3,000 kilometers. The race was limited to stock sedans with five seats. While many professional drivers joined, many of the competitors were regular Joe's who ran as privateers.

To commemorate this race, TAG Heuer launched a new line of chronograph watches in 1963 called the "Carrera."

TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic. The TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic is one of the more conservative watches in TAG Heuer's line-up. It is the traditional mechanical chronograph watch, with three subdials. One for continuous seconds, and the other two as 30 minute and 12 hour totalisators used in conjunction with the chronograph function. The watch has a date display at the 3 o'clock position. The buttons at the 2 and 4 o'clock positions are your typical chronograph start/stop and reset buttons. No combination of electronic and quartz technology here.

The watch is powered by the TAG Calibre 16 movement, which is a modified ETA 7750 movement. This movement produces 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 46 hour power reserve. The watch case is 41mm's in diameter and is water resistant to 50 meters. Surrounding the case is a tachymetre used for measuring speed.

The watch comes in eleven configurations with stainless steel and gold options, on bracelets or leather straps.

By the way, this is the one that Brad Pitt wears in the TAG Heuer commercial, in case that is of any interest to you.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

Divers Chronograph Watches

There are a fair number of "divers" chronograph wristwatches available in the market. Unfortunately, many come with the caveat that the chronograph function should not be used underwater. As pointed out by one of our readers "You essentially have two watches - a divers' watch below the surface where you can't use the chronograph, and a chronograph above when you're not diving." Some divers chronographs are able to both function underwater and withstand the pressures of the deep blue sea.

1. Omega Seamaster 300 M Chrono Diver. The first divers chronograph with functional push-pieces was the Omega Seamaster 300M Chrono Diver. The Omega 300M Chrono Diver has a 300 meter water resistance rating, with the chronograph functions being functional underwater.

The chronograph functions of the Seamaster 300M Chrono Divers are what has become the typical format for most chronograph watches today. The large hour and minute hands tell the time and continuous seconds are displayed in a subdial. The large second hand and two sud-dials with minute and hour totalizators allow you to measure periods of time of up to 12 hours. The chronograph function is manipulated by a start/stop button and a reset button.

The Seamaster 300M Chrono Diver is a mechanical watch which uses an Omega cal. 1164 movement. The cal. 1164 is actually a Omega modified Valjoux 7750 movement. The movement produces 28,800 vibrations per hour (vph) and has a 44 hour power reserve.

This watch has a 41.5 mm case diameter, but it is substantially thicker than most diver watches of the same size. The watch features a helium release valve. You don't really have much of a choice of styles, the blue bezel and dial version pictured above being the only available choice.

2. Omega Planet Ocean Chrono. Another watch with a chronograph function which is functional underwater is Omega's Planet Ocean Chrono. Functionally, it is identical to the Seamaster 300M Chrono Diver except that its sub-dails are located a the 3-6-9 o' clock positions rather than the 12-6-9 format used in the Seamaster 300M Chrono Diver.


The Planet Ocean brings a lot of new things to the floor. It's water resistance rating is 600 meters. Inside the larger 45.5 mm case, you will find the more modern self-winding Omega cal. 3313 movement, which is actually a Omega modified Piguet. The Omega 3313 produces 28,800 vph and has a 52 hour power reserve.

The Planet Ocean Chrono is available in a a variety of styles, with a steel or red gold cases, with matching steel or red gold bracelets. It also come with a choice of leather and rubber straps.

3. Omega Seamaster Apnea. The Omega Seamaster Apnea is another one of Omega's divers chrono's which is fully functional underwater. The Omega Seamaster Apnea is rather different from the Seamaster 300M Chrono and the Planet Ocean Chrono is that instead of counting from 0 seconds to 12 hours, this one counts down.

The watch has seven discs which operate in conjunction with the watches chronograph function. Every minute that passes half a disc is filled, starting from the leftmost disc. After 14 minutes all the discs will be covered in red. The intention is to create an easier to read 14 minute counter.

The Seamaster Apnea is powered by a self-winding the Omega 3601 movement. The Omega 3601 movement is a heavily modified ETA 2892-A2 movement. The watch has a 41mm diameter case which is water resistant to 300 meters. You have a choice of black or white dial and a steel bracelet of rubber strap.

4. IWC Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph. The IWC Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph is one of the more innovated divers chronograph watches watch. Instead of the rotating bezel which is used in the typical divers watches, it has a rotating ring behind the the sapphire glass cover. The bezel can be rotated by twisting the crown at the 4 o'clock position. This crown does not screw in, and thus can be used even under water.

The Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph has a chronograph functions which operates in the typical chronograph fashion. What makes the Aquatimer Split Minute Chronograph interesting is the little rocker switch on the left hand side of the watch. The watch has two main minute hands (one yellow and the other black and yellow), superimposed over each other. When the rocker switch is activated, one minute hand stops moving, and this can be used for measuring the period between the stop hand and moving hand. IWC designed this so that the the rotating ring could be used to measure overall dive time, while the split minute function to measure another relevant even like the period of ascent or the length of a decompression stop.

The chronograph and split seconds function can be used underwater. This could have been our hands down favorite divers watch but it is only rated to a depth of 12 bar (12 ATM or 120 meters).

Like other divers chronographs it is fairly hefty at 44mm. Inside the 44mm case you will find the IWC Calibre 79740 mechanical self-winding movement. This movement produces 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 42 hour power reserve.

5. Breitling Chrono Avenger M1. Unlike the other watches in this article, Breitling 'scontribution to functional underwater chronographs is a quartz watch. Some way find the watch undesirable because of this feature alone. But before writing this one off, it is one a high end quartz powered by a COSC certified thermocompensated movement. You should also consider that its chronograph function can be used at the watches 1000 meter water resistance rating.


The chronograph function features the 10 minute and 12 hour totalizators as well as the not so usual split seconds function.

This watch has a 44mm titanium cases. It comes in a variety of designs which gives you a choice of dial colors and a titanium bracelet or leather or rubber straps.

6. TAG Heuer Aquagraph Automatic. TAG's entry into the underwater chronograph arena has an impressive 500 meter water resistance rating. More impressive is the chronograph function.


The time is displayed using the large hour and minute hands, with continuous seconds in a sub-dial. Like other chronographs the large second hand is used in conjunction with the chronograph function. What makes the watch innovative is that elapsed minutes are displayed by a large minute hand rather than displaying it in a sub-dial. This should make for much better visibility underwater. A 12 hour totalisator sub-dial is used in conjunction with the chronograph function. A 24 hour sub-dial serves as a day/night indicator.

This watch is powered by the TAG Caliber 60, which is a modified ETA movement.

Are these all? These are the chronographs we have found that have been certified by the manufacturer to be functional at the watches rated water resistance ratings. We will continue to be on the look out for more.

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph

F1. TAG Heuer has a long history with motor racing. In 1969 TAG Heuer named a watch Monaco after the Principality of Monaco, which is one of the sites of the Formula 1 Grand Prix tour. The Monaco Grand Prix is stage in the narrow, winding streets of Monte Carlo. The Monaco leg of the tour is both unique and challenging as it is the last street course remaining of the F1 calendar.

Having been in production for almost forty years, the Monaco is probably the oldest watch on TAG Heuer line-up which has no receive a change in the design of its case. The TAG Monaco's avant-garde design is still as fresh today as when it first came out. It was not only innovative in appearance but also in design. The TAG Monaco one of the first commercially available automatic chronograph watches (together with the TAG Carrera). This fact, in part probably made Steve McQueen decide to use the blue dialed blue strapped version of this watch in the 1971 Formula 1 movie Le Mans. The watch also made an appearnace on the wrist of Al Pacino in the 2008 film, 88 Minutes.

Steve McQueen's TAG Heuer Monaco

TAG Heuer Monoco Chronograph. The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph is your typical chronograph with the start/stop and reset button. It comes in two varieties, one with two sub-dials (a small seconds sub-dial and a 30-minute timer) and the other with a third sub-dial (12-hour timer). Both version feature a date display at the 6 o'clock position.


The current TAG Monaco's watches are now powered by TAG's Calibre 17 movement, which is a modified ETA 2894 movement. This movement produces 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 42 hour power reserve. For watch history buffs, this will be a disappointment since this is not the legendary Calibre 11 which was found on the first self-winding chronographs.

The watch is available with a black or blue dial and with a choice of a leather strap or steel bracelet.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. TAG Heuer concentrates on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line lacking chronograph features. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.

TAG Heuer Link Calibre 36 and Calibre S

Racing is a way of life. TAG Heuer has had a long association with motor racing, and this is in no small part to the fact that from the company's inception, chronograph watches were at the center of its development.

In 1889, during the Universal Exhibition in Paris, the TAG Heuer (than named the Heuer Company) won a silver medal for its collection of pocket chronographs. In 1916, Heuer introduced the "Micrograph", the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second.

In 1969, TAG Heuer (than named Heuer-Leonidas) inpartnership, with Breitling, Hamiliton-Bruen and Dubois Depraz, that introduced the worlds first automatic chronograph watch.

Now in the 21st century, TAG Heuer still concentrates on the manufacture of chronograph watches, and their concentrated efforts have paid off.

How accurate can a watch measure time? The typical mechanical watch runs between 18,000 to 28,800 vibrations per hour (vph). A vibration is how many times a clock ticks in an hour. A watch running at 18,000 vph ticks 5 times a second, while one running at 28,800 vph ticks at the rate of 8 times in a second. These small movements, repeated 5 to 8 times over a second is what gives these watches illusion of the hands sweeping forward smoothly.

A 18,000 vph chronograph watch can measure with an accuracy to with 1/5th of a second. A 28,800 vph chronograph watch can measure with an accuracy to with 1/8th of a second.

TAG Heuer Link Calibre 36. The TAG Link Calibre 36 is you typical chronograph watch, but it has a automatic movement which runs a at amazing 36,000 vph. This is what TAG Heuer calls its Calibre 36. This allows it to measure accuracy to within 1/10th of a second. While this was a great feat, the clocks typical chronograph dial and bezel would make it hard for the user to take advantage over it 1/10th of a second accuracy versus a chronograph accurate to within 1/8th of the second. The problem is the display. Trying to figure out if 40.6, 40.7 or 40.8 seconds could be pretty difficult.

TAG Heuer Link Calibre 36

TAG Heuer Link Calibre S. Not satisfied with 1/10th of a second accuracy in a wrist watch, TAG Heuer created the Calibre S. This is an amalgation of mechanical with quartz components to come up with a movement that can measure intervals of time at the accuracy of 1/100th of a second.

TAG Heuer Link Calibre S

Mated with the traditional chronograph interface, there would be no way for the user to take advantage of the 1/100th of a second capability. For this purpose, TAG Heuer created a new interface with a 1/10th and a 1/100th of a second sub-dials which clearly display the timing.

Practical application. The practical application of these watches is questionable. It has to do with human reaction time. Reaction time is defined as the time required for an observer to detect the presence of a stimulus. For example, an observer might be asked to press a button as soon as a light or sound appears. Mean reaction time is approximately 180 to 200 milliseconds to detect visual stimuli, whereas for sound it is around 140-160 milliseconds. Roughly that means it takes a person 1/5th of a second to 1/6th of the second to react to something. Reaction time varies between person to person. Because of this a chronograph wristwatch with 1/100th of a second accuracy is actually, in part, measuring the difference between reaction times between different persons. Accuracy, is so precise if two persons were to time the same event, their readings would vary simply because one person reacts faster than another.

Maybe 1/5th to 1/8th of a second accuracy, is good enough, until TAG Heuer figures out a way to start and stop the clock without human intervention.

About TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is a Swiss watch company founded by Edouard Heuer who founded a watchmaking company in 1860. The lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and others.