TAG Heuer Introduces the Carrera “Cortina Watch” with a Green Gemstone Dial
Singapore watch retailer Cortina continues with its roll-out of special watches to mark its golden jubilee. Following limited editions from Blancpain, Patek Philippe, and H. Moser & Cie. comes the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Cortina Watch. While it might sound like yet another vintage-inspired chronograph, the latest Carrera is unlike anything TAG Heuer has done before. Instead of the usual steel, the case is 18k yellow gold, while the dial is made of maw sit sit, a little-known green gemstone found only in the northern parts of Myanmar. And the hour markers and hands are of course 18k yellow gold to match. Initial thoughts The base-model Carrera powered by the in-house Heuer 02 calibre is an appealing watch to begin with, especially in steel where it’s an affordable proposition with a historical design. But it is primarily a practical, everyday watch, which is arguably what it should be given its history as a motorsports chronograph. The Cortina edition, however, is the opposite. It is pricey, very much so in fact, but it is special. Green is the fashionable colour in watchmaking now, so you might be forgiven for feeling weary when faced with yet another dial in the colour. But green dials certainly capture the zeitgeist of today, and perhaps personify the “hype” watch culture exemplified by the famous olive-dial sports watch. The new Carrera, in contrast, runs counter to that. It is definitely green, but the natural stone dial means it is a intrinsically v...
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