The Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie de Genève is the most prestigious award won by this stunning timepiece epitomizing the spirit of Grand Carrera and TAG Heuer motor racing heritage: It also was crowned in China by The Most Successful Design Award 2008 and in Mexico during the Salon Internacional de Alta Relojeria 2008. Jean-Christophe BABIN, President and CEO said: “It is the fifth time TAG Heuer is awarded the Grand Prix de l’Horlogerie... but every time is the first time! This is a great achievement for the people at TAG Heuer. We never stand still and always think forward re-inventing watchmaking craft to achieve the next innovation.”

2008 is definitely an excellent year for the Swiss Avant-Garde brand: TAG Heuer’s innovation has also grasped another award for its Avant-Garde Eyewear collection: The TAG Heuer C-Flex concept received a SILMO Golden Awards, the most coveted prize of the Eyewear industry granted by professionals.


The original CARRERA was born in the pits and paddocks of the Twelve Hours of Sebring in 1962, where Jack Heuer, Official Timekeeper of the event, first heard of the legendary CARRERA Panamericana Mexico Road Race, the racing world’s most grueling endurance test. Launched in 1964, the original CARRERA also served as a prestigious tribute to Juan Manuel Fangio, the TAG Heuer ambassadorial hero who won the Mayor class of the fourth running of the CARRERA in 1954. In 1969, a CARRERA automatic chronograph was added to the pack; in 1996, the entire line was revamped inside and out – a bold reinterpretation of classic luxury watchmaking with a distinctly modern and timeless aesthetic inspired by the technical and design advancements in automotive engineering.

In 2004, TAG Heuer’s multi award-winning R&D Team began working on an even more prestigious incarnation of the CARRERA: the Grand CARRERA. Launched to great acclaim and commercial success in June 2007, the Grand CARRERA draws its inspiration from modern GT cars. It is powered by the first mechanical line of movements with Rotating System, an exclusive new function that enables the user to read easily and intuitively small seconds, a second time zone (GMT) or chronograph time by displaying the elapsed time. All models are "Côtes de Genève" decorated on the Rotating System, with polished, beveled edges complemented by curved, faceted horns on both case sides, a curved, sapphire crystal with double antireflective treatment and a double sapphire crystal caseback sealed by six screws. Curved faceted markers on the dials and oversized screw-in crowns and pushbutton clasps complete the sophisticated look.


Powered by a column wheel movement, the Grand CARRERA Calibre 36 RS Caliper Chronograph is the only automatic chronograph capable of measuring and displaying 1/10ths of a second! Visible through a tinted double sapphire crystal, the COSC-certified movement oscillates at an astonishing 36,000 vibrations per hour. This enables the central seconds hand to tick off 1/10^th second intervals, giving at-a-glance readings of an unparalleled exactitude – an engineering feat of the highest level.

The breathtaking creation has a stylish 43mm, black titanium carbide-coated case, and a Calibre 36 RS movement with more than 50 hours power reserve and two “Black Gold” Rotating Systems indicating the chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock and the chronograph hours at 6 o’clock. It also features a Linear Second at 9 o’clock. Another principle design innovation is the way in which it displays this information. TAG Heuer has developed an exclusive Rotating Scale that permits a precise reading of 1/10^th of a second – magnified 10X! The new high tech soft touch alligator strap with red stitching and red lining is another stunning innovation.