Yet, they look big, thanks to the proportions and the clarity of the glass. Imagine if we had that, just enlarged to a modern ~41mm.
I have to say.... looking at those two, leaving the size out of it, I would pick the one on the right. I see what you mean now... the original looks much 'sharper' and, bizarrely 'modern'. 😲
Do re-editions really affect the price of originals? I find that hard to believe. Part of the appeal surely lies in the fact that it is an original? Strikes me if anything what he's really saying is that the cost of making these watches isn't worth it for the low numbers they think they would sell.
Incredible, the original looks so much cleaner and sleeker
Even more so with the Rindt Autavia. The vintage original (top) vs. 2017 re-edition (bottom).
I recently re-read this article by @Jeff Stein for Hodinkee. It covers the Carrera remakes, from the first '96 re-issues, to the early glassbox Carrera (i.e Skipper), and finally the Carrera Fragrment, which brought back the tri-compax layout in H02 form.
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-tag-heuer-carrera-heuer-02-by-fragment-design-hiroshi-fujiwara
I had read the article long ago when the Fragment first came out. But now as the 60th Anniversary Carrera is the final one in the series, it gives some interesting hindsight about how the re-editions have evolved.
Glad that the posting is still relevant and even interesting.
A couple of great topics, here -- (a) how do the brands decide which of their classics to re-issue, and in what form? One-to-one copy or does the original watch merely provide the inspiration. (b) are the re-issues always Limited Editions or Special Editions, or can some of them make their way into the general catalog, so that they are more available?
With so many brands doing so many re-issues, these questions become even more important.
Jeff
It's a great retrospective @Jeff Stein, your contributions are always appreciated. 👍
I felt it was quite relevant as CEO Frederic has stated that the 60th Anniversary is the final release of the Carrera glassbox series. Thus that chapter is now closed and it will be very interesting to see where TAG Heuer goes from here.
I believe TAG Heuer has done all of the above. Relatively faithful copies, like the Carrera Silver 160th, Hodinkee Carrera Dato, and 60th Anniversary Carrera. These were all LEs. The 40th Anniversary Monza and Monaco Dark Lord tribute were less faithful, but the inspiration for their designs is clearly evident. These were SEs. The CAW211P Calibre11 Monaco McQueen is relatively faithful to the 1133b and has been a standard part of the general catalog.
Personally, I feel there's room for both faithful copies and inspirational designs that pay tribute. I'd prefer them to be SEs, rather than LEs. Which gives a buyer more time to save up and buy the watch when ready. I also think certain models should be just a standard part of the catalog; why they don't have a panda and reverse panda as part of the regular Carrera line up is beyond me.
