TAG Heuer Unveils the New Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 for 24 Hours of Le Mans 2024

The 24 Hours of Le Mans, held annually near the town of Le Mans, France, is one of the most prestigious and difficult automobile events in the world. Le Mans, founded in 1923, is one of the world's oldest endurance races, with a rich history spanning over 100 years. On June 15, vehicles will drive past the French flag to kickstart this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. A total of 186 drivers, who have entered the 2024 chapter, will be behind the wheels. Known for its deep association with the world of sports, TAG Heuer has introduced one of its most modern and bold racing chronographs as a tribute to the Le Mans event. Part of the TAG Heuer x Porsche collaboration, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 (Ref. CBU 2010.FT6267) is limited to just 963 pieces worldwide.

Carrera is one of TAG Heuer’s most iconic watch collections. The name "Carrera" was inspired by the legendary Carrera Panamericana road race, held in the 1950s. The Porsche 963 will compete in two prototype classes: WEC Hypercar and IMSA GTP. Powering the sports car is a 4.6 litre twin turbo V8  engine delivering 670 horsepower. The engine is based on the high-performance 918 Spyder hybrid sports car.

The Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 is a large and contemporary sports watch. Housed in a case that measures 44 mm in diameter, the watch is crafted from stainless steel, which is brushed and polished. There is a black PVD fine-grained hollowed side with the “PORSCHE” logo on the left of the case. There is a brushed polished black DLC steel crown at 3 o’clock with a steel ring; two chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock are also crafted from polished black DLC steel. The bezel on this timepiece has a black forged carbon tachymeter scale, with white Super-LumiNova®, “PORSCHE” logo printed, and grey markings.

This new Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963, like the current racing-oriented variants of the Monaco, features an openworked dial with intricate construction. The “Tubular” skeleton dial, reminiscent of Porsche’s racing car chassis with NAC finishing, retains a conventional tri-compax display with closed subdials to ensure legibility. On the outer periphery of the dial is a black flange with 60-second/minute scale. This scale has white, red, and grey markings, and three counters.

Furthermore, at 3 o’clock rests a black shimmery minute chronograph counter, with four white Super-LumiNova® blocks and a black ring with a red lacquered hand. Then, there is a black openworked shimmery permanent second indicator but with a rhodium-plated hand. Finally, at 9 o’clock, one can spot a black shimmery hour chronograph counter, with four white Super-LumiNova® blocks and a black ring with a red lacquered hand. Also, at 6 o’clock is a black openworked date disc with a white Super-LumiNova® date revealer outputting blue light by night.

The dial contains white Super-LumiNova block hour markers, except for the one at 4 o’clock in red, which symbolises the start of the race, and rhodium-plated faceted polished hour and minute hands with white Super-LumiNova®. The subdials contain four Super-LumiNova (SLN) blocks, inspired by Porsche's unique LED light design on the modern-day icon, the 911. In the dark, the SLN blocks on the dial, combined with the SLN-coated date revealer, illuminate the Porsche-inspired design components, adding to the watch's visual appeal and functionality. These features provide great visibility in all conditions, making them suitable for 24-hour events during which drivers compete day and night.

The in-house Calibre TH20-00 movement, which features a personalised red column wheel, exemplifies the vertical clutch chronograph movement's technical expertise and has a power reserve of 80 hours. The vertical position of the chronograph mechanism's connection (comparable to the systems found in cars that connect the engine's flywheel to the gearbox) in the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 allows for a smooth and “jump-free” actuation of the stopping function.

The sapphire open caseback has Porsche’s iconic steering wheel motif on the oscillating weight and a Porsche logo in 3D on the side of the steel case. Each TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Porsche 963 is individually numbered XXX/963. Finishing the watch is a black integrated rubber strap, with “963” engraved on a fine brushed polished steel central link, featuring a polished steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons and a TAG Heuer shield. The watch’s rubber strap shape is inspired by the NACA-style low-drag air inlets, often featured on Porsche race cars, all the way back to the record-breaking Porsche 917. The shades chosen for the watch are the iconic racing colours of Porsche motorsport: white, red, and black.