The strap, inspired by motor-racing leathers, is black leather with a black perforated layer and a black titanium grade 2 folding clasp. The chronograph minutes and continuous seconds subdials are snailed with fine-brushed appliqués and polished facets. The anthracite dial is decorated with a sunray effect. The case finish is created by sandblasting the exterior before treating it with a black titanium carbide coating. The 43-mm case is a traditional Carrera design, rendered in grade 2 titanium. The wide seconds track aids legibility and helps fill the space between the subdials and the bezel, which is needed given that the movement’s architecture was developed when watches were smaller. Outside, the watch picks up design elements from TAG Heuer’s Mikrograph, including most prominently the seconds track with oversize digits and an especially large “60” at the top of the dial.

In its configuration for this watch, the movement gains a flyback function, which is highly useful in the world of automobile racing, because it allows the user to time a lap, then immediately begin timing a new lap. It remains, however, eminently practical, because the tenths of a second it measures are by far the most commonly used interval in the world of split-second timing. In years past, we might have appended the adjective “high frequency” to El Primero, but these days, thanks largely to TAG Heuer’s own efforts developing super-fast chronos, the El Primero’s frequency is not considered as speedy as it once was. Scroll down to read more about this motorsport-inspired timepiece. The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback Racing is the first Carrera powered by the brand’s souped-up version of Zenith’s El Primero chronograph movement.

Tag heuer carrera calibre 36