Page 88 - Sharp September 2023

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the mid-1940s when Abercrombie and Fitch (then a high-end sporting goods supplier) commissioned the Swiss brand to produce A&F-branded watches for the fast-growing sport of competitive sailing. The first of these was the Solunar, a distinctive piece that displayed tide times and would lead to the development of the subsequent and equally collectible Heuer models: the Seafarer and the Mareographe.
SKIPPER
This partnership with Abercrombie & Fitch peaked when the brand tapped TAG Heuer to create timing devices for the 1967 America’s Cup. Held at irregular intervals since 1851, the yachting race is the oldest international sporting event in the world. And from the Cup’s origin as a gentlemanly contest between the British Royal Yacht Squadron and the Yankee owners of a yacht named America, the New York Yacht Club presided over the longest undefeated streak in sporting history for 132 years. By 1967, with the New York Yacht Club’s Intrepid set to defend the cup once more against its rival — Sydney Yacht Squadron’s Dame Pattie — the stage was set for a historic showdown.
But while sailing races, like all races, depend on accurate timing, the unique nature of yacht racing requires chronographs with distinct functions. Unlike motor races, yachts can’t line up on a starting grid, so races begin when, following a countdown, competing vessels cross an invisible line on the water. A team’s success depends on its ability to cross this line at full speed, beginning its race as close to the sounding of the starting gun as possible — and not a moment sooner. It’s a feat that requires immense skill and ultra-precise timing.
So, amongst the gear provided to Intrepid’s crew was a pair of hand-held yachting stopwatches and, more importantly, Heuer Aquastar wristwatches modified with an ingenious countdown timer comprising a red and white disc that rotated behind a series of five holes. When Intrepid won the race 4 — 0, the New York Yacht Club extended its winning streak once again and Heuer celebrated by producing a new yachting chronograph called the Skipper in its honour. Unlike the Aquastar, the Skipper used a 30-minute subdial adapted to count down a yacht race’s 15-minute pre-start in five-minute segments. Each segment on this dial was a different colour: green in a nod to the Intrepid’s rigging, light teal for its painted deck, and orange to alert the crew to the final few minutes of the countdown.
Only 300 or so original Skippers were produced, and in the decades that followed the watch earned both the portmanteau nickname “Skipperera” and a loyal following of collectors. Now considered to be one of the most collectible vintage Heuers of all time, original examples of the “Skipperera” reference 7754 can fetch up to six figures at auction.
This latest iteration of Carrera Skipper is a tribute to that historic watch, albeit with a few subtle 21st century updates. Like the original, it features a circular brushed main dial in Carrera blue and a contrasting 15-minute regatta counter with segments in “Intrepid Teal,” “Lagoon Green,” and “Regatta Orange.” Other noteworthy elements include the triangle-shaped markers at five-minute intervals, the orange central seconds hand, and the “Skipper” name inscribed at the base of the 12-hour counter. And while the original Skipper was powered by a hand-wound movement, TAG Heuer has updated that with a calibre TH20-06 automatic chronograph movement and added a sapphire crystal case back and a case rated for 100 metres of water resistance.
It’s the latest TAG Heuer to pay homage to the brand’s momen- tous, meticulous legacy of sports timing, but, thankfully, you don’t need to understand the complex particulars of a sea chart to appreciate its colourful charm. Instead, whether you’re hoisting sails for a regatta or sipping sundowners by the lake, the Skipper’s vintage-inspired style and historical significance can be admired by all, making it the ultimate nautical accessory for the modern man.
TAG HEUER CARRERA SKIPPER, $8,400
THE TAG HEUER CARRERA SKIPPER MAY BE MADE FOR SAILORS, BUT IT
IS BELOVED BY ALL
By Jeremy Freed
O N A HOT EVENING THIS PAST SUMMER, TAG HEUER HELD
a star-studded party to celebrate the relaunch of its New York City flagship. With herringbone wood floors and display cases featuring artifacts from TAG Heuer’s long and storied history in motorsports, the boutique’s prime 5th Avenue location in midtown Manhattan puts it in the company of some of New York City’s most important landmarks, from Rockefeller Center and St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the Museum of Modern Art. However, the boutique’s connection to New York City runs deeper than its address alone. A more tangible connection can be found in a new watch — the colourful teal, navy blue, and orange dial of which was splashed across the boutique’s display window that very night: the TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper.
The new Carrera Skipper, which is part of TAG Heuer’s non-limited core collection, joins recent popular Carrera models including the Carrera Date in “Barbie” pink and the Carrera Porsche Orange Racing. This piece, however, is a faithful adaptation of one of the most coveted watches in TAG Heuer’s history. Making use of the recently relaunched 39 mm stainless steel “glassbox” case, with its distinctive bezel-less design and domed crystal inspired by the Carreras of the 1970s, the new Carrera Skipper is part of a story going back more than 50 years.
TAG Heuer has been a major force in the world of sports timing for decades, but in addition to its many contributions to motorsport and the Olympic Games the watchmaker has also made its mark on the elite world of yacht racing. The story of the Skipper goes back to
WATCH
88 SEPTEMBER 2023
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