Celebrating the world’s first Formula 1 night race in Singapore, TAG Heuer has created a Singapore Grand Prix edition of its premium-priced Grand Carrera.
The Swiss watchmaker decided to limit the total run to only 150 watches and it’s no wonder that unit No.1 was auctioned at an outrageous price of S$40,000 Singapore dollars, which is about $27,700.
This is especially impressive if you will take into account the fact that the normal Grand Carrera Calibre 8RS has a list price of fewer than five thousand dollars!
The watch features the famous British Racing Green color scheme, which is a nice change of style from Grand Carrera’s normal black and red color combination.
While its body, bezel, and dial are deep black (looks like the scratch-resistant DLC coating to me,) its second hand, leather strap stitching, and the GMT marker are green.
The dial of the special edition sports the same layout as the rest of the family.
There is a big date indicator at 12 o’clock and a GMT aperture at 6 o’clock. While most GMT watches display the second time zone with a secondary hour hand, Grand Carrera Calibre 8RS features a car dashboard-style rotating disk where a thin marker displays the current time in another time-zone.
The Grand Carrera Singapore Grand Prix GMT is water resistant to 100 meters, and features a leather strap with Omega-style deployant button with push-button release.
The new timekeeper sports a COSC-certified Calibre 8RS automatic caliber, which is based on the ETA 2892-A2 self-winding ebauche that was slightly modified using Soprod TT651 add-on module. If you are into this style, you can find the same combination in such timepieces as Louis Erard 1931 GMT and Ebel Classic Hexagon Dual Time although I must admit that TAG has done a brilliant job making it look more congruent with other members of their Grand Carrera line. Of course, the mechanism was also finished in accordance with TAG Heuer’s higher standards, but don’t expect something outstanding here.
As you may have already guessed by the layout of the dial, all its features need to be operated with the same setting crown: you can pull it to different positions to wind the mechanism, correct the date, and set the time.
If you prefer to set your watch with exclusive controls designed to operate the second time zone, you may find this particular solution less convenient.
Also, keep in mind, that it is always more difficult to service a movement with a piggy-back module on it than a natural-born GMT (chronograph, moon-phase, you name it) caliber.
See also: Chopard Mille Miglia GT XL Chrono Speed Black chronometer
Photos: TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Singapore Grand Prix GMT specification
Movement: Calibre 8 RS, base ETA 2892-A2, automatic, COSC-certified, Swiss Made
Complications: GMT, big date
Power reserve: 46 hours
Case: Stainless steel
Crown: Screw-down, fluted
Case diameter: 42.50 mm
Case height: 13.00 mm
Lugs: 21 mm
Dial: Black
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Black natural leather with green stitching
Crystal: Sapphire crystal, scratch-proof
Back: Sapphire crystal
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I am a founding father of this weblog since 2008.
Bought my first mechanical watch in 1986 and it took me ten more years to realize that I have a problem: at some point in time watches became my passion. Well, it could be worse.