TAG Heuer, the official timekeeper of Indianapolis 500 race since 2004, is aiming motorsports aficionados with the new Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition model.
Indy 500 races take place in a four km oval track consisting of 200 laps, where the boundaries for both the cars and their drivers are pushed to the limit with speeds exceeding 320kmh. The race is named after the total 500 miles distance run. TAG Heuer is the official timekeeper of this organization, where the engines are pushed through the limits as well as the nerves.
TAG Heuer Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition comes in the form of a customized version of a model in the standard series just as mentioned in its name.
The watch has a 41mm diameter stainless steel case, a black ceramic bezel, a sapphire crystal and a water resistance rating of 100 meters. The Indy 500 relief on the back cover is just one of the details exclusive to this model. Again on the case back, 26 May 2019 refers to the next race and 103rd highlights the race number. With the white chronograph sub-dials on the black dial and red details, Carrera Indy 500 SE can be called “baby Panda”.
The model is powered by the Caliber 16 movement, which is based on the good old workhorse ETA Valjoux 7750. Nowadays, when in-house mechanisms become an industry standard, the Valjoux 7750 is nostalgic, but also a bit dated. 25 jewels self-winding movement beats at 4Hz (28.800vph) and offers 42 hours of power reserve.
The Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition comes with a racing-inspired perforated black leather strap and a stainless steel folding clasp.
Although many brands act as if they saved the world, found a solution to starvation or ended the wars by asking a huge premium for their limited edition timepieces that are actually slightly modified versions of standard models, TAG Heuer was very modest in this regard. TAG Heuer Carrera Indy 500 Special Edition is available for 4650, 00 €. Considering the standard version’s 4200, 00 € MSRP, the figure seems fair enough.
