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TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 42mm Mens Watch Black
Ref. CBN201C.FC6542
Sits in TAG Heuer’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the TAG Heuer watches we list, which start at £1,330.
Price range £1,330 to £11,950 across 12 TAG Heuer watches in stock.The Carrera was born in 1963 as a direct response to the Carrera Panamericana — one of the most gruelling road races ever run — and the chronograph has remained the collection's defining instrument ever since. This reference carries that lineage forward with a black lacquered dial broken up by a single orange chronograph hand and a matching gradient ring that curves around the inner flange: a colour accent restrained enough to read as purposeful rather than decorative. The movement inside is worth understanding. The Heuer 02 is TAG Heuer's own column-wheel chronograph calibre, built with a vertical clutch for smooth engagement and running an 80-hour power reserve — enough to sit unworn across a long weekend and start Monday without winding. It runs at 28,800 vph and is visible through the caseback, where the finishing holds up to the scrutiny the exhibition display invites. The rhodium-plated applied markers and hands carry luminous fills that the orange hand does not need to echo, and the small seconds subdial sits neatly alongside the date at six o'clock, keeping the lower half of the dial tidily organised. On the wrist, the black calfskin strap with its deployant clasp gives this a dressier posture than a bracelet version would — the racing references are in the dial, but the overall wear is closer to a suit than a paddock.
- Reference
- CBN201C.FC6542
- Brand
- TAG Heuer
- Collection
- Carrera
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Heuer 02
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
Learn more about TAG Heuer
Edouard Heuer founded his workshop in Saint-Imier in 1860 at the age of twenty, and the company he built became the definitive maker of things that measure short intervals.
The patents came early and mattered. The oscillating pinion of 1887 remains in use in mechanical chronographs today — an elegantly simple way of engaging the chronograph train that most manufacturers still prefer to the column wheel alternative. The Mikrograph of 1916 measured to a hundredth of a second, decades ahead of anything comparable.
Heuer's association with motorsport ran deeper than sponsorship. It supplied dashboard timers to rally and racing teams for decades, and the wrist chronographs of the 1960s were named accordingly: Carrera, for the Carrera Panamericana; Monaco, for the Grand Prix; Autavia, from automobile and aviation. The Monaco of 1969 — square, water-resistant, and worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans — housed the Calibre 11, one of the first automatic chronograph movements.
The quartz crisis hit hard. TAG, the Techniques d'Avant Garde group, bought the company in 1985, giving the current name. LVMH acquired it in 1999.
The modern house has pursued high-frequency timing seriously, producing concept movements measuring to a thousandth and a five-thousandth of a second, alongside the volume Carrera, Aquaracer, and Formula 1 lines.
- 1860
- Edouard Heuer founds the company in Saint-Imier.
- 1887
- The oscillating pinion is patented, still used today.
- 1963
- The Carrera launches, named for the Carrera Panamericana.
- 1969
- The square Monaco debuts with an automatic chronograph calibre.
- 1985
- The TAG group acquires Heuer.
- 1999
- LVMH acquires TAG Heuer.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,996), Automatic Watches (1,368), Chronograph Watches (1,234), Leather Strap Watches (958) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (154).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of TAG Heuer's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | CBN201C.FC6542 | L38364529 | BR0394 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,815 | £3,900 | £3,660 |
| Case size | 42mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 59 hours | — |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £3,815, ex-display. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as ex-display only, at £3,815 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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