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TAG Heuer Carrera 28mm Stainless Steel and Rose Gold
Ref. WAR2453.BD0777
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 14 TAG Heuer watches in stock.The Carrera line began in 1963 as a tool watch for racing drivers, named after the Carrera Panamericana road race — so there is a deliberate tension in arriving at this version, which takes that same nameplate and builds something entirely different around it. The 28mm case is dressed with an 18-carat rose gold bezel set with 56 diamonds, and the dial beneath is white mother-of-pearl marked by twelve further diamond hour indices. It reads as jewellery, which is the point the design is making about how far the Carrera has travelled. The H-link bracelet combines polished and satin surfaces across its two-tone finish, and at this diameter the whole thing sits lightly on a smaller wrist without overwhelming it. The sapphire caseback reveals the Calibre 9 inside — a Swiss-made movement based on the Sellita SW1000, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 40-hour power reserve. For a watch of this character, having a visible mechanical movement rather than a quartz cell is a quiet but meaningful choice, and it is one most owners come to appreciate once the novelty of the exterior has settled.
- Reference
- WAR2453.BD0777
- Brand
- TAG Heuer
- Collection
- Carrera
- Case size
- 28mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Mother-of-pearl
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Calibre 9
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Two-tone
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 40 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
- Gem set
- Yes
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 7 collections
This watch appears in the TAG Heuer Carrera range (6), Stainless Steel Watches (3,382), Back in Stock (2,749), Watches Under 37mm (1,793), Automatic Watches (1,742), Women's Watches (1,690) and Two-Tone Watches (500).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 28mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of TAG Heuer's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
TAG Heuer Carrera alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | WAR2453.BD0777 | 53020-0003 | L23210876 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,950 | £3,950 | £2,995 |
| Case size | 28mm | 31mm | 30mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 38 hours | 45 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
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 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £3,950, pre-owned. 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 pre-owned only, at £3,950 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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