Accuracy is a big deal in the Swiss watchmaking game. TAG Heuer wanted to make that point clear so they enlisted the independent testing body known as the Besançon Observatory to trial their latest watch.
The result is the TAG Heuer Carrera Tête de Vipère, the first ever TAG Heuer chronograph to wear the prestigious “Tête de Vipère” certification from the organisation.
What that stamp means for any timepiece is a guarantee of unrivalled precision and accuracy in timekeeping. The backstory of Besançon Observatory is interesting in itself. The organisation was abandoned in the 1970s only to be revived in 2006. Since then, only 500 timepieces have earned the “Tête de Vipère” stamp of approval. This TAG Heuer Carrera us is now one of them.
Watches which go through Besançon Observatory are fully assembled and undergo a protocol involving 16 days of testing across five different positions at three different temperatures.The Besançon Observatory, operating on behalf of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, is the only independent, public organisation able to inspect chronometers.
Naturally, the TAG Heuer Carrera Tête de Vipère will come as a limited edition of 155 pieces to celebrate 55 years since the Heuer Carrera was created.
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The watch features a tourbillon movement in the HEUER-02T calibre which provides chronograph functions (Chronograph minute counter at 3 o’clock and Chronograph hour counter at 9 o’clock) alongside the standard hours, minutes and seconds.
The dial is a striking design in the form of a black skeleton face with Rhodium plated accents and blue SuperLuminova coatings. Finishing off the wildly masculine timepiece is a 45mm blue ceramic case with a steel sapphire case back brushed with black PVD coating.
The watch affords 100m of water resistance whilst paired to a matte black alligator strap sewn onto a rubber backing with blue stitching.
Interested? You’ll need to prepare your credit card for a hit. The TAG Heuer Carrera Tête de Vipère retails for AU$26,750.
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