TAG Heuer Unveils Three New Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Watches

There’s no scarcity of evocative nameplates in TAG Heuer’s again catalog, particularly in relation to chronographs and different sports activities watches. Whereas cornerstones just like the Carrera and Monaco have continued from their ‘60s origins to the current day with their authentic character intact, the Autavia collection has developed extra drastically over time. 2022 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Autavia line, and within the six a long time since its 1962 introduction the collection has run the gamut from severe engineering-minded software watches, to the watches of alternative for worldwide racing drivers, to military-issued pilot’s chronographs, to devoted recreations of those self same basic racing watches, and into its present guise as a pilot-inflected collection of “journey watch” three-handers. To have fun this enduring and adaptable collection, TAG Heuer has unveiled not one however three new Autavia references, all of which pay tribute to completely different levels within the line’s evolution. The brand new assortment, which incorporates two variants of the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph in addition to the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers, honors the Autavia’s legacy as a technical innovator with a pair of latest actions whereas including nods to the collection’ diverse historical past by way of its eclectic trendy design language.

The TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers and each variations of the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph all measure in at a sporty 42mm, with instances cast from stainless-steel. The general case kinds are shared with the remainder of the present Autavia line, combining a coin edge bidirectional bezel with strongly brushed vertical case sides, and athletic lugs that includes a tapering polished chamfer. Each chronograph fashions use screwdown mushroom pushers so as to add to the sense of retro-modernist masculinity in photos, whereas additionally guaranteeing stable water resistance. All three 60^th Anniversary fashions are topped with polished ceramic bezel inserts, with silver engraved scales that add a contact of brightwork to the design. For the 24-hour insert of the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers, the model opts for a basic and masculine black and navy blue colorway. Each Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph fashions use a cleaner all-black search for their inserts. After all, probably the most putting visible distinction between the three fashions is the black DLC end of the second chronograph variant. This tactical black-on-black colour palette provides the athletic design a much more aggressive look in photos, and pays indirect tribute to the Autavia’s legacy as a pilot’s look ahead to militaries world wide together with the German Bundeswehr and the Israel Protection Forces. TAG Heuer finishes the instances of the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph fashions with sapphire show casebacks, showcasing the newly developed in-house flyback chronograph actions inside. For the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers, the model as an alternative makes use of a closed caseback, however tops this ingredient with an ornate engraving of a wire wheel and an airplane propeller in tribute to each halves of the Autavia title (a mix of “automotive” and “aviation”). All three fashions within the collection supply a respectably sporty 100 meters of water resistance.

Though there have been earlier GMT problems within the Autavia line, the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers is the first-ever Autavia GMT mannequin to not additionally embody a chronograph. With that in thoughts, the dial of this new mannequin is one thing of a groundbreaker for the model. Relatively than fully reinventing the wheel, nevertheless, TAG Heuer cleaves near the structure of the fashionable three-hand Autavia. The broad Roman sword handset and rounded utilized Arabic numerals give the design a flieger-adjacent look in photos, with out totally committing to the archetypal pilot’s watch design. The dial colorway is likewise acquainted territory for the model, with a wealthy navy blue sunburst most important floor complemented by pops of vibrant orange. TAG Heuer correctly retains using this doubtlessly overwhelming hue restrained, and even the spear-tipped orange GMT hand is remarkably slim in photos. Total, the dial of the first-ever non-chronograph Autavia GMT is a flexible and cleanly restrained design that sleekly integrates each the automotive and aviation sides of the collection’ character, and reinforces the present line’s repute as all-rounder “journey watches.”

In contrast, the dials of each TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph fashions are much less groundbreaking however extra visually putting. For the black DLC mannequin, the model doubles down on the blacked-out navy aesthetic with a deep matte black dial floor augmented by a dramatic mint inexperienced lume fill. TAG Heuer provides this principally monochrome design some visible depth by way of its 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock subdials, which mix a sloping chapter ring with a raised azurage central part for a singular terraced look in preliminary photos. For the stainless-steel chronograph mannequin, the model goes again to the Autavia’s motorsports roots with a racy silver and black panda dial structure that evokes the uncommon Reference 2446C SN Autavia from 1968. As with most of the model’s trendy sunburst dials, the silver end is dynamic and deeply grained in photos, with a stark distinction between highlights and lowlights. The usage of brilliant white lume, polished dial {hardware}, and a pale grey low-contrast operating seconds subdial at 6 o’clock provides this mannequin a extra gentlemanly, luxe really feel than its stablemate in photos, with a drastically completely different sense of visible weight distribution throughout the dial.

TAG Heuer powers each variations of the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph with its new in-house Heuer 02 COSC Flyback computerized chronograph motion. Because the title suggests, the Heuer 02 COSC Flyback provides COSC licensed chronometer accuracy and flyback chronograph performance to the model’s flagship Heuer 02 motion. Efficiency is in any other case unchanged from the bottom Heuer 02, with a large 80 hour energy reserve at a 28,800 bph beat fee. The Calibre Heuer 02 COSC Flyback’s ending is glossy and trendy in photos, that includes matching Côtes de Genève throughout each the bridges and the black DLC skeleton rotor. TAG Heuer additionally highlights the column wheel in blazing crimson, making this sought-after chronograph ingredient a right away point of interest. For the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers, the model turns as an alternative to the Sellita SW300-based Calibre 7 COSC GMT computerized GMT motion. Though purists could decry using a quickset 24-hour hand as an alternative of the extra fascinating “true GMT” quickset native hour hand, this dependable powerplant provides COSC licensed chronometer accuracy to one in all TAG Heuer’s horological mainstays. The Calibre 7 COSC GMT’s energy reserve efficiency is respectable if unspectacular, with a 42 hour ranking at a 28,800 bph beat fee. TAG Heuer completes each variations of the Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph with basic black alligator leather-based straps, however this dressier pairing clashes considerably with the aggressive black DLC mannequin in photos. In the meantime, the GMT mannequin receives TAG Heuer’s angular, brushed stainless-steel tackle the three-link oyster type bracelet.

With a number of horological upgrades and a trio of designs that pay refined homage to the Autavia’s previous and current, the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers and each variants of the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph supply a suitably eclectic and succesful tribute to 6 a long time of the Autavia title. All three fashions might be out there by way of approved sellers in January 2021, with an MSRP of $4,200 for the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary GMT 3 Fingers. The stainless-steel and black DLC variations of the TAG Heuer Autavia sixtieth Anniversary Flyback Chronograph might be priced at $6,300 and $6,950, respectively. For extra particulars, please go to the model’s web site.