Isn’t it fascinating when a thoroughly modern-looking watch reveals, upon closer inspection, a cool ’90s vibe? For some reason that, and maybe a bit of Porsche Design, is what I am getting from the integrated lug structure and the fantastical over-use of notches, numbers, and graduations on this new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph X Porsche 963 watch.
Don’t get me wrong, if you want to see this new reference CBU2010.FT6267 as a thoroughly modern piece, it certainly passes as such, too. TAG Heuer’s open-worked dials, a theme that began with the Heuer-01 in 2015 (reviewed here), has clearly struck a chord with new and returning customers of the LVMH-owned brand, and so it has adorned many contemporary TAG Heuer watches since. It is even less of a surprise given “Techniques d’Avant Garde” has long been not only in the name but also the engineering approach of the company. One small caveat is that often there is not that much to actually see, other than some plates and an openworked date disc. One would have to get something like an Opus Chronograph while spending around 50% more to see chronograph movement components revealed through the face of a watch.
We might as well start dissecting the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph X Porsche 963 watch with its dial. No ordinary zifferblatt, this one, as it is a “tubular skeleton dial with NAC finishing.” One could argue that it is over-engineered, while others will find it spectacular in its design and execution. Then, there are the subdials, which offer a combination of features we have not yet seen elsewhere. TAG Heuer defines them as “shimmery” (looks aventurine-esque to us, but is not officially specified as anything more than “shimmery”), complemented by four blocks of Super-LumiNova on the chronograph hours and minutes counters at 9 and 3 o’clock, respectively.
These details are focused rather more on show than utmost functionality and performance: The markers for the individual hours and minutes in the subdials are not lumed, so real-world, low-light legibility is not assisted by a full array of glow-in-the-dark elements. To be fair, luming everything would have resulted in a dizzyingly high number of little notches everywhere — which, on the personal note of an absolute lume-fiend, I would have preferred. A lumed backdrop for the date disc to complement the blocky Super-LumiNova hour markers is a very nice touch, as are the gigantic, properly sized hands — well done, on all those.
Something that I simply cannot leave unmentioned is this little detail: “The positioning of the red indexes at 04:00PM on the dial symbolizes the excitement and adrenaline associated with the countdown to a race start, capturing the essence of competitive racing within the watch’s design language.” Now, that little red bit arguably looks very cool. It is, however, so arbitrary and superfluous that it stands out, perhaps not in the best possible way, even in this competitive segment of “look-at-me poseur luxury chronographs.” Last, would it be too picky to say that the index refers to both 04:00PM and AM?
The 44mm wide case is crafted from stainless steel. Its lugs are a “fine-brushed” while the black PVD-coated and “fine-grained” case profile is hollowed out — it is what car designers would call a “negative space” that, albeit rarely encountered, works rather well with watches, too. There is a massive “PORSCHE” text in the profile, as there is in the bezel. Speaking of which, the bezel of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph X Porsche 963 watch is crafted from black forged carbon, decorated with a tachymeter scale and a white Super-LumiNova “PORSCHE” logo that adds to the luminous light show of this TAG Heuer and Porsche collab piece. The pushers and crown are in black DLC-coated steel.
Another interesting trait is the lug structure: The well-known, extra long, and faceted Carrera-style lugs are complemented by a third lug structure in the middle with “963” written on it in the typeface most recently used on the rear of the current 911. What happens with such lug structures is that they, and the rigid and long bracelet integration that they also require by design, add to the lug-to-lug measurement of the watch, hence making it wear rather “long.”
We look forward to seeing this hands-on, until then, we will share that the lug-to-lug measurement is 49.7mm, while the 100m water-resistant (a plus) case is 15.1mm thick. Speaking is a car and racing enthusiast, one cool (for us) detail is that the indented shape of the strap was inspired by the NACA-style low-drag air intakes used on special road and race cars. I love a good NACA, and being reminded of one by the racing-inspired watch that I am wearing would put a smile on my face.
The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the TAG Heuer TH20-00 movement. Launched in 2023, it is an updated version of the Heuer-02. Still column wheel-operated and vertical clutch-equipped, it now sports bi-directional self-winding in place of the uni-directional solution of its predecessor. For this 963 edition, produced in honor of the Porsche 963 (Type 9R0) LMDh endurance race car, the column wheel has been “personalized” in red. That, as well as the large, ball bearing-mounted rotor in black with red text look superb.
In conclusion, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph X Porsche 963 is a fascinating combination of highly engineered specs and design — including modern and versatile materials, technical looks, proper in-house movement, and luminous light show — as well as whimsical ones — such as the “shimmery” subdials and arbitrary red markers. The balance between playful and nerdy is not only difficult to find but is also a matter of personal taste and preference. To its credit, TAG Heuer really went the extra mile with a forged carbon and black case, openworked dial, upgraded movement, and more unique details than you could shake a stick at, making this a strong package at what has, sadly, become a competitive price in today’s world of big brand-produced integrated chronographs. The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph X Porsche 963 watch (reference CBU2010.FT6267) is priced at $9,200 USD. You can learn more at the brand’s website.
