TAG Heuer and Hodinkee turn back the clock with the Carrera Seafarer

Borna Bošnjak

• TAG Heuer and Hodinkee introduce the Carrera Chronograph Seafarer, a tribute to vintage Heuer and Abercrombie & Fitch sailing and tidegraph watches.
• With a 42mm Glassbox case, the new Seafarer adds tidegraph functionality to TAG Heuer’s tried-and-true TH20 (Heuer 02) chronograph calibre.
• The main inspiration for the dial is the first series of the Heuer Mareographe 2446C released in 1968, hence the 968-piece limited edition priced at US$7,950.

Though this has changed somewhat in recent years (and perhaps for the wrong reasons), I think it’s fair to say that watch collecting is still a relatively niche endeavour. So when you find yourself interested in something even more specific, say, vintage Heuer chronographs, it creates a niche in a niche, or the home of some of the most knowledgeable and dedicated enthusiasts out there. While the seas of reference numbers, underlines, and case profiles may be jarring to some, for others (yours truly, included), it’s a favourite past time. I’d usually assume that TAG Heuer’s latest collaborative effort with our friends across the (big) pond, Hodinkee, will sit firmly in the latter category, but given its execution in the recently popular Glassbox style, I might just be mistaken. The TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Carrera Chronograph Seafarer is a tribute to the Heuer Mareographe and Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer models of the 1950s and late ’60s, many of which have become the absolute darlings of Heuer nerds worldwide.

Building on Heuer’s just-as-popular Skipper, the Mareographe and Seafarer models gained a tide indicator to go along with the regatta sailing timer that would make them even better-suited for water-based activity. This included an indicator corrector at 9 (or 9:30) – a modification of the base Valjoux 71 or 72 chronograph movement – to coincide with the tidegraph indicator in the 9 o’clock sub-dial.

The exact model the Hodinkee Seafarer gets most of its inspiration from is the Heuer Mareographe ref. 2446C, a model released in 1968, and one that signified a move from the Carrera into the Autavia compressor case. This very much lands the new Seafarer in “inspired by” rather than “re-release” territory, given its Carrera shape and slightly changed dial and bezel elements, but this is by no means a bad thing.

With sunken-in sub-dials surrounded by concave silver surrounds, there’s a bit more colour contrasting against the black background, with light and dark shades of blue in the 30-minute totaliser and tidegraph. Apart from the azurage finish, not much will take away from the legibility of polished fencepost hands, despite there being quite a lot going on. Thankfully, dial text is minimal as the horological gods intended, though a part of me wishes the TAG Heuer shield was just “Heuer”, given the Seafarer’s retro disposition.

The choice of a modern Glassbox case makes sense considering it’s TAG Heuer’s latest and greatest, but it also ties into earlier iterations of the Mareographe/Seafarer. Early models such as the references 346, 2443 (above), 2444, and 2447 were all based on the Carrera, which is notable for having no bezel, making the Glassbox a perfect melange of the two with its internal scale.

While both the bezelled and bezelless Mareographes combined to inspire the new Seafarer, the actual dimensions of its case are decidedly contemporary, leaning more towards its Autavia origins. Whereas the older Carrera Mareographes measured in between 35mm and 38mm, the TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer is 42mm in diameter, echoing the size of the brand’s Porsche Chronosprint collab from 2023. Having said that, the lug-to-lug is more than manageable at 48.6mm. As would be fitting for a sailing watch, the steel case is water-resistant to 100 metres, and comes with a fitted rubber strap that’s 22mm in width – so I’m sure aftermarket straps shouldn’t be an issue, either.

Not only are its dimensions brawnier, the Carrera Seafarer’s features seem more muscular all-round. The pushers are still a pump-style, though no longer a tad dinky like on the earlier Mareographes. This is especially obvious with the 9 o’clock pusher that is now large and rectangular, and marked “tide” to avoid any confusion what it’s used for.

This brings me nicely to the Carrera Seafarer’s movement. The base is expectedly TAG Heuer’s TH20-13, developed from its venerable, column wheel-equipped Heuer 02 with the most notable improvement being the 80-hour power reserve that is retained here. Interestingly, the jewel count drops from 33 to 31, and I do wonder whether the additional complication will add to the overall thickness of the watch. The decoration is consistent with what we’ve seen from the rest of the TH20-based executions, with minimal striping on the upper bridge, and a skeletonised TAG Heuer shield on the rotor.

What I love about this watch is not just the fact it brings back the look of a vintage chronograph I personally like, it also unifies the world of vintage Heuer and Abercrombie & Fitch, combining the TAG Heuer brand and Seafarer name that was originally assigned only to the A&F models. Would I love it even more if it was in the smaller 39mm Glassbox case? Perhaps – but then again, the 40mm diameter of the original 2446C was large for its time – so there’s little to be upset about here.

TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Seafarer x Hodinkee pricing and availability

The TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer is a limited edition of 968 pieces, available from Hodinkee and TAG Heuer retailers. Price: US$7,950

Brand	TAG Heuer
Model	Carrera Chronograph Seafarer x Hodinkee
Reference	CBS2014.FT6293
Case Dimensions	42mm (D) x 48.6mm (LTL)
Case Material	Stainless steel
Water Resistance	100 metres
Crystal(s)	Box-domed sapphire front, sapphire back
Dial	Black opaline
Lug Width	22.1mm
Strap	Fitted rubber, steel pin buckle
Movement	TH20-13, in-house, automatic
Power Reserve	80 hours
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph, tide indication
Availability	968 pieces
Price	US$7,950