TAG Heuer has taken the 2016 Carrera, slimmed it down, hollowed it out and given it an exciting new look. The Carrera, as redesigned by Jean-Claude Biver when he was interim CEO nearly a decade ago, became a more modern beast. Whereas the previous version was a decent-looking steel sports watch, Biver’s TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 was sportier with its titanium carbide-coated steel case, red-and-black colourway and semi-skeleton dial. It was new and exciting and evidently popular because the design has changed little since then.

The new 2024 collection, renamed TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sport, featuring four chronographs and two tourbillon chronographs, amplifies the racing connection – the original Carrera was named after the legendary Carrera Panamericana road race. The collection is dedicated to performance, using cutting-edge materials and innovative design to create a watch that epitomises the high-octane energy associated with motoring.

The most noticeable thing about the new designs is the fully skeletonised dial, reimagined to enhance legibility. Rather like lifting a classic car bonnet to see the engine, this new dial, with a shield at its centre in a nod to the brand’s logo, gives the wearer an uninterrupted view of the movement below. The open-worked date disc on the outer edge of the dials highlights the three-dimensionality of the piece, with the aperture now at six o’clock. The case has also been redesigned, with a hollowed-out structure and sandblasted finish. It has also been marginally reduced in size to 44mm for better ergonomics on the wrist.

The real joys of this collection are the different colourways and mix of high-tech and precious materials. The bright orange option is inspired by the heat and speed of a racetrack. The blue version brings out the intricacies of the dial and movement, while a white Super-LumiNova date window that glows green in low light is a lovely detail. The all-black version emphasises the muscularity of this watch with its brooding DLC-coated case, while the rose-gold design softens the aesthetic, bringing out a mandala-like beauty in the contrast between the dial and the movement. Apart from the rose gold, the other three all have sandblasted titanium cases, rubber straps in complementary colours, and all are powered by the remarkable TH20-00.

This movement is the result of years of work by movements director, Carole Forestier-Kasapi and her team. They took the Heuer 02, redesigned the organ of the automatic system, including the gear train, and made the rotor bidirectional by altering its main axial, which improved accuracy. Most importantly, it now has a five-year warranty and 10 years without service. It’s not as sexy as sticking four tourbillons in a watch, but in terms of practicality, it’s an incredible achievement.

Of course, this being TAG Heuer, it couldn’t resist getting its tourbillon in on the action. This is the tourbillon that evolved out of the Carrera Heuer 02, first unveiled at Baselworld in 2015 and, when it went on sale in 2016, retailed at £12,100. This costs slightly more (expected retail CHF25,500 for the steel) but in the world of tourbillons, where some can set you back £100,000, it is still comparatively democratic. Now named the TH20-09, it features a vertical clutch and column wheel for the chronograph, to deliver a more satisfying pusher experience, a shield-shaped bidirectional rotor, a 65-hour power reserve, and that five-year extended warranty again.

What surrounds this exceptional movement is no less remarkable. TAG Heuer is offering two versions of its new Tourbillon Chronograph Extreme Sport. The first, all-black option has the same muscularity as the monochrome chronograph. It has a forged carbon tachymeter case, Grade 2 titanium fine-brushed and sandblasted case, and a black integrated rubber strap. The rose-gold version brings an air of luxury to the sporty timepiece. By only using gold on the sub dials and the tourbillon bridge, the complexity of the skeleton is allowed to take centre stage. It is a phenomenal-looking, mesmeric timepiece. In a clever move that reinforces the connections between this, and TAG Heuer’s Connected, both dials will be available on the smartwatch, making it a very democratic tourbillon indeed.

This new evolution really cements the Carrera’s reputation as the place where TAG Heuer has fun, and where new technologies are combined with historic watchmaking expertise. It’s the equivalent of a supercar for the wrist. The perfect F1 pit-stop companion, one might say.

From £7,150; tagheuer.com