TAG Heuer just presented the new Carrera Plasma during Keynote with its CEO Frédéric Arnault.
The second day of Watches & Wonders gives us a very special novelty, which uses Diamant d’Avant and features a unique setting on the case. Let’s discover it briefly in this article.
The diamond case of the Carrera Plasma
At 44mm in diameter, the Maison’s newcomer is definitely not a watch that goes unnoticed. The case is probably the main highlight of this novelty. In my opinion, the appearance at first sight makes the watch appear zebra-striped, in reality the clear areas that can be seen are some peculiar Diamant d’Avant-Garde set inside the case.
The body of the watch is made of anodized and sandblasted aluminum, a very unusual material in watchmaking and that TAG has chosen to bring out the set diamonds. The latter are lab-grown diamonds, but let’s dive deeper to understand what that means.
The differences between Diamant d’Avant-Garde and natural diamonds
The first question I asked myself when looking at this watch was what could be the substantial difference between laboratory diamonds and natural ones, given that this choice is also unusual in watchmaking. Trying to briefly explain the differences, laboratory diamonds are artificially created by man through a process that simulates the one that allows the formation of natural diamonds. The differences to the naked eye are practically imperceptible, the clarity is excellent and only an expert can tell them apart.
A great advantage of the lab-grown ones is certainly the possibility of having white paper at a creative level, in cutting and setting. While I was inquiring, I felt the need to give a more elegant name to this type of stone and to abandon the term “laboratory”. Then I discovered that this is what Tag Heuer did, calling them Diamant d’Avant Garde.
The dial
The dial of the new Carrera Plasma has a polycrystalline surface, which as the word suggests, is made up of microcrystals that should give an incredible effect in the light that we hope to see live soon. The indices are also Diamant d’Avant-Garde, to which the entirely diamond crown is also added.
The bezel, on the other hand, is in glossy black ceramic, with engraved numbers, which should give a good contrast to the rest of the watch.
The Nanograph Tourbillon Heuer 02 mechanism
The caliber that mounts the new Carrera Plasma is a “Heuer 02” in-house automatic chronograph Tourbillon. However, it is a special version made exclusively for this model, which differs in particular hand finishes, such as the checkered one that can be glimpsed under the oscillating weight with the TAG Heuer shield, symbol of the brand. The power reserve of the Carrera Plasma is 65 hours.
Conclusions
This new release of TAG Heuer is certainly among the most particular of Watches & Wonders on a visual level. Personally, I find the idea of this setting and the finishes of the dial and movement very interesting. In watchmaking we are experiencing a period in which very few new ideas arise, in this case I think this watch is truly original even if very disruptive.
It will be important for TAG to communicate its Diamant d’Avant-Garde well, to make them understand their use and choice of brand.
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