MOTOR SPORTS
Vintage Autavias and the new model at right.
TWO YEARS AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE CROWD-SOURCED
AUTAVIA 2017, and with Autavia vintage examples in high demand, TAG
Heuer at Baselworld 2019 reintroduces Autavia as its own collection. But
unlike the few specialized Autavia Heritage chronographs the brand has
offered recently, the new collection includes only three-hand models (at
present) and each watch’s Caliber 5 automatic movement is fit with the
carbon-composite hairspring TAG Heuer introduced earlier this year.
TAG Heuer’s new Autavia collection includes five 42 mm steel
watches and two 42mm bronze-cased watches that feature the familiar
rounded case, large crown and beveled lugs from the first Autavia
generation in the 1960s. Each also sports a bidirectional rotating bezel
with a 60-minute scale in black ceramic, blue ceramic or stainless steel.
All hour markers and hour, minute and seconds hands are coated with
SuperLuminova while the dial options include smoky black, grey or blue.
Each dial also features a date indicator at 6 o’clock.
CARBON INSIDE
As noted, the newest edition of TAG Heuer’s Caliber 5 chronograph
movement features a carbon-composite hairspring, indicated by TAG
Heuer with the word ‘Isograph’ on the watch’s dial. The trademarked
name comes from the Greek word iso, which means “equal”, and refers
to the stable and consistent movement of the component.
TAG Heuer explains that the new fully in-house carbon-composite
hairspring makes the Caliber 5 a more stable and consistent timekeeper.
98 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SUMMER 2019
The carbon-composite material creates a lightweight, low-density
hairspring virtually unaffected by gravity, shock and magnetism. In
addition, by pairing the hairspring with a new aluminum alloy balance
wheel, TAG Heuer says it also optimizes temperature sensitivity and
elasticity during its operation, again to positively influence durability
and maintain a consistent operating rate.
Outside the familiar Autavia case TAG Heuer has also made the
Autavia attractive to wearers who like to change the look of their
watch from time to time. Every strap or bracelet of every Autavia
model is interchangeable. The watch’s leather calfskin straps come
in dark brown or light brown, and a NATO strap is included in the
watch box of the timepieces that are sold on a stainless-steel bracelet.
However, NATO straps, leather straps and stainless-steel bracelets are
sold separately.
In addition to the stainless-steel Autavia three-hand models, TAG
Heuer has also launched two versions in bronze. These 42mm models
feature a smoked green or brown dial with a bidirectional rotating bezel
in black or brown ceramic, respectively. The model with the brown dial
and brown ceramic bezel is presented on a brown leather strap, while
the model with the green dial and black ceramic bezel is presented on
a khaki-colored leather strap. The caseback of both bronze models is
titanium. Prices start at $3,500 (grey smoked dial, steel bezel, brown
calfskin strap) and rise to $4,300 (42mm brown smoked dial, ceramic
bezel + bronze case, brown calfskin strap).