The TAG Heuer Carrera reference CBG2A10.BA0654 is not to my liking, this reference put me off the whole Carrera range for a long, long time.

I am guessing when Jean Claude Biver came over from Hublot to run the company, he brought the Big Bang signature features to the designers. Hublot is a new brand established in 1980, has second rate brand ambassadors and is pretty much garish. The Carrera reference CBG2A10.BA0654 is a watch for the nouveau riche. This is a statement that doesn’t sit well with me, this was a quote picked up from a former girlfriend who hung around in old money. I cannot really call myself nouveau riche, I am self made, that’s pretty much true.

The 1960s vintage Heuer Carrera design is stylish, this came at an age when the leading watchmakers were all scrambling to release their chronographs. The automobile was increasing in technology, it was also marketed to the masses. The Omega Speedmaster, Rolex Daytona and Zenith El Primero were examples of outstanding design and style. The Heuer Carrera was not out of place in this stylish group, this is a chronograph belonging in esteemed company.

The reference CBG2A10.BA0654 is too large, the skeletonised dial is too similar to the Hublot Big Bang and the diameter at 45 mm is too large. This will be a watch that will date quickly, it has no classic lines, doesn’t fit under the sleeve and is not stylish – it has a short shelf life. This watch carries the name but not the prestige of the Carrera lineage, it is too large in just about every measurement and for me has no redeeming features. It is overpriced at $8750.00 AUD and I wouldn’t be parting parting with this much for this watch.