The Carrera Takes a Victory Lap

For the 60th anniversary of the Carrera, TAG Heuer has revived one of its all-time grails-an elegant golden version made famous by Ferrari's Niki Lauda and Mario Andretti (and Ryan Gosling's Ken).

- CAM WOLF

IN 1971, TAG Heuer's then CEO, Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the watchmaker's founder, made the drive from the company's Swiss headquarters to Maranello, the Italian town where Ferrari is based. Walking straight into Enzo Ferrari's office, he proposed a deal: In exchange for exposure on the cars and uniforms of Ferrari's Formula 1 team, TAG Heuer would offer them free state-of-the-art timing equipment. What's more, he would supply Ferrari drivers with an elegant variation on the Carrera, TAG Heuer's iconic stainless steel chronograph, which racers loved for timing their laps. Named for a notoriously treacherous rally race in Mexico, the Carrera was infused with its own automotive history. And this model, known as the 1158 CHN-CH for its champagne dials, N for its noir subdials was especially appealing to the luxe carmaker: It came in 18-karat gold.