heuer yachting watch

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Heuer Yacht Timers

Heuer built handheld and wrist stopwatches without showing time of day for special purposes: racing, running, regatta-sailing, skiing, golfing and some more.

They are the “trailblazers” of the Heuer Skipper. First on a cord in the pocket, than as a big yacht-timer on the wrist – and at the end as a full time showing watch with the yachting chronograph function on the wrist.

Here are some of the ads of yacht timers of Heuer and some pictures in flesh – please send more if you find pictures and references to complete the page 😉

This is just a start to catalog the Heuer Yacht Timer – you can see the further developement online – stay tuned and enjoy some pictures first!

As my friend Mark found out, the Patent of the 5dots Yacht Timer was made in 1914 from Berna. the first known catalogue of a watch using the 5 circular apertures in the dial and the coloured red indicator disc rotating underneath was made by LEONIDAS, which was a kind of “pre-history” of Heuer too with the merging of the companies in 1964. It should be named here because some of the yachting timer and watches was made by Leonidas in the same time next to another or even in a joint venture before it became Heuer Leonidas.

1930 Leonidas Dealers Catalogue credit: Mark regatta-yachttimers.com

So in the history of all made yachting timers this one was THE most important milestone and the base of many yachting timer of the next timer in the second half of the last century.

Leonidas Yacht Timer Grail

The same 5 dots yacht timer is known with a Abercrombie and Fitch branded dial. Movement was made by Berna. Thats different and maybe earlier then the Leonidas, because Leonidas use the Venus 120 modified with regatta module.

There are some other yacht timer with serif fonts and enamel dial known which need to be researched. The movements should be the key to get the production dates into the right line…. will come next here.

The first found entry of a Yacht Timer made by Heuer is to read in the Catalog from 1936 showing on onthedash.com.

Yacht Timer at left bottom in the 1936 catalog credit: onthedash.com

Movement for reference 912 at top, same catalog credit: onthedash.com

1959-60 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

This old one have a very nice white case and a big crown.

Ref. 33.712 (catalogue 1959-60)

1961-62 Catalogue credit: onthedash.com

In natural the Yacht-Timer looks very colorful and nice!

Yachting Stopwatches – for regatta only!

1962 Catalogue credit: onthedash.com

1963 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

credit: Mark

1968 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

Yacht Timer Reference 403.615

1969-70 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

And yes – here you can see the real Autavia Skipper as first in a brochure – the Heuer Skipper 7764!

1970-71 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

503.812 with Valjoux 7710 from 1971

1972 Brochure credit: onthedash.com

Interesting to read at this ad is: “This exclusive yacht timer is used throughout the world by top skippers, including the INTREPID crew, winner of famous America Cup.” More about a using the first 5dot Heuer Aquastar Felsa 4000N Regatta wristwatch by the crew of the INTREPID you find here . 

1973 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

One not in the known catalogues listed (403.915 with other dial?) credit: Luuk

1974 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

1976 Yacht Timers catalogue credit: onthedash.com

1976 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

Ref.603.612 (catalogue 1976)

1977-78 Brochure credit: onthedash.com

1980 Brochure credit: onthedash.com

Ref 203.512 with genuine box

1982 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

1983 catalogue credit: onthedash.com

1986 Brochure credit: onthedash.com

Interesting facts about the 5-dots wrist-stopwatch you can find here . It seems that this was built by Lemania and labeled with Heuer (and Aquastar).

Yacht Timer 203.505 – heavy, metal, black pvd

The one and only “5dot” stopwatch not for the wrist made by Heuer Ref. 658.915 (catalogue 1986)

The stopwatches sometimes have the typo “Trackmaster” on the dial, see one of the 603.615 too with that. “Trackmaster” (and “Trackstar”) stopwatches were selling by Heuer from 1968 till the 1980´s. Usually they had a cheaper pinlever movement but with regulation tolerance +- 1,5 sec/h. The professional calibres were 7700 with 36.000 bph and a regulation tolerance of 0,5 sec/h. *1

Ref. 603.615 (catalogue 1986) unusual layout with EB 411 but used by other brands too

It seems that some of the Yacht timers were produced over a long time period with the same dial and different cases as the Ref. 653.515. Look at the older catalogues, need to have an exact eye to see some differences for that one.

This post needs to be continued…

Update 17.08.2014 Based on my idea to show all Heuer Yachting Timer year by year printed in the catalogues the mastermind of onthedash.com, Jeff Stein worked it out. He found some catalogpages more and filled the overview with some explaination and put in a very nice overview about the movements. This overview was made by Hans Schrag, a great expert and former (TAG-) Heuer director in the United States. Great stuff!

You find Jeffs excellent post here.

Here is the table of references with movements made by Hans Schrag and published by Jeff – and my additions.

Source: *1 sempervivens on http://forums.watchuseek.com – have to prove.

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Today, TAG Heuer is surprising the watch world with the rebirth of one of its most well-known watches – the Skipper – in a brand new package. It's old meets new with 2023 TAG Heuer Skipper, but before we touch on what makes this novelty special, it's important to take a walk through the past and see how it got here. And then when you’re done reading, come back and watch the video.

The new TAG Heuer Skipper.

If you're the yachting type, you're no doubt familiar with the Intrepid – a groundbreaking vessel in its time known for winning the famed America's Cup race in 1967. That boat, weighing over 6,000 pounds, now rests at the docks of Newport, Rhode Island, and is best known in horological circles for the distinct blue color of its deck. The reason we watch-lovers know about the color on a more-than-half-a-century-old boat is because it inspired one of the most iconic vintage watches on the planet: The Heuer Skipper ref. 7754, also known as the “Skipperera.” Literal paint chips were taken off the deck of the Intrepid to ensure the hue matched the subdials of that watch, which went into development in 1967 before entering production in 1968.

The Skipper is something of a singular design, and while there were Skippers made in a variety of Heuer "body styles," it's the Carrera Skipper that stands out above all others. Produced for about a decade, the Heuer Skipper is as recognizable as a Paul Newman Daytona and known for several visual hallmarks: Its deep blue sunray dial, and its use of orange, green, and Intrepid blue. It's racing-chronograph meets the sea – a pseudo yachting watch.

The famed Intrepid, winner of the 1967 America's Cup, passing Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 2017, Hodinkee founder Ben Clymer turned his love of that vintage reference into a special limited edition in collaboration with TAG Heuer: The TAG Heuer Limited Edition Carrera Skipper For Hodinkee. Utilizing the 39mm vintage-meets-modern case design in TAG’s catalogue at the time, that watch was a rethinking of the Skipper mold. Where the OG was roughly 36mm in diameter, this one was 3mm larger. Instead of two subdials, ours had one tri-color sub-register and a date window at three o'clock, but maintained the same blue dial color. This watch also featured solo Heuer branding and the Skipper positioned at period-accurate 12 o'clock (more on that later).

That LE is, without question, the watch we get the most requests for – five years after it sold out. It goes without saying that we really love it.

A trio of Skippers over time (left to right): The Heuer Skipper ref. 7754, The TAG Heuer Limited Edition Carrera Skipper for Hodinkee, and the new TAG Heuer Skipper.

The original Heuer Skipperera.

The Hodinkee Skipper Limited Edition.

It's with that love in mind that we were excited to see that TAG Heuer was returning to the Skipper with a brand new 2023 release, but with some truly interesting changes. Those changes are related to another hallmark release from the brand earlier this year at Watches & Wonders: The complete re-design of the Carrera chronograph with the introduction of the new 39mm Glassbox . That watch was the talk of the show with its pronounced crystal and sloped dial creating a 39mm watch that wears more like a 37 due to its lug-to-lug measurement.

This new Skipper shares its design with the standard blue glassbox with its date placement at six o'clock. Instead of the internal tachymeter readout on the sloped portion of the dial, this one forgoes the use of numerals, using conventional markers instead – this is a yachting watch after all.

Ahead of today's launch we had a chance to see the new Skipper in real life, well – more like in make-believe life. That's because we were able to take the watch out for a sail in Newport, Rhode Island – on the Intrepid. I was onboard with those you know: Ben Clymer, James Stacey, and Will Holloway – and some maybe you know less well: video team members Jonathan McWhorter and Joe Wyatt.

Getting the watch back to the place that inspired its very existence was akin to visiting a museum. But this was a live museum, and as I walked on that iconic blue deck, I couldn't help but take the watch off my wrist and hold it against the blue surface and examine the 1:1 color match. The new Skipper felt very at home here, even if I didn't (although I did indeed raise the jib, fold the sails, and captain the Intrepid temporarily, I'm by no means a yachtsman).

The feeling of being carried by the wind through the waves on an old old wooden ship just felt right. Aware of the historical connection, we came prepared. Not only did we have the new Skipper on hand, but we also had a ref. 7754 (courtesy of Mr. Clymer), and also our own Skipper LE. The trio really showed the power of this design. Having them lined up also allowed for easy examination of everything new in this latest iteration of the Skipper – so let's get into it.

The first thing you'll notice on this new TAG Heuer Skipper is the overall modern appearance. It takes on the look of the new 39mm Glassbox design, as noted earlier. Those modern flourishes are muted, however, by the overall color scheme and use of vintage-inspired typography. One major departure from the Skipper design mold is the decision by TAG to keep the Carrera wordmark at 12 o'clock. Historically, that spot has been reserved for the word Skipper . Instead, we find Skipper in the all-blue subdials at nine o'clock, just beneath the numerals eight and four.

In some ways this watch is very faithful to the original Skipper because it brings back the subdials at three and nine, the former executed in the recognizable tri-color green, orange and blue. Where the OG didn't include the date, this one has the date tucked neatly at six o'clock, in line with a very under-the-radar small-seconds display with alternating markers in white and orange.

The dial maintains that deep blue sunray finish with applied markers on the main portion of that dial. There are orange-painted accents above each marker, and then a second set of markings on the sloped edges for use with the chronograph function. Speaking of which, the chronograph hand is done in orange, as are the tips of the hour and minute hand.

The 39 mm case is a fairly slim 13.9mm in thickness with very wearable 46mm lug-to-lug measurements. It is also water resistant to 100m, which reassured us as the waves hit the side of the Intrepid during our sail. Inside the watch, and viewable via an exhibition caseback, is the automatic-winding TAG Heuer caliber TH20-06 with its 80 hours of power reserve.

This will no doubt be a splashy release (pun fully intended), but I also see this as a really interesting shift from the way TAG Heuer used to handle its "revival" offerings. By integrating throwback design cues into a modern body with the new Glassbox, it seems the brand is fully invested in maintaining the TAG branding, even on models that speak to the past. So long Heuer.

It's with that idea in mind, that certain design departures – like the positioning of the word Skipper – are acceptable here. This is not a re-edition, but rather a re-birth of the Skipper. While the brand isn't calling this a limited edition, I have to think production of these will be lower than that of the standard models. And this isn't just a watch for yachting. It's a fully capable, modern chronograph from a brand with serious history in that space with a truly colorful backstory.

Now, if you‘re thirsting for content on this new release, and want more coverage of yours truly milling about on a historical yacht with his Hodinkee buddies, be sure to watch the video above. Happy sailing.

The TAG Heuer Skipper: 39mm x 13.9mm with a lug-to-lug of 46mm; stainless steel case with textile strap with a leather underside and a deployant buckle; water resistant to 100m; blue sunray dial with accents of blue, orange and green; hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph functionality; movement is the TAG Heuer TH20-06; available July 2023; price: $6,750.

Photos: James Stacey, Will Holloway, and Jonathan McWhorter Video: Joe Wyatt and Jonathan McWhorter

The Hodinkee shop is an authorized retailer of TAG Heuer watches. The new Skipper is available now in the H Shop.

TAG Heuer is part of the LVMH group. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in HODINKEE, we maintain complete editorial independence.

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• SAVOIR FAIRE

SAVOIR FAIRE Sea change: the evolution of yacht timers

Heuer Aquastar Regate advertising, circa 1964 © TAG Heuer

At TAG Heuer, we’ve always had an intimate connection with the ocean. Our transition into nautical timing birthed some of our greatest stopwatches and timepieces ever. We’ve dug into our archives to uncover the evolution of our yacht timers. From the 1930s to present day, discover a glorious collection of pieces that have inspired both watch collectors and sailing pros.

What is a yacht timer?

To appreciate yacht timers, it’s important to understand that yacht races are defined by one critical moment. The moment when the signal boat blasts a horn and raises a flag to mark the start of the race. There is a 5-minute countdown to the start so the yachts can try to hold a strong position at the start line. This countdown to the start of a race is almost as important as the race itself. If a boat crosses the start line too soon, it is penalized. If it crosses the start line too late, it gives away an advantage to its competitors. 

Under the rules of yacht racing, flags are raised and horns are sounded 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 1 minute before the start and of course, at the start of the race. There may also be important countdowns from the 10 and 15 minute marks. Skippers must be able to control their boats as well as calculate and anticipate the time leading up to the start. By working closely with sailing experts, Heuer developed carefully thought-out yacht timers to measure pre-race intervals, tides and of course, the race.

1930s – stopwatches for yacht timing

Flick through the Heuer archives and you’ll find special stopwatches designed for yacht racing dating back all the way to the 1930s. While the numbers for minutes and seconds on a standard stopwatch count ‘up’, that is they move clockwise from 5-10-15 up to 50-55-60, the minutes and seconds on a yacht timer count ‘down’. Rather than counting up to 60 minutes, the standard yachting timer counts down exactly 5 minutes. The period for the pre-race signals in a yacht race. The numbers for seconds on Heuer’s yachting timers count ‘down’, with the numbers for seconds printed on the dial moving clockwise from 60-55-50 down to 15-10-5.  

Heuer catalogue, 1933 © TAG Heuer

Heuer catalogue, circa 1936-1938 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Solunar Advertising, circa 1940 © TAG Heuer

1949 - the rise of the Solunar

Apart from the countdown to the start of a race, yacht racers also benefit from knowing the times for high tides and low tides. In 1949, Heuer introduced the first wristwatch with a permanent tide indicator. In addition to the three standard hands to indicate the hour, minutes and seconds, the Solunar had a colorful inset disc to show the tide times. Upon arriving at a specific location, sailors, racers, or fishermen could check the local tide charts and use a pusher to set the tide disc. 

This disc then inched forward soon after midnight each day to indicate the times for the high and low tides for the following day. The Solunar laid the groundwork for the development of the Heuer chronographs of the future, which would also incorporate the tide disc.  The origin story of the Solunar is as thrilling as the timepiece itself. You can hear all about it in Season 2 of our podcast A Matter of Time .

Despite its innovative and eye-catching design, our archives suggest that Solunar wasn’t an easy sell. Here’s a quote from a piece of correspondence between Heuer and its then partner Abercrombie & Fitch: ‘This Solunar watch is a big hit, but it also has a big flaw. To sell it you need a “how to set and how to handle it” explanation. Despite a superb color leaflet, the explanation is too complicated, and the sellers in the shops prefer to sell simple watches.’

1950 to 1954 - a new wave of tide chronographs

The Solunar was a three-hand watch (hours, minutes and seconds) with a special tide dial. And it paved the way for a series of chronographs that would incorporate this same type of tide dial in a three-register chronograph, with the capacity to record up to 12 hours. The minute recorder was divided into five-minute segments, making the chronographs especially useful for yacht races. These watches were made over a period of two decades, first as the Heuer Mareograph and Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, with the Orvis Solunagraph joining the line-up circa 1970. Each of these chronographs sailed forth to become a collector’s item.

When these chronographs first arrived in 1950, Heuer seems to have felt the need to explain how they worked, so customers could better understand the benefits of owning a watch with a tide indicator. Here’s an advertisement for the Mareograph. It came with two separate sections that explained how you could use the timepiece for yachting as well as fishing and hunting.

1957 - the Ring-Master

While the wristwatches with tide indicators made waves, Heuer introduced an entirely new type of yacht timer in 1957: the Heuer Ring-Master. The Ring-Master stopwatch came with seven interchangeable rings, allowing the owner to quickly install different rings to time different events, like boxing, football and many other sports. Each of the rings were a different color, with different markings. The bright yellow Ring 1 was perfect for yacht racing as it was marked for a countdown of minutes and seconds.  

Heuer Solunar, circa 1950 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Seafarer, circa 1950 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Mareograph, circa 1950 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Ring-Master, circa 1957 © TAG Heuer

1959 - the Giant

Towards the end of the fifties, Heuer made revolutionary changes in its approach to yacht timers. A great example of this is a stopwatch that was listed as ‘The Giant’. First, instead of the five minutes to the start of the race being shown on a relatively small recorder occupying only a fractional area of the dial, the track marking the minutes covered almost the entire area of the dial. This track was marked for five minutes, and each of the one-minute segments was a different color. The case diameter increased from the previous standard 49mm up to 57mm, with the case also having a white enamel coating.  

1964 to 1967 - the Aquastar years

Aquastar was founded in 1962 as a subsidiary of Jean Richard, an established Swiss maker at the time. It became well-known for making watches for use in and on the water. The Regate set sail in 1964 as a watch specifically designed for timing the start of a yacht race. This model’s defining characteristics are five circular apertures across the top of the dial. Graced with a rotating disk, they give the appearance of five red balls that represent the minutes being counted down. The dial on this watch is signed ‘Aquastar’ and ‘Heuer’. Aquastar produced the watch and Heuer distributed it. By 1976 Heuer would have its own branded ‘Regatta’ countdown watches that used the same style of circular apertures. But Heuer’s examples typically timed 10-minute periods, using five red circles and five blue circles.

1964 - for every kind of skipper

Heuer was beginning to harness the potential, and versatility, of yacht timers. The watchmaker began using advertorials to persuade ‘skippers’ from different walks of life to embrace these pieces.

1966 – the Navia goes sailing

Heuer had been making dashboard clocks since the 1930s. The hallmarks of these pieces were their 8-day capacity and rugged cases and movements that could withstand racing, rallying or aviation. Named the ‘Master Time’ in 1958, by the mid-1960s Heuer had modified the dashboard clock to be useful at sea. The ‘Navia’ (referring to ‘naval’ and ‘aviation’) incorporated a waterproof case and offered superb legibility, with Heuer advertising that it was perfect for the open cockpit of a boat. 

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We arrive at the historic moment that inspired Heuer to leave a lasting mark on the sailing world: the America’s Cup in September 1967. Heuer supplied timing equipment for the legendary racing yacht Intrepid , including Heuer-Aquastar wristwatches and handheld yacht timers. Not far from the shores of Newport, Rhode Island, the Intrepid stormed to victory. To commemorate skipper Emil Mosbacher’s triumph, Heuer produced an entirely new chronograph, the iconic Reference 7754.  

The first Heuer ‘Skipper’ used a bright blue, green and orange dial. It was given a Carrera case, with the 30-minute recorder of the Carrera replaced by a 15-minute countdown recorder. This timepiece is highly coveted by vintage Heuer collectors and people with a passion for sailing. This first version would live a very short life. Only a few hundred pieces were created. And then the Skipper chronograph would move to the ‘compressor’ case of the Autavia. The name ‘Skipper’ would live on through several other versions through the 1970s and 1980s.

1968 - how to make a strong start

By crafting cutting-edge yacht timers, Heuer enabled teams to not only make a good start, but also a flying finish. Heuer was so dedicated to yacht racing enthusiasts that the brand created catalogs with tips on how to make a good start.

1970 - winning hearts

While the Skipper was making waves for chronograph enthusiasts, Heuer yacht timers continued to be marketed among Heuer’s precision instruments ‘for sports, industrial, scientific applications.’ Here’s an example of an old ad published in The Sunday Oregonian. It highlights the timer’s color-coded central five-minute register.

Heuer advertising, circa 1964 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Skipper 7754, circa 1968 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Yacht Timer advertising, circe 1970 © TAG Heuer

1972 to 1974 - the rise and rise of the Skipper

The design of the Skipper chronograph evolved over the years, as it moved from the Carrera case to a series of Autavia cases. The design of the second Skipper, circa 1970, featured a black dial, an oversized countdown recorder with red, white and blue segments, The Skipper would roll on into the 1970s in the C-shaped cases used by the Autavias, with a variety of manual and automatic configurations, but always with the emblematic 15-minute countdown recorder.

1974 - regulation approved

In 1973, Heuer introduced a new style of wrist stopwatch, called the ‘Supersport’.  The Regatta model, or Reference 775.915 from 1974, was an eye-catching piece, with a bright blue case and the red, white and blue segments on the dial corresponding to the colors used on many of Heuer’s yacht timers. This version of the Supersport was marketed as ‘a wrist speedometer built on the basis of International Yacht Racing Union regulations’. 

Heuer advertising, circa 1976 © TAG Heuer

1978 - style and substance

Crafted to be durable at sea, the Heuer yacht timer Reference 503.915 was housed inside a lightweight shockproof fiberglass case to withstand the elements (and look good doing it). Heuer called this its ‘Fibershell’ case.  At 62mm across the case, this yacht timer was easy to grip (being larger than even The Giant, from 1959), while the unique shape of the case ensured that the sailor would have a ‘safe, sure grip’ under any conditions. 

1983 - regatta royalty

Heuer had offered ‘Regatta’ wristwatches in the 1960s and 1970s, but in 1983 the Regatta moved to a dramatic new series of cases, borrowed from the Autavia. At over 42mm across the dial, the cases were coated in either black, olive or pewter. Each Regatta was graced with colored discs (red and blue) to countdown two 5-minute sequences. The other, even more colorful, wrist yacht timers gaining in popularity were the Reference 503.512 and the Heuer Surfer.

1983 to 1986 - time for action

‘Time for action’ was TAG Heuer’s call to action in the 1980s. The tagline was stamped across several catalogs at the time, showcasing the brand’s wide range of versatile timing equipment that attracted sporting professionals and enthusiasts from across the world. From motor racing to athletics to, of course, sailing. The 1983 catalog featured the final version of the Skipper as we knew it then, housed in a large version of the Autavia case.

TAG Heuer "Time for action" advertising, circa 1986 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Yacht Timer, circa 1978 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Yacht Timer, circa 1982 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Yacht Timer, circa 1983 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Yacht Timer, circa 1984 © TAG Heuer

Heuer Surfer, circa 1984 © TAG Heuer

1990 to 2014

By releasing yacht timers like the TAG Heuer Searacer (in the late 1990s), the Aquaracer Calibre S Regatta (circa 2005) and the limited edition TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500 Meter Countdown Chronograph for Team Oracle USA at the 2013 America’s Cup, the brand continued its steady relationship with sailing.

2023 - a return to the high seas

Today TAG Heuer is once again expanding its horizons and reconnecting with its sailing DNA. Through its new partnership with Flying Nikka – a racing yacht at the leading edge of high-performance sailing technology – the brand is back sailing the high seas at the highest level.

2023 - the comeback king

This year also marks the return of the legendary Skipper . Reminiscent of the unforgettable 1968 Heuer Skipper, this new iteration is yet another exhilarating landmark, further strengthening TAG Heuer’s bond with the ocean. A relationship that began almost 100 years ago, in the 1930s, but will undoubtedly last forever.

CBS2213.FN6002 TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper

Discover more

• Yacht Timer

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The TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper, The Return Of The Sailing Chronograph

A modernized take on a rare edition of the cult carrera, dedicated to regatta..

With 60 years of history behind its name, you can certainly expect the emblematic Carrera to have been offered in more than just a few editions . In fact, countless styles, movements and shapes have been used over the years. Some are, arguably, more iconic than others. In addition to the classic silver or panda dials found on the first-generation models, the brand has long been creative, releasing original dials such as the Montreal-inspired Carrera or, looking back at the 1960s, a version known to be one of the most collectable and most distinctive; the Carrera Skipper. The brightly-coloured, instantly recognizable regatta chronograph is back, 40 years after it disappeared from the collection. 

The Heuer Carrera Skipper name refers to more than just one watch, however, a model in particular (which you can see below) surely defines the look of this watch. The Skipper has seen the light of day in 1968, and has been in production up until 1983. Although later versions of the Skipper used the Autavia case, the very first examples (of which only around 300 were made) were based on the classic Carrera chronograph.

What made this watch special? First of all, it was dedicated to regatta races, where contrary to motorsport, the start of the race is not as easy as standing still on a starting grid. A regatta countdown timer reveals the critical time remaining before the start of a boat race, which can vary anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. A regatta race is preceded by audible and visual signs to alert skippers to get themselves positioned as close to the imaginary starting line as possible. Manoeuvring a boat at sea and dealing with erratic wind and waves is not quite like a runner on blocks waiting for the signal. Yachts tack back and forth, and a countdown period lets them manoeuvre to the best position being very careful not to cross the imaginary starting line.

For this reason, the classic Carrera chronograph was modified to display a 15-minute sub-dial, the latter becoming a 15-minute regatta pre-start counter separated into three, five-minute segments. Each of these segments was a different colour, with vivid orange being used to alert the crew to the fact that there was just five minutes to go; green to represent the colour of the boat’s rigging and light teal in the middle. This boldly-coloured watch, with a brushed blue base dial, became a cult edition. It was somehow revived in 2017 by our colleagues at Hodinkee, and now comes back as a member of the permanent collection.

The new TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper

Exactly 40 years after the end of the production, the emblematic colourful dial of the Carrera Skipper is back, within the cool and distinctive case of the recently-introduced Carrera Glassbox Chronograph . In keeping with the elements that made the old version of the Carrera Skipper a rather unique take on the Carrera, the new version also shares a fair amount of evolutions compared to the classic model it uses as a base.

Starting with the case, we find here the original and visually appealing bezel-less construction of the “Glassbox” watch. The 39mm case is made of stainless steel with polished top surfaces and brushed flanks. What makes it special and visually cool is the fact that no bezel is used on this watch. The ultra-domed box-shaped crystal is directly attached to the case without a traditional framing element. It thus extends to the very edge of the case. The result is a watch where you can see the dial from the side and that offers warm, vintage-like distortions. It is paired with a curved internal flange that reinforces this domed effect.

The rest of the case used for this new TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper is fully identical to the classic reversed panda or blue Glassbox chronographs . As such, it retains its comfortable 100m water-resistance (useful for a yachting watch) as well as its relatively compact proportions. If the height is measured at about 14mm (manageable for a modern automatic chronograph), the 39mm diameter and restrained 46mm lug-to-lug make this watch very comfortable on the wrist. The sharp, faceted lugs and oversized pump-like pushers are reminders that this watch is, first and foremost, a Carrera.

It’s time now to talk about what really matters, about the element that makes a Skipper a Skipper… The dial. In line with the bold and distinctive style used on the vintage first-gen models, the new Carrera Skipper comes with a dark blue, nautically-inspired dial with a circular-brushed surface. This dial is punctuated by large and legible rhodium-plated, faceted hands and applied markers. In addition to the phantom-like small seconds and framed date window at 6 o’clock, it’s mostly the counters that create the link with the past.

The 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock features a “skipper” mention and is teal-toned, while the all-important minute counter at 3 o’clock comes with the cult 3-tone segments in Intrepid teal, Lagoon Green and Regatta Orange. And you’ll note that it changed from a 30-minute display to a countdown-style 15-minute display, implying some modifications to the movement. The last touch of colour is provided by the orange lacquered central seconds hand. Overall, a distinctive and original dial that blends modern and historical elements.

Inside the case is the Calibre TH20-06, an evolution of the movement found in the Carrera Glassbox, itself an update of the Calibre Heuer02. This in-house, integrated automatic chronograph movement relies on a column wheel and vertical clutch architecture and delivers a solid 80-hour power reserve. It now offers a bi-directional winding and has a slightly more modern decoration, with a newly-designed rotor.

Availability & price

Worn on a water-resistant blue fabric strap, closed by a folding clasp, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper is now available from the brand’s e-commerce website, its boutique and retailers. It is part of the permanent collection and isn’t limited. It is priced at EUR 6,850 ,  CHF 6,600 or  USD 6,750 . For more details, please consult www.tagheuer.com .

Technical specifications – TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper

4 responses.

No comments. Apparently there is little to b*#ch about. Not too big, not too small, not too retro, close enough to the original, not too expensive and even the date must be in the right place and has the right colour. Even the anti Tag crowd is silent. This must be a really good and cool watch. And you know what, I think it is!

I really like the movement it is not the same cam lever movement most are using. The part I hate is I connot aford the sailing boat!

Maybe I’m just being overly critical, but the orange tips on the hour and minute hands are completely unnecessary.

Yes,yes you are, they look cool or fun, etc. The sea AND sun.

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Hands On: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper

Launched in 1968 as a chronograph for sailors, the Skipper ref. 7754 has long been one of the more idiosyncratic models created by Heuer, novel and rare enough to be sought after by Heuer aficionados. Now the brand has revived the model in a gently modernised format with the TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper . Based on the Carrera “Glassbox” introduced in March, the  new watch retains the regatta-inspired aesthetic of its predecessor but is very much its own watch.

Initial thoughts 

While not nearly as well as known as its auto racing-inspired stablemates like the Autavia and Monaco, the Skipper is very much in keeping with Heuer’s historical speciality of functional chronographs conceived for professional sportspeople. Despite being a fairly niche model, the vintage Skipper is memorable thanks to a distinctive aesthetic, which has been smartly transplanted into the new Skipper.

The new Skipper has a vintage-inspired aesthetic but is a clearly a modern watch, demonstrating TAG Heuer’s ability to successfully reimagine its historical models. It retains the key design elements that made the original memorable, namely the coloured sub-dials and orange seconds hand.

But the new model isn’t a remake, but is essentially a variant of the Carrera Glassbox. As a result, it shares the appeal of the Glassbox, including the case styling and in-house movement. But like the Glassbox, the Skipper feels a little thick at just under 14 mm high, a consequence of the movement inside.

Notably, the new Skipper has the model name in the 12-hour register at nine, which isn’t too obtrusive but it does throw off the balance of the dial ever so slightly. As a result, the dial now bears two model names – “Carrera” and “Skipper” – that explain the model hierarchy of TAG Heuer’s line-up: this is first and foremost a Carrera, but with the functionality and face of a Skipper. 

If one had to nitpick, the only downside of the Skipper is the fact that it has no actual regatta-countdown function, a specialised complication that few watches have. But a t US$6,750, the Carrera Skipper is priced well enough to be good value. That’s a modest premium over the standard Carrera Glassbox, and one that is worth it given the distinctive aesthetic and interesting history.

The very first Skipper

Today’s Carrera Skipper is a reinterpretation of the first Skipper model, the ref. 7754, introduced in 1968. The original was conceived to mark the victory of Intrepid , the vessel backed by the New York Yacht Club, in the 1967 America’s Cup. A variant of the Carrera ref. 3647 – hence the occasional nickname “Skipperera” – the Skipper ref. 7754 had a deep blue dial with coloured registers – teal for the 30-minute counter and the 15-minute regatta counter segmented into three five-minute blocks in orange, teal, and lagoon green.

Produced only for one year, explaining its rarity, the ref. 7754 was succeeded by other versions of the Skipper, most of which were based on the Autavia. These subsequent Skipper models  remained in production until 1983, but it is the original ref. 7754 that gave birth to today’s Carrera Skipper.

An example of the Heuer Skipper ref. 7754 that sold in 2022. Image – Phillips

The new Skipper is based on the original in more ways than one. Not only does it replicate the livery of the original, it is also based on the current Carrera model, just like the ref. 7754.

Like its vintage namesake, the new Skipper is essentially a variant of the current Carrera, which is the Glassbox. It shares the same case that does away with the bezel and installs a tall, domed crystal. This allows it to have the bowl-shaped chapter ring and raised minute track that define the Carrera Glassbox.

The protruding domed sapphire crystal that is the defining characteristic of TAG Heuer’s latest case design.

Though the lack of bezel gives the watch a recognisably modern face, the case retains the faceted lugs of the 1960s Carrera, albeit in larger format. The case is 39 mm in diameter and a height of 13.9 mm, which is compact enough for a modern-day sports chronograph in terms of diameter, but still quite thick on the wrist. Case thickness is a weakness of most TAG Heuer chronographs, simply as a consequence of the tall in-house movement found in most of its watches. 

This wears exactly the same as the Glassbox of earlier this year, but with a splash of colour and slight change in functionality. Image – TAG Heuer

A familiar livery

Much like how the Carrera Glassbox reimagines the vintage Carrera, the new Skipper adopts the important elements of the vintage original while still being its own watch.

The dial retains all of the important bits of the ref. 7754, namely the distinctive colours on the sub-dials and hands, all of which are overlaid on the Carrera Glassbox dial. So the dial retains its bowl-shaped chapter ring, but is now in a dark, metallic blue modelled on the ref. 7754.

And like the original, the new Skipper has an orange seconds hand, but also additional orange accents on the tips of the hour and minute hands as well as the hour markers and constant seconds. The extra orange accents are restrained and have just enough colour to give the dial life without going overboard.

The two sub-dials are in the same colour as the vintage original, though the register at nine is now an hour counter instead of constant seconds as on the original. Instead the new Skipper opts for a “ghost” seconds register at six o’clock that also includes the date window. Naturally, the vintage Skipper did not have a date, but the addition of the date here isn’t too intrusive, perhaps because of the strong dial colours.

The most notable aspect of the dial is actually the 15-minute counter at three simply because the standard Carrera Glassbox has a 30-minute counter. This required a tweak to the movement.

Inside the Skipper is the TH20-06 derived from the TH20-00 movement in the Carrera Glassbox. A new and improved version of the workhorse Heuer 02, the TH20-00 was developed by the team led by Carole Forsetier-Kasapi, the chief of movement development at TAG Heuer. 

The Skipper’s TH20-06 has a simple yet effective modification for the minute counter. In the standard movement, the vertical clutch has one protruding finger that impulses a 30-toothed minute counter wheel once a minute.

The TH20-06 instead has two fingers on the vertical clutch, thus impulsing the minute counter wheel twice a minute, double the rate of travel of the minute counter hand. This simple modification means the minute counter completes a full revolution every 15 minutes instead of 30. Notably, the modification can be seen in action as the vertical clutch is visible through the display back.

Like all variants of the TH20-00, the TH20-06 incorporates both a column wheel and vertical clutch, along with a substantial power reserve of 80 hours.

And like TAG Heuer’s other movements, and most movements in this price segment, the movement decoration leans towards the industrial. With that in mind, I would have preferred a closed back, perhaps one with a yachting-inspired motif.

Concluding thoughts 

Like several of TAG Heuer’s recent launches, the new Skipper pays homage to a vintage model without being a one-for-one remake. And the result is a success, because the new model instantly evokes the ref. 7754 “Skipperera” but equally looks like a modern-day Carrera Glassbox.

The new Skipper is probably the most appealing of all the Glassbox iterations, and considering the closeness in pricing between the two, this is a compelling proposition.

Key facts and price

TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Ref. CBS2213.FN6002

Diameter : 39 mm Height : 13.9 mm Material : Stainless steel Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance : 100 m

Movement: TH20-06 Functions: Hour, minutes, seconds, date, and chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 beats per hours (4 Hz) Power reserve: 80 hours

Strap : Fabric strap with folding clasp

Limited edition: No Availability: At TAG Heuer boutiques and retailers Price : US$6,750

For more, visit Tagheuer.com .

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First of Its Kind, Last of Its Kind

A Classic Yachting Watch Gets a Second Wind

TAG Heuer’s new timepiece is inspired by one that commemorated the 1967 America’s Cup.

By Lindsay Talbot

EDOUARD HEUER WAS 16 when he began apprenticing under a local watchmaker in Saint-Imier, the Swiss Alpine village where he spent part of his childhood. Four years later, in 1860, Heuer opened a small workshop on his parents’ farm, where he made silver pocket watches. Within a decade, he’d acquired his first patent — for a crown-operated winding system — and in 1887 he filed another, for an improvement on the design of the oscillating pinion, which allowed his chronographs to start and stop more efficiently. Known for its accuracy and technical precision, the brand gained popularity among athletes and aviators, and was the official timekeeper for three Olympic Games in the 1920s.

In 1958, Jack Heuer, Edouard’s great-grandson, joined the family business. A skier and car-racing enthusiast, he oversaw the creation of the now-iconic 1963 Carrera, which was named after the Carrera Panamericana automobile race across Mexico. For the America’s Cup in 1967, the Heuer company outfitted the Intrepid yacht-racing team, that year’s winners, with regatta wristwatches and stopwatches; the following year, to commemorate the victory, Jack debuted a new chronograph called the Skipper, featuring the same hands and case as the Carrera. The deep blue metallic dial was flanked by twin subcounters, with a mint green minute recorder on the left and a 15-minute countdown regatta timer on the right divided into three segments of green, orange and teal. (The teal was chosen to match the exact color of the Intrepid’s anti-reflective deck, making it easily visible through sea spray.)

Fifty-five years later, TAG Heuer is reviving the archival Skipper, which had long disappeared from its catalog. Now, the signature Carrera blue brushed dial features hour and minute hands with pennant-topped tips, a bright orange second hand, rhodium-plated indexes, a date display at 6 o’clock and a navy textile strap. By land or sea, it’s still as timeless as ever.

Photo assistant: Christopher Thomas Linn

OnTheDash ®

Heuers on the sea — 25 years of yacht timers (1959 to 1984).

Although today’s enthusiasts associate Heuer most closely with motorsports, over the years Heuer developed and marketed a vast array of stopwatches and chronographs for timing all sorts of sports events.  Glancing at Heuer’s 1970 /71 catalog of timers and chronographs, we see timepieces for over 40 sports, ranging from bobsledding to boxing, and from and rodeo to rugby.

Many of Heuer’s stopwatches and chronographs were designed for specific sports.  For example, for track and field, Heuer recommended a stopwatch with 1/100 second indication, with split action (show, below left).  By contrast, the parachutist had far simpler requirements, being well-served by a simple 60 second stopwatch, that is highly legible and reliable in low temperatures.  Indeed, the parachutist had no need for even the simplest feature, the time-in and time-out button to stop and restart the watch.  The waterski-slalom timer (Reference 403.632) indicates the motorboat’s speed over a measured distance, while the rowing timer (Ref 403.414) shows strokes per minute.

Heuer made split second stopwatches to time the differential between two runners, two horses or two cars, flyback timers to check lap times, and even a chess clock will keep track of the times of the players’ moves.

The Challenges of Yacht Timing

Heuer developed special timepieces for many types of competitions, but yacht races (regattas) presented some unique challenges.  First, while timing the race itself is important, the countdown to the start of the race may be even more important.  The competitors have a set time before the start of the race (usually 10 minutes), to plot their course / develop their approach to the start line, and the boat that gets to the start line in the best position will be at a significant advantage in the race itself.

Bouncing on the waves, with the sun and spray obstructing the view, legibility will be critical. Bigger will usually be better, especially for the captain reading the countdown to the start of the race.  In the minutes before the start of the race, the deck will be a busy place, so simplicity in the design and functions of the watch will also be critical.  Of course, let’s not forget that the ideal yacht timer must be waterproof and shock resistant.

This Survey

In this posting, we will survey the yacht timers that Heuer offered over the years from 1959 through 1984. Rather than examining the timepieces themselves, we will review the timepieces that Heuer presented in its catalogs and brochures.  We point out that Heuer made certain yacht timers that never appeared in its catalogs.  Still, a review of the catalogs provides a good overview of the history of these timepieces.

Our review of Heuer’s regatta timers begins in 1959, with a catalog that shows only two stopwatches.  The Reference 33.712 stopwatch counts down 5 minutes on a central minute register, with a 60 second countdown on the outer track.  The Reference 3912 stopwatch takes a different approach, counting down 10 minutes on a small recorder at the top of the dial and counting down 60 seconds on the outer track.  The Ref 33.712 has a hoop for a lanyard; the Ref 3912 attaches to a wrist-strap.  [Click HERE to see this 1959 catalog.]

Heuer’s 1961 catalog continues to show two yacht timers, both of them on wrist-straps.  The Reference 33.512 stopwatch (successor to the 33.712) counts down 5 minutes on a central dial; the Reference 3912 stopwatch counts down 10 minutes (divided into two 5-minute segments) on a small recorder at the top of the dial.  [Click HERE for the entire 1961 catalog.]

In this two-sided sheet (circa 1962), we see three countdown stopwatches for yacht timing, References 912/5, 912/10 and 912/15.  The 5, 10 and 15 designations refer to the number of minutes counted down on the small recorder at the top of the dial.  For $2.00, Heuer offers a separate rubber cap, to protect the timers from shock and the water.

Introduced in the late 1940s, the Solunar wristwatch has a colorful dial that indicates the times for the high and low tides for a specific location.  In this sheet, we see Heuer positioning the Solunar for the yacht racer.

In Heuer’s 1963 catalog of timers and chronographs, we see the same three countdown stopwatches as on the sheet from 1962 — References 912/5, 912/10 and 912/15.  The “W” in the Reference 912/15W indicates that this stopwatch comes in a waterproof case.  The Ref. 33.512 continues as the 5 minute countdown yacht timer worn on a wrist strap.  [Additional pages of this catalog are HERE .]

In Heuer’s 1968 catalog, the Reference 503.512 has replaced the Reference 33.512 as 5-minute countdown yacht timer worn on a wrist strap.  Whereas the older models looked like stopwatches with hoops attached, the new model looks like an oversized wristwatch.

Heuer had been making dashboard timers since the 1930s, with the Master Time (8 day clock) and Autavia and Monte Carlo (12-hour stopwatches) usually directed to the car racers.  In this catalog we see the Navia — essentially a Master Time clock fitted in a new waterproof case —  being offered as a yacht timer.

This 1968 catalog offers two stopwatches for yachting.  The Reference 403.615 uses a small register at the top of the dial for a 15-minute countdown; the Reference 503.615 uses a central register to show a 15-minute countdown, with this register divided into three 5 minute segments.

Headquartered in Bath, England, with branches in Zurich and New York, Chronosport was one of the largest suppliers of specialty timepieces in Europe.  Chronosport’s 1969 / 70 catalog featured specialty timepieces for automobile racing, aviation, boating and watersports, and industrial and scientific timing.  The catalog included a broad range of chronographs, stopwatches and dashboard timers from Heuer, as well as specialty watches and chronographs from Breitling, Desotos, Enicar, Seiko and Sicura.

The catalog includes two Heuers in the yacht racing category  — a Skipper chronograph and the Reference 503.512 yacht timer.

Introduced in 1968, the Skipper chronographs featured a 15 minute countdown register, that took the place of the customary 30 minute recorder.  The first Skippers were housed in Carrera cases, with the 15-minute countdown divided into green, blue and orange segments.  The Skippers soon moved to the Autavia cases, however, because of their better waterproofing, and the 15-minute countdown register used red, white and blue segments.  This Skipper shown in this catalog uses the same snap-back “compressor” case as Heuer’s Reference 7763 Autavia.

This 1972 brochure (below) shows a Reference 503.512 Yacht Timer on a wrist-strap, and a Skipper chronograph (Reference 73464) that has moved from the late-1960s style “compressor” case to the 1970s style screw-back case.

The 1972 chronograph catalog (below) shows an automatic version of the Skipper, Reference 15640, powered by the Caliber 15 movement.  [Click HERE to see the entire 1972 Chronograph catalog.]

The timeline in Heuer’s 1973 Stopwatch catalog tells us that Heuer has developed the Supersport, a wrist stopwatch “in an attractive shape” that uses a central register for the minutes, to offer improved legibility.

Inside the catalog, we see four models of the SuperSport (below, on the left-hand page).  The Reference 775.915 SuperSport is specifically designated as a Yacht Timer, with a central 15 minute register, marked to count down the minutes in three 5-minute segments.  The Reference 775.901 M is a standard 60-minute stopwatch, but the rotating minutes bezel is marked for countdowns.  The Supersports operate in an unusual fashion:  The crown on the left is for winding the watch.  The pusher at 3 o’clock is a three-function crown, that starts, stops and resets the timer on consecutive pushes.  The small button on the top right corner (at 2 o’clock) allows the user to resume timing the event (restart), after the watch has been stopped.

Heuer’s 1973 Stopwatch catalog shows another innovation — water-resistant stopwatches in 62 millimeter fiberglass cases (below, on the right-hand page).  The Reference 403.915 and Reference 503.915 are larger versions of older models; the Reference 542.912 stopwatch has a jumping disc to countdown the minutes.

[Click HERE  to see more of Heuer’s 1973 Stopwatch catalog (in German).]

We saw the 1950s version of the Solunar watch included in a 1962 listing of Yachting Timers , and this 1976 brochure shows the new version of the Solunar, Reference 279.603.  The Solunar from the 1970s is very different from the Solunar of the 1950s, as it shows the tides over a 14-day period, rather than the previous 2-day period.  You can see the Instructions for the Solunar  HERE .

Alongside the Solunar, we see the Supersport Reference 775.915 yacht timer, featuring a central 15-minute countdown timer, with 5-minute segments marked in the white-blue-red sequence of the regatta flags.

[Click HERE to see the entire Heuer 1976 brochure.]

Heuer’s 1977 catalog of Stopwatches for Sports Timing features one new stopwatch for yacht timing, the Reference 603.315 (below, top row).  This stopwatch has a 15-minute scale toward the center of the watch, with three 5-minute countdown segments.

Heuer’s 1978 chronograph and stopwatch catalog featured three waterproof Yacht Timers.  The Reference 503.915 (top row) is in the 62 millimeter fiberglass case, while the Reference 775.915 (bottom row, left) provides the central 15-minute countdown in the Supersport case.  As usual, we see one Yacht Timer on a wrist-strap, the Reference 503.512 (bottom right).  [Click HERE to see the entire 1978 brochure.]

In this 1980 brochure, we see a change in Heuer’s basic Yacht Timer worn on a wrist-strap.  The steel-cased Reference 503.512 stopwatch has been replaced by the fiberglass Reference 203.512 stopwatch.  Notice that the smaller Reference 603.615 stopwatch, in a metal case, is listed as an “Economy” model, while the larger Reference 503.915 stopwatch, in a fiberglass case, is described as a “Professional” model.

Heuer’s 1982 Stopwatch catalog shows us a new line of Yacht Timers on wrist-straps.  The Reference 203.505 Yacht Timer offers a 5-minute countdown, while the Reference 203.510 (“Surfer” model), provides a 10-minute countdown.  The catalog tells us that the central 10-minute register on the Surfer has been designed according to the new International Windsurfing Regatta rules.

The Reference 790 Anemometer measures the speed of the wind, with the catalog telling us that it will be useful for yachting, windsurfing, glider flying, kite flying, track and field, ski-jumping, model airplanes, etc.  It incorporates four scales — m/s, km/h, knots and the Beaufort scale.

Heuer’s 1983 “Time for Action” catalog features 10 timers for yachting — three chronographs and seven stopwatches.  In both the chronographs and the stopwatches, we see the return of a feature from Heuer’s yacht timers of the 1960s — colored balls to count down the minutes to the start.

In the mid-1960s, Heuer distributed the full line of Aquastar chronographs, including the Aquastar “Regate” chronograph.  The Aquastar Regate used five cut-out circles and colored discs for the 5-minute countdowns, to start the race.  Aquastar co-branded these timers for Heuer, so that we saw the Heuer shield at the bottom of the dial with “Aquastar Geneve” across the top.   Two decades later, the 1983 Heuer catalog shows two different styles of Regatta chronographs that use these same cut-out circles and colored discs for the countdown.  The smaller Ref 134.505 Regatta is in a stainless steel case and the larger Reference 134.601 Regatta uses a PVD-coated borrowed from the Autavias.

In this 1983 catalog, we also see what would be the final version of the Skipper.  This Skipper, Reference 15640, borrows its case from the Reference 11063 Autavia, measuring 42.5 mm across the dial and 21 mm between the lugs, with a uni-directional rotating bezel.

The Supersport stopwatches are no longer in the line-up, but Heuer still shows seven stopwatches for yacht timing, four for the wrist and three handheld models.

The Reference 202.515 and 685.915 stopwatches used the same system of cut-out circles and a colored disc for the countdown as we see on the Regatta chronographs.  Red circles appear during the first five minutes, white circles over the next five minutes, and the letters S-T-A-R-T over the last five minutes.

The five other stopwatches included in this catalog are continuations of models shown in previous catalogs.

[Click HERE to see more of Heuer’s 1983 Time for Action catalog (in French).]

The Time for Action catalog shows only watches and chronographs, rather than stopwatches and other styles of timers.  Accordingly, there are only two types of regatta chronographs, the Reference 134.500 and 505 models (in the smaller cases) and the Reference 134.601, 602 and 603, which use PVD cases, borrowed from the Autavias.  All these chronographs use colored discs to countdown the 5-minutes sequences. [See more of the 1984 Time for Action catalog HERE .]

With the 1984 catalog, we have completed our tour of yacht timers offered by Heuer over the 25 years, from 1959 through 1984.  Of course, dive watches became the mainstay for TAG Heuer in the 1980s, and the company also continued with its yacht timers, with the next 25 years including a great variety of yacht timers.

The Movements

From the moment I started this page, I was determined that I would keep it simple — no photographs of actual watches, no historical research, no digging into the movements, no discussion of anything other than the catalogs themselves, etc.  In other words, if it isn’t found within the four corners of the catalog, then I wasn’t going to present it in this posting.

I remained true to this plan until a couple of days prior to publishing this posting, when I found myself in a conversation with Hans Schrag, about Heuer’s heritage in the yacht timers.  Hans asked whether I had included information about the movements; I replied that the posting was limited to the catalog images . . . and within one hour, Hans had provided the following information:

I hope that readers will find this information about the movements useful, even if it takes away from the simple survey of the catalogs.

Additional References

The following are recommended for additional information on Heuer’s yacht timers (regatta chronographs):

• HeuerChrono.com covers the Heuer Skipper chronographs in full detail, but also includes a very good section on the Heuer Yacht Timers .
• Regatta Yachttimers — a website that covers the history and variations of regatta yachttimer watches.  The site covers approximately 20 brands of yacht timers, including Heuer and TAG Heuer .
• TAG Heuer Sailing Watches , a posting on Calibre11.com
• An excellent article, in Revolution  magazine — Racer’s Edge, The Evolution of the Regatta Chronograph , by Jack Forster
• On his Heuerville blog, Stewart Morley has written an excellent review of his Heuer Regatta, Reference 134.601 (in black PVD).  Stewart also provides minute-by-minute photos, showing how the countdown works (August 25, 2014).
• On his HeuerChrono.com blog, Henrik has added a posting covering Heuer’s use of the “5 Dots” countdown display, on its yacht timers.

In the Sea, By the Sea and On the Sea.

I have been collecting Heuer timepieces for 15 years, but it was only in compiling this survey that I realized the great variety of stopwatches and chronographs that Heuer made for yacht timing and the depth of Heuer’s engagement in the sport.

This survey confirms that in addition to the unique tide watches that Heuer made from the 1950s through the 1970s (the Mareographer and Seafarer), and the amazing array of dive watches that TAG Heuer made starting in the 1980s, Heuer was a dominant producer of timepieces that were used “on the sea”, to time yacht races.  Just as we see Heuer in every aspect of motorsports, from the driver and navigator, to the pit crew, to the officials managing the race, so too we see Heuer timing just about everything that happens at the sea — from the tides, to the dives and now to the racing yachts.

Once again, the more we learn about Heuer’s heritage in sports timing, the more impressive that heritage becomes.

Jeff Stein August 17, 2014 (updated August 26, 2014, to add additional references)

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Rowing Blazers and TAG Heuer Unveil Limited-Edition "Yacht-Timer" Carrera Watch

Only 99 units will be available for purchase..

After joining forces with Seiko, Zodiac and Tudor on a string of sold-out timepieces, Rowing Blazers has tapped TAG Heuer for its next exclusive watch: the limited-edition 42mm “Yacht-Timer” Carrera.

Galvanized by the signature Heuer Yacht-Timer used by competitive sailors in the ’60s and ’70s, the collaborative timepiece employs the vintage model’s signature color story, with a white dial, bright blue text and one-minute sections in red, blue, green and pale yellow. Additionally, the Rowing Blazers model references the old watch’s cross-hatching on the aforementioned colors, with an effect that nods to the “Ben Day dots” used in comic books.

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Regatta Yachttimers

An overview of sailing regatta watches.

This website aims to tell the history of regatta yachttimer watches. To do this as complete as possible your help is needed. For your feedback or a contribution to the site please go to the Contact page.

Lifestyle brand BOLDR introduces their Odyssey Regatta watch!

April 17, 2021.

Read more →

It’s now 2020 and still new regatta watches are created!!

June 3, 2020, new classic tornado by tack & gybe with automatic movement released, may 3, 2017, this website is dedicated to regatta-yachttimer watches., but what exactly is a regatta watch.

A regatta is a series of boat races, especially for sailing or rowing but even for powerboats. The term regatta comes from the Venetian regata (contention for mastery) or regatare (compete). Unlike any other competition at a regatta audible and visual signs are given before the actual start, instead of at the starting time. At first this was a 5 minutes period, later on 10, 15, and even 3 or 6 minutes. This countdown enables the competing yachts to manoeuvre the boat as best as possible to the starting line and time of the race.

Yachttimers, also referred to as regatta timers, yachting chronographs or sailing watches, are watches specially designed and made for the countdown to the start of a sailing race. They have a special feature to visualize the remaining time to the start, helping the helmsman to obtain the best position, reaching the starting line at full speed, just as the starting gun sounds!

Over the years various mechanical (and quartz) regatta movements have been developed. These movements are described in the brand list, underneath you see the caliber timeline.

Caliber timeline:

Mid 1960’s: introduction of the Aquastar Regate , with a  Felsa 4000N movement. Shortley after used by Heuer as well. The first wristwatch movement using the 5-dot system for measuring the 5 minute regatta countdown!

x – x – x – x – x

Beginning 1970’s: both Le Phare and Lorenz introduced their yachttimer, with a Valjoux 237 movement.

1970’s: introduction of the Memosail , with a Valjoux 7737 movement. In 2007 Habring uses this movement for their ChronoSport Nautic.

1970’s: introduction of the new Aquastar Regate , with a  Lemania 1345 movement. Followed by Tissot, Omega and again Heuer and a little later by Lemania itself.

Late 1970’s: introduction of a V.I.P Memosail , with a Valjoux 7767 movement. Later both Lorenz en Constantin Weisz will use the movement as well.

Mid 1980’s: the Valjoux 7757 movement appears in the Memosail Automatic , the  Atlantic Skipper , the  Wyler Vetta La Giraglia  and the Eberhard Regatta  (and some smaller brands). Sofar it’s not clear which came first, but probably the last one.

1997: introduction of the Piquot Meridien Volantis Regatta , with either an ETA 2892-A2 movement with a DD 2027 regatta module, or an  ETA 2824 movement with a  DD 2028 regatta module. These regatta modules were developed by Dubois-Dépraz in 1993.

2003: introduction of the Omega Seamaster Diver America’s Cup Racing , with the Omega 3602 movement ( ETA 2892-A2 with a DD 2027 regatta module). Same caliber used in the Bulgari Diagono Professional Chrono Amplificator .

2003: introduction of the Bulgari Diagono Professional Regatta , with an  ETA 2892-A2 movement with a  DD 42028 regatta module.

2004: introduction of the Louis Vuitton Tambour LV Cup Régate automatique , with an ETA 2892-A2 movement with a DD 2140 regatta module.

2005: introduction of the Audemars Piguet Roal Oak Offshore Alinghi Polaris Chronograph , with an AP 2326/2847 fly-back movement ( Jaeger LeCoultre 899 with a DD 2847 regatta module).

2007: introduction of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II Regatta Chronograph , with the  Rolex caliber 4160 movement.

2007: introduction of the Audemars Piquet Roal Oak Offshore Alinghi Team Chronographe , with an AP 2326/2848 fly-back movement ( Jaeger LeCoultre 899 with a DD 2848 regatta module).

2007: introduction of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Regatta Tourbillon chronograph , with the GPV02 fly-back movement.

2011: introduction of the Alpina Extreme 40 Sailing Chronograph . with an  Alpina AL-880 movement, based on a Sellita SW-500 chronograph movement.

2013: introduction of the Corum Admiral’s Cup AC-One 45 Regatta, with a  Corum CO 040 movement.

2013: introduction of the Panerai Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio , with a  Panerai P.9100/R movement.

2013: introduction of the TAG-Heuer Aquaracer 500m Calibre 72 countdown chronograph , with a TAG Heuer caliber 72 movement, which is a  Sellita SW-300 chronograph, with a DD2140  regatta module integrated.

2015: introduction of the Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Regatta , with a Sellita based movement with a DD2018 regatta module.

2015: introduction of the TNG Classic Tornado , with a Valjoux 7750 based TNG-7750H movement.

2016: introduction of the Bremont Regatta AC and Otusa , with a Valjoux 7750 based Bremont BE-17AE movement.

2017: introduction of the Ulysse Nardin Marine Regatta , with their  Ulysse Nardin UN-155 movement. The first mechanical Yachttimer movement that runs anti-clockwise during the regatta countdown!

2019: introduction of the Frederique Constant Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown , with their  FC-380 movement, based on an automatic Sellita SW-500 chronograph movement with a regatta countdown module.

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Yacht Watches

Yachting watches are a very niche type of watch and can also be called regatta timers or sailing watches. They are hefty sport watches that boast the water-resistance of dive watches but have additional complications for yachtsmen.

The History of Yacht Watches

Timing regattas, or sailing races, require precise timekeeping. The moments that lead up to the beginning of a race are difficult as each yachtsman must keep their boat steady in the wind and current. So, they need to control their boats as well as countdown to the starting gun. Yacht watches were specifically designed to aid with the countdown using special complications.

In the late 1950’s the earliest patents for rotating bezels were filed. These rotating bezels, used to time the moments before a race, showed up in the 1960’s on a model called the Aquastar. This Aquastar Regatta was one of the first yacht watches on the market. Other early creators included Heuer and Breitling, with the Heuer Yacht Timer, Heuer Regatta and Breitling Co-Pilots.

By the 1970’s OMEGA had gotten in on the market with the Seamaster Yachting watch. Breitling also debuted the Chronomat Yachting watch in the late 1980’s as a variation on their already popular Chronomat. Finally, in 1992, Rolex debuted the Yacht-Master ref. 16627 and have continued to evolve the watch as it has grown in popularity with the introduction of the Yacht-Master II. The yacht watch, despite its specialization, continues to be popular among watch aficionados.

Characteristics of a Yacht Watch

• Countdown timer – All Yacht watches have some sort of countdown timer. This could be based on a disc system in the dial, or markings on the bezel, but each allows the wearer to count down to the beginning of a race.
• Water Resistance – Like their dive watch predecessors, Yacht Watches are water resistant, typically to 100 meters
• Durability – Due to the conditions that many racers face in the water, Yacht watches must be ultra-durable
• Chronograph – Most yacht watches have a chronograph feature

Popular Yachting Watches

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[NOTICE] Free repair of ORIENT STAR Diver Watch(AU03)

M34 F8 Date

With a unique dial design, inspired by the Perseid meteor shower from the Perseus constellation, and a state-of-the-art high-performance movement mounted with a silicon escape wheel, the M34 F8 Date flagship model paves a new path for Orient Star.

M45 F7 Mechanical Moon Phase

Orient Star launched the Classic Collection M45 in 2023, inspired by the Pleiades star cluster that mysteriously lights up the night sky. The new cutting-edge dial features a new grey gradation effect representing an occultation, or overlapping, of Pleiades and the moon.

Modern Skeleton

The Modern Skeleton is popular for its cutting-edge, contemporary design that reveals part of the mechanical movement through the dial. The new models pivot away from the stately colour scheme that the Modern Skeleton is known for, towards a more stylish look that colour-coordinates the dial with the bezel and case.

20th Anniversary Limited Edition Model

Orient has launched a commemorative 20th anniversary model from its iconic diver designed series. The limited-edition model features a special blue gradation dial inspired by the beautiful ocean and is a must for fans and collectors alike.

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Orient has added four new models to its Semi Skeleton series, Orient’s iconic model from the Contemporary Collection. Popular colours around the world such as white, red, green and light blue have been incorporated into the dial, providing even more options to choose from.

On your wrist is the joy of timeless styling and the promise of tomorrow. ORIENT STAR answers your love of the authentic with a legacy of mechanical excellence.

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At long last, a cruise ship designed for people who hate cruises

Maybe we should call it a ‘floatel.’ the ritz-carlton’s posh yacht is part of the first generation of hotel brands making the leap from land to sea..

G USTAVIA, St. Barts — While admiring the sleek Ritz-Carlton Evrima sitting in Gustavia Harbor, I concluded that the vessel is a new category of cruising and should have a name that reflects as much.

At its heart, the Evrima is more of a hotel or resort on water than a cruise ship, so maybe it should be called a floatel. How about a boatique hotel? Would you settle for a barge and breakfast? No matter what it’s called — the Ritz-Carlton refers to the ship as a yacht — spending a few days on the Evrima was an experience unlike any I’d previously had on a cruise ship.

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Ritz-Carlton launched its entry into the world of cruising in 2022 after years of false starts and COVID-related delays. I read about its progress carefully because it seemed that while every other ship was getting bigger and more elaborate, Ritz-Carlton, owned by Marriott, was bucking the trend by making theirs smaller and more minimal. It’s also intent on calling its ships yachts. The definition of a yacht is fuzzy enough that the Ritz-Carlton can get away with it, but clearly, it’s about status. And if you’re paying $5,000 for a cruise (my Caribbean cruise was $5,300), telling your friends that you’re yachting seems appropriate.

During my Caribbean jaunt, there were a few times when I heard the crew slip and say “ship” before correcting themselves and saying “yacht.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. The staff of the Evrima did not know a travel writer was on board, and the Globe received no freebies or special treatment. I wanted to experience the Evrima like any other Jane Dough or Milburn Pennybags on the ship — I mean yacht.

No matter what it’s called, the Evrima is a wholly different species from other ships, beginning with the passenger count. It can hold 298 passengers (most small luxury ships carry between 700 to 2,000). My cruise was full, but the ship never felt crowded, and I often wondered if it was really sold out. I never had a problem finding a lounge chair at the pool or getting a table for dinner.

The most striking difference I found between Evrima and other ships was the onboard culture. There were no water slides, casinos, buffets, or Broadway shows. The Evrima is akin to a chic boutique hotel where you’d go to unwind without distractions. It’s designed for Ritz-Carlton loyalists, or folks who want to be in a posh hotel that happens to sail into different ports.

There’s a small infinity pool and hot tubs rather than a giant central swimming pool on the 624-foot yacht. There are even tucked-away areas on outside decks that you can seek out for a bit of privacy. Common areas, such as a main gathering called the Living Room, still felt intimate.

There are excursions off the ship, but when you’re on board, no cruise directors are dragging you to limbo contests or haranguing passengers over the PA about upcoming bingo games. It’s very much a place to escape rather than be pulled into the candy-colored machinations of a big cruise ship.

There’s a fair amount of chatter about the Evrima in online cruise forums, and the biggest complaints are from those who book expecting a full, traditional cruise experience. This will sound odd, but if you’re a regular cruiser who enjoys the flash and action of a ship, or you like your days jammed with nonstop activities planned by others, I’d say to steer clear of the Evrima. There are activities such as wine tastings, gourmet cooking challenges, and mixology classes, but no mini golf or pickleball.

What it lacks in conventional activities, it more than makes up for in an area called the Marina. When the yacht is anchored, the back deck on level three becomes a place to relax in the sun, jump into the water, snorkle, or kayak. It’s unlike any other cruise ship because you’re in relatively shallow water and you have full access to the ocean (depending on conditions). One day when the ship was in a lackluster port, I stayed onboard and hung out at the Marina. I went kayaking and snorkeling right off the back of the ship. It was the most yacht-like experience of the cruise.

I don’t mean to paint the environment on the Evrima as staid or anti-social. I was pulled into multiple birthday celebrations by complete strangers who became close friends by the end of the trip. Several of these celebrations lasted late into the night in the Observation Lounge, which was the venue on the 10th deck that stayed open past midnight. I suppose it didn’t hurt that the staff poured Moët & Chandon champagne like it was water. There’s no upcharge for alcohol (unless you have a taste for $2,500 spirits). There’s also no extra charges for internet or gratuities.

The Evrima is made up entirely of suites, all of them with balconies, that range in size from 300 square feet to 1,091 square feet. Most of the suites, aside from the entry-level Terrace suite, have bathtubs. These are cruise ship rooms that feel like hotel rooms, down to the king beds. Many of those who work in service on the ship come from the hotel world rather than other cruise ships, and their demeanor was just as friendly and professional.

Ritz-Carlton Evrima

• Small, easy-to-navigate ship
• Gourmet food
• Laidback, relaxing atmosphere
• Large suites with beautiful interiors
• Limited onboard activities
• Limited laundry facilities for guests
• Not ideal for families with small children

But people come on ships for the cuisine, and, as you may expect, the food on the Evrima is sophisticated. There are five restaurants (six if you count the bakery at the espresso bar), plus 24-hour room service. As a reporter, it was my duty to try them all. Even at the casual, all-day restaurant, the Pool House, you could get ceviche or a salmon poke bowl. They didn’t just serve burgers, there was a build-your-own-burger.

The Mediterranean-influenced restaurant Mistral offered options such as lobster linguine, several cuts of steak, and grilled octopus. Most passengers I chatted with spent the majority of their dining time at Mistral or Talaat Nam, the sushi restaurant. (I fell deeply in love with the mango sticky rice at Talaat Nam.) The all-purpose restaurant, called the Evrima Room, served breakfast and dinner. I mostly had breakfast here, and primarily for the orange juice, which was freshly squeezed.

The only restaurant on board with an extra charge is called S.E.A. It features a tasting menu and wine pairing created by three-Michelin-star chef Sven Elverfeld. For an additional $289, I enjoyed eight courses (maybe it was nine, it got blurry with the wine). Most were petite portions packed with flavor, such as raw and marinated yellowfin tuna and Japanese wagyu. I felt as if I was eating art for a night.

On the last night of my Caribbean cruise, I decided to ask other passengers their take on the ship. Did they think they had gotten their money’s worth? I went to the Observation Lounge where all the evening’s revelry was taking place, but clearly I was too late for serious answers. Jane, one of the many birthday celebrants, had pulled everyone onto the dance floor. I tried asking: “Was it worth it?” The reply was a champagne-scented chorus of “You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17.”

I took that as a yes.

Christopher Muther can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @Chris_Muther and Instagram @chris_muther.

What yachting industry insiders have to say about Jeff Bezos' superyacht

• Jeff Bezos' yacht , which reportedly cost $500 million to build, completed its first year at sea.
• The superyacht, Koru, was a frequent topic of conversation at the Palm Beach boat show.
• Here's what industry insiders think about the vessel.

It's been just about a year since Koru, Jeff Bezos ' $500 million megayacht, set sail from the Oceanco shipyard in the Netherlands, capturing the attention of yachting insiders and land dwellers alike.

Even after her first season at sea, the 127-meter ship is still one of the most talked about vessels among those in the know — and not just for the busty figurehead on its prow, which many have wrongly speculated is based on Bezos's fiancée . Koru was a hot topic at the annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, where the yachts of other billionaires were on display for sale or charter.

The overwhelming response from those Business Insider spoke to was awe, with many praising her unique design, commenting on her immense size, or remarking that they'd been lucky enough to see her up close.

"It's absolutely beautiful," said Federico Rossi, the COO of luxury yachtbuilder Rossinavi.

Still, due to the small size of the industry — and the fact that privacy is paramount in the yachting community — even those who complimented Koru mostly did not want to go on record in order to protect professional relationships.

"That thing's amazing," one such superyacht expert told BI. "It's very well done in terms of craftsmanship."

Unlike many other megayachts, Koru, which media billionaire Barry Diller's Eos inspired, is designed as a sailing yacht. That bucks the current trend of more severe-looking explorer boats — though Koru's 75-meter support vessel Abeona is of a more typical style,

"I heard back in 2018 or something that somebody had ordered a classic sailing yacht," the superyacht expert also told BI. "You order 125 meters, that's not really going to be classic. But it is. I think it's pretty cool."

Like most other megayachts, Koru is powered by her engines, which are reportedly innovative in their use of a kinetic energy recovery system. Industry experts, therefore, pointed out that her sails are more for looks than anything else — but that still works in her favor, with many praising her overall aesthetic appeal.

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"It's stunning," added a captain who has worked on several megayachts. He said he'd seen Koru in St. Barts, a favorite spot of Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez , over the holidays.

"There are definitely uglier boats out there," one yacht architect said. "It's not like it's shaped like his rocket," he jokily added, referring to the phallic design of Blue Origin's New Shephard .

Some, though, think the yacht is a bit excessive — which is saying something in a world where bigger is better and $250 million is a normal amount to spend.

"That's over the top. That's an insanely ridiculous boat," a longtime broker who favors discretion said. It's a "whole big show."

And the expert who praised the yacht's craftsmanship balanced his admiring comments by saying Koru's liberal use of teak — a wood traditionally used for yacht decks — was "bizarre."

The material has gained a bad reputation in the industry in recent years, as it typically comes from Myanmar, a country with a checkered human rights record. Plus, it takes a long time to grow, leading to deforestation.

Many shipyards have now turned to alternatives, like bamboo or plantation-grown teak, in their pushes toward sustainability. Bezos' team did not respond to BI's question about the origin of the deck's wood.

Teak or not, the yachting industry isn't generally known for being all that environmentally friendly — or indeed lowkey, so many who BI talked to didn't buy into the idea that Koru is "too much."

"If this is genuinely Jeff's dream come true, then great," Anders Kurtén, the CEO of brokerage Fraser Yachts, said. "I'm genuinely happy for him, and I'm happy for the people who got the opportunity to have employment to work on that."

And Bezos, of course, isn't the only billionaire with a stunning yacht . Billionaires like Jerry Jones and Bernard Arnault have also, at times, turned heads with their boats.

Most recently, insiders have tied Mark Zuckerberg to a 118-meter ship named Launchpad . It's the latest superyacht to capture the yachting world's attention.

So, as she sets sail for her debut summer season, Launchpad may take Koru's place as the main yacht on everyone's radar this year.

Watch: Walmart heiress' superyacht vandalized by activists in Ibiza

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