Even 30 years on from his tragic fatal accident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna remains one of the most legendary, beloved drivers ever to compete in Formula One. Senna’s storied career and character have been a constant source of inspiration for TAG Heuer ever since, with Senna-inspired watch releases becoming a constant fixture in the brand’s catalog over the years. For its latest release, though, TAG Heuer extends this Senna-inspired theme further than ever before, delivering what might well be the most technically impressive, visually detailed Senna edition to date. The new limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna combines the colors of Ayrton Senna’s enduring Brazilian flag-colored helmet design with the brand’s sportiest, most aggressive tourbillon chronograph offering, creating a genuinely striking pairing filled with unique, Senna-inspired touches.
At 44mm wide, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna’s Grade 2 titanium case is identical in form to the recently-launched Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, but with a few bespoke visual nods to the famous racer. The overall shape is a modernist, aggressive take on classic Carrera Cues, with the finishing on the broad, angular inwardly-beveled lugs split between brushing and matte blasting in images. The recessed, ridged case sides are also present here, complete with matte black coating for the deeper portions. Like previous iterations of the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, TAG Heuer renders the engraved tachymeter bezel in forged carbon, but here the brand adds a script emblem with the Senna “S” logo in vibrant yellow at 1 o’clock. In addition, the screw-down crown adds a green accent stripe, tying nicely into the yellow, green, and blue Senna colorway in images. The largest and most striking Senna tribute on this case, however, is the sapphire display caseback. Rather than the standard “logo on the caseback window” approach, TAG Heuer instead uses the entire window as a canvas for a graphic rendition of one of Ayrton Senna’s most enduring images, staring into the camera through the open visor of his race helmet. The white-and-clear depiction here is eye-catching and effective in images, effectively conveying the Senna partnership without directly using the word. Like its stablemates, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna sports a respectable 100 meters of water resistance.
Like the case, the dial of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna is largely carried over from the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, but the changes here are more vibrant and dramatic. The blacked-out, checkerboard-brushed main dial surface returns from that model, along with the multi-spoke wheel-inspired brushed and grained upper bridges, but each of the timekeeping elements themselves receive a special Senna-themed touch. The central chronograph seconds hand is coated in vivid Senna yellow, with the skeletonized subdial hands at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock following suit. For the outer chapter ring, TAG Heuer splits the color palette between an inner minutes scale in royal blue, and an outer seconds track in bright, saturated green. Both skeleton subdials further emphasize this Brazilian flag colorway in images, with blue inner azurage rings and a raised, textured Senna “S” logo at the center of the chronograph hours display at 9 o’clock. At 6 o’clock, the tourbillon and its minimal three-spoke cage remain more or less unchanged in images, but this element still stands out as an impactful visual centerpiece amid its more colorful surroundings.
Inside the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna, the in-house TH20-09 automatic tourbillon chronograph movement remains a technically impressive, ultra-modern flagship for the brand. Finishing and performance for this movement appear to be carried over from the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport, including a vertical clutch and column wheel chronograph actuation system, a 65-hour power reserve, and a 28,800 bph beat rate. On the visual front, the caseback graphic makes things difficult to discern in initial images, but the TH20-09’s usual complement of Côtes de Genève across the nearly full bridges, along with the layered shield-shaped skeleton rotor, looks to be intact. To complete the watch, TAG Heuer fits this model with its flush-mounted, NACA duct-inspired rubber deployant strap in dial-matching royal blue. Interestingly, this marks the first time the bare brushed and matte blasted titanium “center lug” has been paired with a tourbillon-equipped Carrera, with previous variants all coating this element in black DLC. Beyond this minor tweak, though, this is the same supple, curving rubber strap as we’ve seen on previous Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport iterations, and it should offer the same comfort and style on the wrist.
Ayrton Senna’s legacy on and off the racetrack endures even more than 30 years after his passing, and a new generation of fans continues to be entranced by his grit, determination, and sheer speed. As a celebration of this ongoing legacy, the new limited edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna offers one of the most dynamic, vibrant looks in the brand’s current collection, but combines this with a truly impressive movement and execution. Only 500 examples of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna will be made, and the watch will be available through authorized dealers in November 2024. MSRP for the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna stands at 37,000 CHF as of press time, which stands as a significant markup over even the mechanically identical Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport in 18K 5N rose gold. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
