The New TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer Review: A Niche Vintage Throwback

TAG Heuer’s maritime chronographs really are something special. Back in 2023 we saw the rerelease of the Carrera chronograph known to collectors as the ‘Skipperera’ for its 60th anniversary. A throwback to the classic Ref. 7754, this was an iteration of the 39mm Glassbox done with a retro-cool sub-dial done in a Lagoon Green, Intrepid Teal, and Regatta Orange color motif. Now for 2026, TAG has introduced the new Carrera Seafarer which leans in even more to the vintage maritime theme.

This contemporary model is inspired by the 1949 Seafarer tide watch which debuted alongside the Heuer Solunar, another maritime watch that didn’t have a chronograph function but was designed to indicate when the high and low tides were to occur at a specific location. This new Seafarer blends the two historic models while borrowing aesthetic touches from historic Abercrombie & Fitch designs. And to balance out all the older, vintage touches comes a brand new movement.

[toc-section heading="The Seafarer Case"]

Before getting into the functionality, let’s get the basics of the watch out of the way. The Seafarer comes in a larger 42mm wide case that measures 14.4mm thick with a 48.6mm lug-to-lug measurement (100m of water resistance). The case is finished with alternating brushed and polished finishes and the classic Glassbox domed sapphire with AR-coating. There is barely a bezel on the case but the inner flange has a 60-second/minute track done in a slightly paler beige.

The chronograph pushers are exactly what you’d expect but on the left side of the case is a pusher labeled “TIDE” which activates the tide disc at the 9 o’clock sub-dial allowing the “high” and “low” quadrants to align with the hours of the day. From the case back you can see the new in-house Calibre TH20-04 movement which is a vertical clutch and column-wheel chronograph done with the additional tide functionality and an 80-hour power reserve.

[toc-section heading="The Dial and Tide Function"]

The dial is warm and an easy on the eyes execution of beige (technically “champagne opalin”) and pastel. There is a lot of information being conveyed on the dial (and it’s a busy case, as well) but something about the colors here just feels relaxing and low-stress. Really a great job by the design team here. The 3 o’clock sub-dial is a lacquered teal and beige azure minute chronograph counter with a yellow-gold plated hand. The 6 o’clock sub-dial is a simple beige chronograph counter with a yellow-gold plated hand and has the date window integrated into it. Finally, that aforementioned 9 o’clock sub-dial is the teal and bright yellow lacquered tide indicator.

The hour and minutes hand are also done in yellow gold plating but I have to admit that I’m not too fond of the lume here. I actually love the warmth from the consistent use of yellow gold on the hands and indices throughout the dial but the lume kinda throws it off a bit. I understand there’s an argument to be made that the lume kind of matches the teals on the sub-dials but…meh.

[toc-section heading="A New Bracelet"]

The new Seafarer also debuts a brand new bracelet which is pretty excellently done. The brand refers to this seven-link bracelet as a “beads of rice” but I typically expect those to have more rounded links but that’s a semantics argument. The bracelet itself is really lovely with brushed and polished links and a double-safety clasp donning the TAG Heuer shield. It’s really comfortable to wear and just oozes quality and high-end finishing.

[toc-section heading="Final Thoughts And Price"]

The TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer is a novel new release that, while admittedly niche, presents something unusual and fun from the brand in the same vein as the Carrera Astronomer released earlier this year. It’s easy to nitpick but Tag Heuer and LVMH are doing exactly what so many enthusiasts and media critics have been saying contemporary brands are lacking in these days: balancing mainstream/ marketable products with some unusual and quirky releases that might not be huge sales hits but expound on the brand’s capabilities. The new Carrera Seafarer is exactly this kind of release and it is priced at just around $8,800. You can learn more at tagheuer.com