THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: HEUER
MODEL: CS3111
YEAR: 1999
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 36mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
As far as sports chronographs go, few would argue that the Heuer Carrera sits alongside the Rolex Daytona and Omega Speedmaster as one of the most iconic. Born in 1963, the original Carrera reference 2447 featured a 36 mm case and a three-subdial layout powered by the Valjoux 72 movement—elements it shared with the Daytona, which debuted the same year. More than six decades later, the 2447 has become one of the most collectible vintage Heuers. This comes as no surprise: the dial design is simple, sleek, and perfectly symmetrical.
The 1960s and 1970s were undoubtedly Heuer’s golden era, with the brand introducing an impressive array of sports chronographs that dominated the market. Unfortunately, the quartz crisis proved detrimental, and Heuer changed ownership in the mid-1980s.
While the newly formed TAG Heuer released many new models between 1985 and 1995, the brand revisited its back catalogue in 1996, launching a series of reissues of its classic designs. The first—unsurprisingly—was the Carrera, offered in three variations, including the example seen here: reference CS3111.
TAG Heuer chose to power the watch with the Lemania 1873 movement and stayed true to its heritage with a clean, all-black three-register dial, an inner white minute track, and the original “Heuer” logo. Nearly 30 years later, this watch has become a favourite among enthusiasts. Although a reissue, its solid construction and use of tritium lume give it plenty of character—very much in the spirit of its ancestors, but without rather significant price tag.
The example offered here is fantastically preserved. The case is very strong, and the dial is flawless. The original tritium lume on the markers and hands has aged beautifully to a rich, creamy hue. It comes fitted with the Heuer racing strap and buckle. The movement was recently serviced and is currently running at 0 s/day, with an amplitude of 295° and a beat error of 0.2 ms. The original boxes and paperwork (including the original receipt) are present.
A super-cool throwback to the 1990s—the good old days.