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The TAG Heuer Watch Built to Celebrate Success

This gold Carrera was TAG Heuer’s gift in 1972 to F1 racer Ronnie Peterson for his exceptional performance in the German Grand Prix. Now you have a chance to own this piece of history.

May 08, 2018 | By Shirley Wang

Jack Heuer, great-grandson of luxury watchmaker Edouard Heuer, kept the tradition of superior watchmaking alive when he took over the wheel of TAG Heuer in 1962. Beyond the world of watches, he has also left a legacy in the wheelhouse.

This Carrera watch is engraved with a message that reads : “Success – Ronnie Peterson from Jack W. Heuer.”

In 1972, this 18-karat gold Carrera watch was created exclusively as a gift for the Formula One racer known affectionately as “SuperSwede,” Ronnie Peterson, for his performance in the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring circuit. A replica of the same watch is now going to auction, and race fans have a golden opportunity to purchase a piece of history.

A speed-enthusiast himself, Jack brought TAG Heuer into the race world with innumerable sponsorship of Formula One races during his tenure as CEO. The TAG Heuer Carrera watch is a racing chronograph of exceptional quality, conceptualized during Jack’s reign – the physical embodiment of TAG Heuer’s support and close ties with motor racing.

Also known as the “Driver’s watch,” the Carrera marked TAG Heuer’s first venture into racing – one that will span for next fifty and more years, up to the present day. The brilliant design features a 38 mm case around a champagne dial, with applied gold sticks to mark your lap time. The original watch is now on display in the TAG Heuer Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In commemoration of the 40th anniversary since Mr Peterson’s unfortunate death in a crash at Monza in 1978, TAG Heuer has created a re-edition of the watch for the first time.

The almost perfect facsimile of the original watch will be up at Bonhams auction, expected to sell for SGD $32,000 – $48,000. Proceeds will go to the Ronnie Peterson Memorial foundation, a charity that aims to foster future talents in motor sports.

The auction list also includes the car that propelled Peterson’s career to international fame, the 1969 Tecno-Novamotor Ford 69 Formula 3 Single Seater, that led the racer to campaign 16 races including the 1969 Monaco Formula 3 GP.

More details on the bid are available on Bonham’s website here.


 
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