TAG Heuer and Hodinkee have collaborated to develop the new Carrera Seafarer chronograph, a limited edition watch which was introduced today. In this posting, we will provide information about the vintage Seafarer chronographs that Heuer produced from 1950 into the 1970s, and also offer an overview of the new TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Limited Edition.
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For more comprehensive information about the 10 executions of the Seafarer that Heuer produced from 1950 through the mid-1970s, see our posting, The Definitive History of the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer Chronograph.
Abercrombie & Fitch – The Greatest Sporting Goods Store in the World
Over the first half of the Twentieth Century, the retailer Abercrombie & Fitch was very different from the company that we know today. Billing itself as “The Greatest Sporting Goods Store in the World”, Abercrombie & Fitch had only two stores — one in Manhattan and one in Chicago — but supplemented its marketing through the distribution of hundreds of thousands of catalogs, including both annual and seasonal publications.
The two Abercrombie & Fitch stores were legendary destinations for adventurers, with the company providing the gear for many celebrated explorers, climbers, pilots, drivers and adventurers. Customers included pole explorer Robert Peary and pilot Amelia Earhart; all the United States Presidents from Roosevelt to Roosevelt, and then Eisenhower and Kennedy; and celebrities Bing Crosby, Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and Cole Porter.
Over this period, Heuer produced watches and chronographs for Abercrombie & Fitch on a private label basis. Typically, senior officers at Abercrombie & Fitch would come to Heuer with ideas for innovative watches for adventurers and travelers, and Heuer would develop the watches, always using the very best materials (for example, oversized stainless steel cases, whereas Heuer might use smaller chrome-plated cases for other customers). The Abercrombie & Fitch store on Madison Avenue in New York City not only offered watches, chronographs and stopwatches for sale, but a watchmaker in the store provided service for the A&F watches.
The Seafarer – Abercrombie’s Crown Jewel
Over these decades, Heuer and Abercrombie & Fitch collaborated in the development of several watches specifically for the retailer’s clientele. The Auto-Graph chronograph (circa 1953) was designed for racing and rallying, with three registers and a Tachymeter scale printed on the dial; the Twin-Time (1955) had an inner rotating bezel, marked in hours, so that the traveler could keep track of the time at home and at their destination; the Ring-Master (1957) was a stopwatch that provided interchangeable scales so that could be used to time racing, rallying, yachting, boxing and various other sports.
Without a doubt, however, the Seafarer chronograph was the crown jewel of the watches that Heuer developed and produced for Abercrombie & Fitch.
Introduced circa 1950 and produced until the mid-1970s, the Seafarer incorporated a “tide dial” into a three-register chronograph, providing a useful tool for fishing, hunting, regatta and simply enjoying life on the beach. Upon arrival at a beach, the user checks the local tide charts, and sets the tide dial to mark the high and low tides for the day on which it is being set. At around midnight, the tide dial will advance, so that the user will see the times for the high and low tides when they wake up in the morning.
In addition to fishermen, boaters and surfers, the Seafarer was useful for hunters (who could use the tide dial as a lunar indicator, to determine when animals were likely to be moving) and well as yacht racers (as the minute recorder was marked in five-minute sections, to facilitate the countdown to the start of a yacht race.
Here is an excelletn video published by Hodinee describing the operation of the tide dial — How to Set the Tide Complication.
A Seafarer by Any Other Name . . . Mareographe and Solunagraph
Over the entire period when Heuer was producing the Seafarer chronograph for Abercrombie & Fitch, Heuer was also producing chronographs under its own name that were identical to the Seafarers, except that the Heuer versions had the “Heuer” shield and the “Mareographe” model name printed on the dials.
Circa 1970, when Heuer began producing what we will call the “third generation” of the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, Heuer began producing a version of the Seafarer for Orvis, a retailer founded in Vermont in 1856. Historically, Orvis had specialized in gear for fly fishing, but by the 1960s had expanded its offerings to include gear and equipment for all types of fishing, as well as hunting, boating and camping.
The Orvis version of the Seafarer was called the “Solunagraph”, confirming that this special timepiece tracked both solar time and lunar time, while also providing a chronograph. The two excerpts below are from 1973 and 1975 Orvis catalogs, and they explain the purpose and operation of the Solunagraph.
The Seafarer – Three Generations using Three Color Palettes
In our posting, The Definitive History of the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer, we provide detailed information and photos covering each of the 10 versions of the Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer. The photo below illustrates how me might divide these 10 versions into three “generations”, based on the colors used on the dials.
First Generation Colors (1950s) – The first five versions of the Seafarer — Reference 346, first and second executions; Reference 2443, first and second executions and Reference 2444, first execution — used muted, earthy colors, which may appear drab, especially with their aging over the years.
The dials are a cream color, often going darker with the passage of time and the decay of the radium used on these dials. On the tide disc, the high tides are represented by the deep blue and the low tides by the yellow-gold sand color. Later versions introduced gold highlights on the dials and hands.
Second Generation Colors (1960s) — Heuer used a very different palette for the dials of the next three versions of the Seafarer — Reference 2444, second execution; Reference 2446 (screw-back); and Reference 2447 (Carrera case).
The dials are a brighter silver / white, and the tide dial and chronograph minute recorder use a more vibrant, modern blue. This provides a higher-contrast, brighter look than the first generation colors. Heuer would use these same colors on the “Yachting” version of the Carrera.
Third Generation Colors (1970s) – For the third-generation of the Seafarer, Heuer used the Reference 2446C (Compressor) case and changed the colors to achieve a more graphic, dramatic look. The introduction of these stronger colors was consistent with the use of the new “Compressor” case, which was significantly larger than the previous Reference 2447 version of the Seafarer.
The dial is a deep, charcoal gray, providing high contrast with the light, warm gray of the recorders. The tide dial uses sky blue and royal blue, with the same sky blue for the chronograph minute recorder. Further contrast to the charcoal dial is provided by the black bezel and, on the second execution models, the bright white “Bund” style hands.
The Fourth Generation Seafarer — TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Limited Edition
Today, TAG Heuer and Hodinkee have collaborated to introduce what we might think of as the “Fourth Generation” of the Seafarer.
Yes, there have been five decades between the third and fourth generations, but to my eye and way of thinking, the new Seafarer represents a natural successor to the previous generations that we have described above.
Before putting the newest Seafarer into this context, we’ll describe the basic features of the watch.
The Basics – TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer Limited Edition
The TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer is a three-register chronograph, with a tide dial (positioned at 9 o’clock) taking the place of the customary chronograph hour recorder. The chronograph minute recorder is at 3 o’clock and the running seconds register is at 6 o’clock, and – consistent with all previous versions of the Seafarer — the watch does not have a date display.
Colors.
Whereas the final version of the Heuer Seafarer (or Solunagraph) from the 1970s incorporated a charcoal gray dial, the newest Seafarer uses a true black dial.
The three registers are a darker gray than was used on the previous Heuer models, with the same sky blue / royal blue combination being used for the tide dial and the five-minute segments on the chronograph minute recorder. The registers have bright “Daytona rings”, each of them printed in accordance with the function of the register — the Daytona ring for the tide dial is marked for hours, with “AM – PM” printed at the bottom; the ring for chronograph minutes is marked 5-10-15-20-25-30; the ring for the running seconds is printed 10-20-30-40-50, with “Seafarer” printed across the top of the ring. Interestingly, this subtle printing is the only “Seafarer” that appears on a watch that everyone is likely to call the “Seafarer.”
Case, Crystal and Dial Construction.
The original Seafarers made by Heuer from the 1950s into the 1970s never had dedicated cases, but all 10 versions resided in cases that Heuer used for other models – Autavia, Carrera, etc. It is fitting then that the newest Seafarer takes up residence in the 42 millimeter Carrera “Glassbox” case, a case that TAG Heuer introduced in 2023.
TAG Heuer introduced its first “Glassbox” Carrera in 2015, a 39 millimeter case with a sapphire crystal that mimicked the shape of a domed plastic crystal from the 1960s. This “first generation” of Glassbox Carreras came to a close in 2022, with TAG Heuer having produced 10 models, all of them limited or special editions.
In 2023, TAG Heuer introduced a “second generation” of the Glassbox Carrera. This new case has two very distinctive features. First, the second generation Glassbox Carrera uses “bezel-less” construction, meaning that the domed sapphire crystal is fitted directly to what we would normally call the “midcase”. Of course, this mid-case is thicker than a case that would have a separate bezel on top.
Second, the dial of the second generation Glassbox Carreras uses a unique construction. The dial is surrounded by an inner “chapter ring” (which is concave, and climbs up as it goes away from the dial) and an outer ring (which is convex, and goes down as it moves away from the dial, toward the edge of the case).
The sunken registers, with their “azurage” (concentric ridges) add to three-dimensional nature of the dial. Yes, indeed, the topography of these dials is complex, perhaps having been inspired by the bowls of a skatepark.
The uniquely-shaped sapphire crystal of the second generation Glassbox Carrera serves as a lens to display all this unusual topography, offering excellent legibility to these interior surfaces – the dial, the registers, the markers for the hours, the inner chapter ring and the outer ring.
Hands.
The main time-of-day hands are simple baton (or “index”) style, with luminous inserts and black inserts at the tips and toward the center each hand. These hands are similar in style to those used on the Carrera and Autavias, circa 1970.
42 Millimeter Case.
The early second generation Glassbox Carrera cases were 39 millimeters across the dial, with models including a three-register “reverse Panda”, a tribute to the Skipperrera, and a Dato with a green dial. During 2023, TAG Heuer introduced a 42 millimeter version of the second generation Glassbox Carrera, a blue-dialed tourbillon model being the first model to use this case. Subsequent models using the 42 millimeter Glassbox case have included a green-dialed tourbillon model and Chronosprint models produced in a collaboration with Porsche.
Initial Impressions – Worthy of the “Seafarer” Name
The vintage versions of the Seafarer, as well as its Mareographe and Solunagraph companions, are cherished by collectors. Over the decades from the 1950s into the 1970s, Heuer produced “tool watches” that were purpose-built for racers, travelers, and other adventurers. In this period, Heuer collaborated with Abercrombie & Fitch to develop timepieces for its clientele of adventurers and aficionados. These timepieces were always the best of the best, using Heuer’s best cases, movements and other parts.
It is exciting that 70 years after Abercrombie & Fitch collaborated with Heuer to develop the first Seafarer, Hodinkee has collaborated with TAG Heuer to produce a new Seafarer. The first Seafarer from 1950 was powered by the Valjoux 71 movement (modified for the tide complication) and was housed in the Reference 346 case, both representing the most rugged and reliable choices in the Heuer catalog. The new TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer makes similar choices, being powered by the newly-developed TH20-13 movement and occupying the 42 millimeter Carrera Glassbox case. Again, these choices represent the best of TAG Heuer.
Looking at the new TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer lined up with its predecessors from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the new watch is a worthy successor to these legendary models. Just as Heuer moved from one generation of the Seafarer to the next from 1950 through 1975, with each new generation reflecting the colors and styles of its era, the TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Seafarer takes the innovation that young Jack Heuer developed 70 years ago and embodies it in TAG Heuer’s state-of the-art case and movement, with the colors that Heuer left off with 50 years ago.
On the Wrist
Wearing the Hodinkee Seafarer Limited Edition for a few days, and especially alternating the new Seafarer with the Abercrombie & Fitch Reference 2446C Seafarer from the mid-1970s, made me even more enthusiastic about the new watch. Measured across-the-dial, the new Seafarer is 2 millimeters larger than the vintage model (42 mm versus 40 mm), however, the similarity of the lug-to-lug measurement (48.6 mm versus 48.2 mm) and the thickness (14.7 mm versus 14.4 mm) give the new Seafarer a familiar look and feel on the wrist.
The rubber strap “handles” the watch very well, with the micro-adjustment in the clasp providing for a good fit on the wrist.
Final Thoughts . . . well, at least for today!
For years, vintage watch enthusiasts have debated the merits of “re-issues”. Some vintage collectors want the one-to-one copies of their beloved icons; others may be happy with a nice new watch that is inspired by a favorite heritage model; some have sworn off the modern watches, regardless of how they are executed. Some collectors will enjoy the re-issue that is created by the original brand, while deploring the inexpensive “copies” made by third parties. Others will wear the $300 version of the $30,000 classic watch. Ask 100 vintage collectors and you may get 100 different perspectives.
To me, the new TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Carrera Seafarer is exactly what a re-issue should be. Beginning with a favorite heritage model, the new Seafarer incorporates the colors and style — and unique complication — into a watch that offers the advantages of a modern watch. On my wrist, the vintage Abercrombie & Fitch Seafarer is a beautiful object that evokes a favorite chapter of Heuer’s history. Yes, it reminds me of the golden era of watchmaking when Heuer was developing innovative watches for Abercrombie & Fitch (and of an era when Abercrombie & Fitch was a favorite destination for adventurers, rather than an omnipresent “mall store”.)
The new Hodinkee Seafarer connects me with this same chapter of Heuer’s history, in a watch that offers the advantages of modern design, materials and technology. It’s bright; it’s legible; it’s reliable; it’s waterproof . . . and if it gets a scratch or a scrape, that won’t be the end of the world. Beyond this “modern as proxy for vintage” perspective, it’s an attractive watch that is easy and comfortable to wear.
With that, I’ll say “Thank You” to TAG Heuer and Hodinkee for bringing back the Seafarer. And one more thing — now that TAG Heuer has this TH20-13 “tide dial” movement, let’s explore some of the other amazing Seafarers from the brand’s past!
Specifications – TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Seafarer x Hodinkee (Reference CBS2014.FT6293)
Limited Edition – 968 watches, including 125 offered through Hodinkee (available August 8, 2024) and the remainder (843) offered through TAG Heuer Boutiques and www.TAGHeuer.com; priced at $7,950.
Movement — TAG Heuer in-house Calibre Heuer TH20-13 automatic movement with tide indicator; built with column wheel and vertical clutch; frequency 28,800 bph (4 Hz); thickness is 6.9 millimeters and diameter is 31 millimeters (13-3/4 ligne); power reserve at least 80 hours; offers hacking to synch the watch to a reference time.
Case — 42 millimeter polished and brushed stainless steel “Glassbox” case, with thickness of 14.7 mm and measuring 48.6 mm lug-to-lug; domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment; case-back has sapphire crystal, engraved “One of 968”; water-resistant to 100 meters (10 bar). Pusher at 9 o’clock is used to set the tide dial and is marked, “tide”.
Dial — opaline black dial; gray chronograph minute register (at 3 o’clock), with 30-minute capacity and running seconds at 6 o’clock; registers finished with azurage (snailed finish); rhodium-plated applied indexes, with adjacent Super-LumiNova dots; black inner ring marked in 1/4 seconds (corresponding to 4 Hz frequency); black outer ring marked in one minute increments to 60 minutes.
Hands — Time-of-day hands and chronograph seconds hands are rhodium-plated with Super-LumiNova inserts.
Strap — Black integrated rubber strap, with textile pattern; deployant clasp, with micro-adjustment and TAG Heuer logo.
Thanks
Special thanks to Faisal Nayani for lending me his beloved “Luna”, the most amazing Solunagraph / Seafarer / Mareographe that I have ever seen. It’s the one on the left, below.
Follow Faisal on Instagram @LivingTheAnchorLife to see more of Luna!! Additional photos of this amazing watch are HERE.
Jeff Stein
August 8, 2024
