NEW CARRERA CALIBRE HEUER 02T TOURBILLON NANOGRAPH

The new hairspring regulates the Heuer 02T manufacture movement, which is fitted with a tourbillon mechanism and meets the official standards for classification as a chronometer. The manufacture movement of this new model features a carboncomposite hairspring, produced from a gas, that replaces the well-known Elinvar and silicon versions. The fascinating tourbillon feature of this timepiece bridges the gap between traditional watchmaking craftsmanship and state-of-the-industry innovation.

A unique design

The nanoscopic (one million times smaller than a millimetre) hexagonal pattern of the hairspring’s carboncomposite material is mirrored in the design of the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph. Aside from the carbon-composite hairspring, the most distinguishing feature of this chronometer-certified chronograph is its multilayer dial and movement combination, which features sandblasted and fine-brushed hexagons on the movement plate visible through an open-worked dial. The pattern can also be seen on the oscillating mass, which has been treated with black PVD and is visible through the sapphire caseback.
Alluding to haute horlogerie creations of the past, a bright neon green colour adorns various elements of the watch, including the aluminium bridge and the inscription on the tourbillon movement. The aluminium alloy balance wheel stands out with its white gold inserts, while SuperLuminova® markings ensure that the movement is visible day and night.

A new generation of hairsprings

Known as the heart of the mechanical watch, the hairspring is the most difficult part to produce because its minute tolerances directly impact the overall precision of a timepiece. A team of TAG Heuer mathematicians, physicists and chemists are behind the creation of this newly reinvented hairspring. Not only does the carbon-composite hairspring shake up traditional watchmaking, it also improves the performance of watches fitted with the brand’s chronometer-certified movement. The Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph is the first watch to be regulated by this carbon-composite hairspring innovation.

Key benefits of TAG Heuer’s carbon-composite hairspring:

‒ The lightweight, low-density hairspring is virtually unaffected by gravity and shock. In TAG Heuer’s lab, watches were tested up to 5,000 g/1 m fall onto a hard surface – metal hairsprings bent, silicon hairsprings broke, while the carbon-composite hairspring remained completely intact.

‒ Perfect concentric oscillations are made possible thanks to the carbon-composite hairspring’s geometry and improve the precision of the watch.

‒ The carbon-composite hairspring is produced with the collet already attached; usually, this small part, which attaches the metallic hairspring to the balance wheel axis, requires complicated assembly and generates further inaccuracy.

‒ The carbon-composite hairspring is completely antimagnetic, which eliminates the issue of inaccuracy being introduced after a watch comes into contact with a magnetic source.

‒ Optimal thermal behaviour and aeroelasticity have been achieved by pairing the carboncomposite hairspring with an aluminium alloy balance wheel.

TAG Heuer is the exclusive manufacturer of these hairsprings, which are designed and produced in its inhouse laboratory in La Chaux-de-Fonds.