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A New Approach to the Moon Phase Complication: The TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer



TAG Heuer has unveiled three new Carrera Chronometer Moon Phase models, reinterpreting the moon phase complication with a modern twist. However, this bold move raises the question: Can this most classically poetic of complications truly coexist harmoniously with a brand so deeply rooted in the world of motorsport? A look at TAG Heuer's history reveals numerous, sometimes surprising, intersections between space exploration and the moon phase, offering valuable insights into how this complication has come to occupy a central place in the TAG Heuer image. This article delve into these historical connections, new creations, and the brand's modern interpretation of the moon phase.

One of the most striking chapters in TAG Heuer's lunar history is the Solunar watch. Launched in the late 1940s, this watch, in a predominantly chronograph-based collection, stood out as the first wristwatch to feature a tide indicator, located at 6 o'clock. Its name—a portmanteau of "solar" and "lunar"—hints at its purpose: the Solunar was primarily intended for sailors and fishermen, allowing them to track the rise and fall of the tides according to the lunar cycle. The indicator, calibrated to a specific position via a push-piece, then completes a full rotation every 50 days—roughly twice the length of the 28.5-day lunar cycle. It is surrounded by a 24-hour ring, which helps visualize the tides: a white line within a blue circle indicates high tide, while a white line within an orange frame indicates low tide.

The Solunar, with its groundbreaking display, paved the way for the chronograph version of the tide gauge: the Heuer Mareograph, which debuted around 1950. This watch combined the Solunar's tide dial (now located at 9 o'clock) with a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock and a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, the latter of which also served as a regatta timer. Because it was divided into five-minute increments, the latter was used to time the countdown to the start of sailing and rowing races. This chronograph concept—sold by Abercrombie & Fitch as the Seafarer and later by Orvis as the Solunagraph, although both were manufactured by Heuer—became popular again in 2024. With the launch of the TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer Chronograph × Hodinkee, the concept resurfaced in a modern form, ushering in a new era for this fascinating chapter in the brand's history.