The 2025 TAG Heuer releases for Geneva Watch Days presented two remarkable pieces that spearhead the brand’s technical innovation through the newly developed TH-Carbonspring technology: the TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring and the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring. Accompanying these avant-garde machines is the elegant TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer, which explores the celestial rhythms with a profoundly modern moonphase complication. Each watch embodies TAG Heuer’s relentless pursuit of mechanical precision and design innovation, hallmarks that have driven the brand’s legacy for over 160 years.
We met in Geneva with Maria Laffont, Chief Product Officer at TAG Heuer, to talk about the novelties.
Maria Laffont stands at the creative helm of TAG Heuer as Chief Product Officer, her vision shaping the pulse of the brand’s contemporary collections and its daring horological innovations. With a background steeped in art and an education from the Ecole du Louvre, Laffont brings a distinctly refined eye to watchmaking, seamlessly bridging tradition and the avant-garde. Since her arrival at TAG Heuer in 2021, first as Vice President of Design & Product, she has been instrumental in the evolution of the maison’s modern identity, guiding emblematic models and technological milestones from concept to wrist.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring commands attention with a dial constructed from black forged carbon, embossed with a spiral-shaped engraving that symbolises the hairspring itself. The dial’s architecture is designed for utmost legibility, a black flange encircles the dial with clear 60-second and minute markers.
Three counters are positioned methodically: at 3 o’clock, a black opaline minute chronograph counter with white Super-LumiNova hands, mirrored on the 9 o’clock hour chronograph counter; and at 6 o’clock, a second chronograph counter marked by a black gold hand. The applied indexes are black carbon, complementing the black gold hour and minute hands, which are generously treated with white Super-LumiNova to ensure visibility even under dim conditions. The white lacquered chronograph hand adds a sharp contrast that defines the watch’s technologically forward character.
At its core beats the in-house Calibre TH20-60, a chronometer-certified automatic flyback chronograph movement. Boasting a generous power reserve of 80 hours, the movement exemplifies TAG Heuer’s technical mastery. Finishing details are as precise as the movement’s beat: the bridges and components reveal refined surface treatments, reflecting the brand’s dedication to haute horlogerie. These include meticulous anglage on the edges and circular graining that can be glimpsed through the sapphire case back. The movement is engineered for durability and precision, reinforced by the revolutionary TH-Carbonspring hairspring which significantly stabilises oscillation while resisting magnetism and shocks, a real game-changer for daily mechanical performance.
Housing this technical marvel is a 39mm black forged carbon case, an extension of TAG Heuer’s expertise in carbon fibre utilisation. The case features a bevelled, domed sapphire crystal that plays with light exquisitely, while the crown and pushers are also crafted from forged black carbon, complementing the stealthy aesthetic. The case back, a square-shaped sapphire, is engraved specially to mark this limited-edition piece. With a water resistance of 100 metres, this watch combines luxury with robust practicality. The black rubber strap, embossed with a textile pattern and secured by a black DLC grade-2 titanium folding clasp, completes the design by marrying comfort with sporty elegance.
Turning to its sibling, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring, the dial shares the spiraled black forged carbon treatment but incorporates a more complex composition. This 44mm watch, with a black forged carbon tachymeter bezel, presents two counters at 3 and 9 o’clock, each adorned with black gold hollowed hands tipped with white lacquer. The highlight is the flying tourbillon prominently displayed at 6 o’clock through a dial aperture detailed with a black-gold ring, a spectacle of mechanical prowess and visual drama. The hour and minute hands are black gold facetted, filled with white Super-LumiNova, maintaining the theme of legibility and haute design. The chronograph hands are lacquered white for contrast.
Its movement, the Calibre TH20-61, is an outstanding example of TAG Heuer’s craftsmanship, being an automatic chronometer-certified chronograph tourbillon. With 65 hours of power reserved, the movement combines the rhythmic precision of a flying tourbillon with the robust utility of a chronograph. The movement exhibits the hallmark finishes of TAG Heuer’s innovation centre: polished and brushed components, decorated bridges, and an intricate layout that showcases the complexity and finesse typical of top-tier Swiss watchmaking. This calibre also benefits from the TH-Carbonspring, enhancing its shock resistance, magnetism immunity, and chronometric performance.
The 44mm black forged carbon case mirrors the Monaco’s technical ethos with a forged carbon tachymeter bezel and forged black carbon crown and pushers, crafted in circular and round shapes respectively. The case back is black sandblasted DLC grade-2 titanium, engraved with a bespoke limited-edition markings, securing water resistance to 100 metres. The accompanying strap is a sleek black rubber version fastened with a DLC titanium folding clasp, perfectly suited for the power and dynamism of this timepiece.
Completing this trio is the TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer, a sophisticated exploration of lunar rhythms rendered through the avant-garde moonphase complication. The dial is a masterclass in modern watchmaking design firmly rooted in scientific precision. At its centre is a rotating disc at 6 o’clock depicting seven illustrated moon phases, surrounded by two arrows calibrated for daily lunar motion, offering a clear and highly accurate view of the moon’s current phase in its 29.5-day cycle. Unlike traditional moonphase displays which lean on abstraction, this avant-garde display syncs precisely with real lunar movement, advancing daily at 1:00 AM.
This complication resides within a balanced 39mm steel case, available in stainless steel, a limited two-tone with 18K 5N rose gold, or a special edition with turquoise accents. The dial itself is silver sunray brushed with flanges and numerals that reflect the chosen colour scheme, the hands and numerals treated with white or turquoise Super-LumiNova for outstanding visibility. The case features a polished bezel and a domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment, presenting a refined yet practical wrist presence. The screw-down case back reveals an engraving of an astronomical observatory alongside a Victory Wreath, tying the watch’s technical virtues to a symbolic celebration of excellence. Water resistance falls to 100 metres, suitable for everyday wear.
This watch operates on the Calibre 7, a mechanical movement with a 50-hour power reserve, designed to power the moonphase complication alongside hours, minutes, and seconds. The movement is finished with typical TAG Heuer attention to detail: brushed and polished components visible through the exhibition case back, offering a respectful nod to understated mechanical beauty.
Reflecting on the significance of the TH-Carbonspring technology, its introduction marks a pivotal evolution in mechanical watchmaking. Not only does this carbon-based hairspring excel in resisting magnetic fields, which have become increasingly problematic in our digital age, it also offers improved shock resistance, mitigating everyday mechanical disturbances that can upset precision. Being lightweight, the carbon spring reduces inertial mass, thereby allowing the balance wheel to oscillate more efficiently, which directly enhances chronometric performance. This innovation emerges from a decade of research and development within TAG Heuer’s own LAB, signalling how deeply committed the brand is to pushing watchmaking boundaries. TAG Heuer’s insistence on cultivating in-house innovations and vertical integration underlines the importance of this technology as a foundation for future creations.
Together, these three watches illustrate TAG Heuer’s dual commitment to tradition and avant-garde ingenuity, a hallmark that defines their brand. The Monaco Flyback and Carrera Tourbillon embody the radical technical advancement represented by the TH-Carbonspring and carbon fibre cases, while the Carrera Astronomer ventures into the poetic realm of cosmic time, all underpinned by the precision and reliability assured by the movement finishing and technical expertise housed within. TAG Heuer continues to transcend mechanical limits and aesthetics with each crafted piece, reinforcing its legacy of innovation by embracing both the heritage and futurism that watch enthusiasts cherish so deeply. This truly is avant-garde watchmaking for the 21st century.
