At the tail end of January, perfect replica TAG Heuer announced that its quirky heritage “Dato” chronograph, which has been the canvas for a vintage-inspired limited edition reboot or two, would finally be ascending the ranks into a stable position in the brand’s contemporary catalog. This fateful announcement was heralded during one of the most hectic times in the calendar of the watch world – the annual LVMH watch week, in which all brands under the luxury conglomerate are all duking it out for air time. Now that the dust has properly settled, I think it’s about time to revisit the now-iconic-by-name “Dato,” and give it more time in the spotlight.
As you might already be familiar with, the best 1:1 super clone TAG Heuer Carrera made its debut into the watch world in 1963, the product of a scrappy young Jack Heuer that would be indicative of his early success. The original Dato, as well as the second-generation Dato (ref 3147N), followed soon after in the latter half of the ’60s. A hard-to-track-down favorite among collectors, the second-generation Dato is distinguished by its minimalistic layout featuring just a singular sundial in the form of a 30-minute totalizer, as well as the nine o’clock date window, which successfully pushed out the controversial 12 o’clock date window that marked the original model.
Simultaneously upholding the legacy of an underrated design within the UK aaa quality fake TAG Heuer archive while equipping it with fan-favorite details from its contemporary playlist of hits, the iconic top quality replica TAG Heuer Carrera Dato is, in my humble opinion, one of the strongest releases from this year so far. This strength is derived from the interplay between the dial layout that’s boiled down to the most essential functions set against the bright confidence of the circular brushed emerald green dial itself. I always find it an exciting way of creating tension in design when simplicity and excess brush shoulders.
The dramatically domed “glassbox” sapphire crystal protecting the dial is yet another example of a vintage-meets-contemporary detail that the brand has successfully added to its repertoire, calling to the domed crystal of 20th-century chronographs. Even if it does contribute to increasing the considerable profile of 13.8mm, the glassbox profile has been a runaway hit amongst fans of the brand since its introduction, and the 39mm diameter of this watch remains incredibly versatile. Sometimes, a steep profile is a small price to pay for style and this detail makes the sloped chronograph seconds scale encircling the dial look particularly handsome.
While the heritage Dato was equipped with a 45-minute totalizer, in its modern interpretation, this feature sports a slight decrease in time, measuring up to 30-minute increments. As I alluded to earlier, the dial is pleasantly minimal, going easy on the text. The brightly polished, rhodium-plated faceted hour markers are a familiar feature across the modern Swiss movement replica TAG Heuer Carrera family and are accented with Super-LumiNova coated pips to assist legibility in low light conditions.
The overall impression that one gets with the release of the Carrera Iconic Dato is that high quality super clone TAG Heuer UK is a brand keenly aware of the power of its legacy, but with a decisive path forward to maintain relevancy and keep up the momentum in the landscape of today. Even if the vibrant green colorway is a bit controversial for some, the very presence of a non-limited Dato in the brand’s modern catalog tells of its ability to stay on the pulse of its fanbase – ultimately creating something that feels fresh while playing the hits from its design archive.
