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pilotSpotted May 2023

Pilot Daniel Ricciardo spotted wearing a Tag Heuer

pilot Daniel Ricciardo spotted wearing a Tag Heuer
Who & what: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary Blue Dial Stainless Steel CBK2212.FC6534 — Daniel Ricciardo Sighting

Daniel Ricciardo was photographed in the Oracle Red Bull Racing garage — headphones on, arms folded, eyes locked on the pitlane — with a distinctly blue chronograph sitting on his left wrist. The piece is unmistakably the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary in stainless steel, reference CBK2212.FC6534, making this sighting as on-brand as any endorsement deal could manufacture. Ricciardo is a long-standing TAG Heuer ambassador, but there is nothing contractually perfunctory about this particular choice.

The watch commemorates six decades of a nameplate that Jack Heuer introduced in 1963, drawing inspiration from the gruelling Carrera Panamericana road race across Mexico. The 60th Anniversary edition leans hard into heritage without compromising on modernity. Its 39 mm stainless steel case wears a domed sapphire crystal — replicating the Plexiglas bubble of the vintage references — over a sunray-brushed blue dial arranged in the reverse tricompax configuration: small seconds at 12 o'clock, 30-minute counter at 6, and 12-hour counter at 9. It is a layout that distinguishes the anniversary piece immediately from TAG Heuer's standard Carrera chronograph family.

Powering the watch is the Calibre TH20-00, TAG Heuer's fully in-house automatic chronograph movement developed on the column-wheel and vertical clutch architecture. Running at 28,800 vph with a column-wheel and offering an 80-hour power reserve, it is a technically serious movement for the segment, visible through a sapphire exhibition caseback. The blue leather strap with white stitching reinforces the monochromatic aesthetic discipline that makes this reference stand out in a crowded anniversary-edition market.

For collectors, the Carrera 60th represents a genuine inflection point in TAG Heuer's recent history. The brand had been criticised for years for not fielding a fully in-house chronograph movement at a credible price point. The TH20-00 answered that criticism directly, and the 60th Anniversary housing it in a 39 mm case — a size more sympathetic to the vintage proportions — has made this reference one of the most discussed modern TAG Heuers among serious enthusiasts.

At a retail price of approximately $5,950, the CBK2212.FC6534 occupies a compelling position in the steel sport-chronograph segment, competing squarely with the Tudor Black Bay Chrono and sitting comfortably below Rolex Daytona territory. Grey market premiums remain modest, reflecting solid but not speculative demand — the sign of a watch bought to wear, which is precisely what Ricciardo is doing.

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