
It’s no wonder that TAG Heuer won first prize in the sports watch category for this innovation at the Grand Prix d’Horologerie de Geneve in 2008. The whole thing works beautifully and precisely. From that point, the 1/10 seconds is indicated by finding the number on the caliper that best aligns with one of the next 10 seconds markers on the dial. Using the 10 o’clock crown, one needs to align the caliper’s red marker with the location where the seconds hand stopped. The first 0 is red and has a special red marker. The caliper is simple, it has 11 digits, marked from 0 to 9 and then 0 again. That crown moves the caliper back or forth around the dial like an internal bezel. It works as follows, once the chronograph is stopped, you move the caliper using the distinctive crown at 10 o’clock, which is adorned with a red stripe giving the watch an unbalanced yet instrumental feel. Think of the caliper as a physical mechanical “magnifying glass” for the seconds markers.

However, what sets this Grand Carrera apart is a simple, but wonderfully useful, and easy to use caliper that allows one to read the 1/10th second measurement right off the dial. The second button resets the chronograph along with both the minutes and the hours tallies. When engaged, a second push to the top button stops the chronograph. The long, polished steel, seconds hand will move around the dial in micro-steps while the one-third quadrant at three o’clock tallies the minutes (up to 30) and three quarter quadrant at 6 o’clock tallies the hours (up to 12). The start button has a solid click feel to it. Like most two button chronographs, the TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Caliber 36 can be started with a push on the top button. It is a modified version of the famous Zenith El Primero movement that runs at 36,000 bph – giving it the ability to measure these smaller intervals. The main feature of the watch is the 1/10th of a second chronograph which comes from the TAG Heuer Caliber 36 movement. Its steel construction reminds you that this is a manly instrument that can be used for serious timing tasks. At just over 190 grams, it is also rather heavy. The TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Caliber 36 RS Caliper is an imposing watch.
