On Thursday evening TAG Heuer celebrated the anniversary of the iconic TAG Heuer Carrera that was introduced 60 years ago by Jack Heuer and inspired by the legendary border-to-border Carrera Panamericana race run on the open roads in Mexico between 1950 to 1954 and reputed to be the most dangerous race of any type in the world. This iconic timepiece has carried the brand’s racing heritage and daring spirit through the last six decades in tremendous style.
Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer, says:
“We chose London for this special evening as the UK is such an important part of the brand, one of our biggest markets and a country of watch lovers and racing enthusiasts. And we are extremely excited to celebrate the 60th Carrera anniversary by unveiling a very special film.”
The evening marked a world-first with which to celebrate the watch’s anniversary, screening the world premiere of “The Chase for Carrera”, a short five-minute Hollywood action-comedy starring brand ambassador Ryan Gosling and Vanessa Bayer. The short film salutes the Carrera’s storied racing heritage in a no-holds-barred chase thriller that encapsulates the TAG Heuer motto, “Don’t crack under pressure.”
Produced by David Leitch’s 87 North which is responsible for some of the most iconic action films of the last decade that include John Wick, Deadpool 2 and more recently Bullet Train, the film was directed by Nash Edgerton. Gosling shot The Chase for Carrera while working with Leitch on the new feature film The Fall Guy in Australia, which is an adaptation of the 1980s TV series starring Lee Majors and created by the legendary Glen A. Larson.
In fact, Gosling and his Carrera will also be seen co-starring in The Fall Guy, where he is wearing the sportier black and silver “reverse panda” TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph.
The short, offbeat chase thriller (which you can watch below) sees Gosling on the run from Bayer’s Prop Master as she tries to take back his beloved TAG Heuer Carrera following the shooting of a commercial – something he doesn’t plan on letting her do. The film then sees Gosling and Bayer battle it out in high-octane style, as Gosling is chased through various movie sets in a spectacle of blockbuster proportions in his Porsche 911 Carrera hotly pursued by Bayer in a set truck and golf cart. And in a nod to its film-within-a-film set-up, Leitch plays himself as the on-screen director.
The film even comes with its own Hollywood style posters and timeless taglines such as “How bad does he want that watch?” Answer: badly.
The Carrera that Gosling is desperate to keep hold of is the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph with signature blue dial and topped with a “glassbox”, a sapphire crystal dome that flows seamlessly over the tachymeter scale that runs around the dial edge and is fitted with a blue calfskin leather strap. Meanwhile Bayer’s Prop Master is wearing the new TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm in pink.
This represents a world-first for a luxury brand with Gosling continuing to wear different iterations of TAG Heuer Carreras in multiple iconic Hollywood roles. For example, last year, he could be seen wearing the minimalist TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hands as the unflappable Agent Six in the Netflix spy thriller The Gray Man.
Frédéric Arnault continues:
“TAG Heuer has always had a close connection to Hollywood, with our timepieces worn on the wrists of silver screen legends across the decades, from Steve McQueen to our very own Ryan Gosling. And the Carrera has always been more than just a timepiece – born from the racetrack, it’s a statement of daring and adventure as much as it is the epitome of elegance. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate its 60 years that than with this world-first: a mini Hollywood blockbuster collaborating with the best action-movie director in the world in David Leitch, responsible for such instant classics as John Wick and Bullet Train, and starring Ryan Gosling, not only the A-list icon of his age, but someone who always brings the utmost dedication and creativity to every project he embarks on, and that couldn’t be more true here. Here’s to the next 60.”
Ryan Gosling adds:
“I think what impressed me most was just how fearless and creatively versatile the team at TAG Heuer is. This campaign is wildly different from not only everything we’ve done together, but I think, anything they’ve ever done before. I was working with David Leitch on The Fall Guy and was enjoying it so much I asked him while we were filming an action scene if he would be interested in collaborating on my new campaign with the brand. Since the film was about making a film, we thought it made sense that the commercial be about making a commercial. And they [TAG Heuer] did it with such ease and joy, it made the experience a fun and creative experience for everyone involved. It was surprising to see a luxury brand known for such serious and artful campaigns, suddenly embrace and showcase such a strong sense of humour.”
David Leitch comments:
“Beyond being one of the most brilliant actors of his generation, Ryan was a thousand percent committed to bringing his best performance for this film. And really leaning in and like saying, okay, let’s make these bold choices together. It was really the same process as shooting a feature – the team prepped it like a mini action movie. It was always: how can we be creative? How can we be funny? How can we make a golf cart feel energetic and fun and dangerous? And I think with Nash Edgerton directing, who has exceptional knowledge of how to shoot action, and Ryan contributing to the creative, we did that.”
Other on-screen stars and TAG Heuer Ambassadors present at the premiere on Thursday evening included American actor and racing driver Patrick Dempsey and Australian actor Jacob Elordi, as well as English professional golfer Tommy Fleetwood.
The event itself was hosted by UK Radio and TV host Greg James. Also in attendance were Simone Ashley, Micheal Ward, Australian actress Milly Alcock, Louis Partridge, Kit Connor, actor and musician William Gao, Mia Regan and Amita Suman.
Two new ambassador members were introduced to the TAG Heuer family during the evening. Madelyn Cline, star of two of Netflix’s recent hits, Outerbanks and The Glass Onion, was announced as the brand’s newest US brand Ambassador. And she was joined by Alexandra Daddario, known more recently for her role in the first series of White Lotus. She was wearing the latest TAG Heuer Carrera Date design in eclectic pink in the new OOH/Print version of The Chase for Carrera campaign.
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man On The Ground, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.
Photographs courtesy of TAG Heuer
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