Introducing the Replica TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition Quartz Chronograph
No brand has deeper or broader roots in motorsports than TAG Heuer, which is a partner throughout Formula 1, Formula E and the World Endurance Championship and maintains close sponsor relationship with the world's most prestigious race, the Indianapolis 500.
This year's 104th edition of the Indianapolis 500 is full of intrigue. Originally scheduled for May 24, 2020, the race was rescheduled for August 23 due to COVID-19, but the enthusiasm behind the race is just as high. To celebrate the 104th anniversary of this historic event, the brand has produced special editions to commemorate the Indy 500 and the Indy 500. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition replica offers a dynamic dial treatment with textured dials and a radical modern color scheme and quartz precision.
The Case
The 43mm stainless steel case of the standard TAG Heuer quartz Formula 1 quartz chronograph replica forms the base for the Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition, but TAG Heuer immediately sets this one apart visually with a stealthy bead blasted black DLC finish throughout. This matte black finish helps to alleviate some of the visual bulk of this design, while still allowing the chunky tachymeter bezel to stand out. The insert here is sandblasted black ceramic, with the Formula 1’s usual bold numerals augmented by a deep red “Indy 500” inscription at 1 o’clock. The caseback also receives a special Indy 500 engraving, but interestingly the etching still references the original cancelled date of May 24. Time will tell if this will lend these collector’s appeal down the road, but already this makes for an interesting historical oddity. Like its more common stablemates, this case is still remarkably watertight for a chronograph with a 200 meter rating.
The Dial
The most fascinating element of the dial for the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition replica is not the bold and graphic color treatment, it’s the use of texture to convincingly produce the treatment’s effect. For those not in the know, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known to racing fans across the world as “The Brickyard” due to its original brick and mortar track surface, and while the track has long since been paved over with asphalt the start/finish line is still surrounded by a strip of bricks one yard wide as a tribute to history. One of the Indy 500’s proudest traditions is the custom of the winner kissing those bricks at the starting line after the race, adding even more mystique to that iconic strip of exposed masonry. This new Formula 1 vividly depicts that line of bricks cutting through the 3 o’clock side of the dial for a dramatic effect, but while this patterned racing stripe would be dramatic on its own the surfacing of the dial elevates it to the next level. The black main dial surface is heavily grained in a convincing depiction of asphalt, while the thicker paint on the brick stripe softens this effect somewhat for a more brick-like visual texture. It’s a dramatic visual cue that surely won’t be to everyone’s taste, but it’s a nicely rendered tribute to one of the most famous racetracks on earth. With that in mind, however, the date window at 4 o’clock may prove to be even more controversial as it drastically alters the overall visual weight distribution.The rest of the dial design is more orthodox, with all three subdials featuring a silver azurage treatment to ensure the mostly matte watch is not completely devoid of light play at changing angles. Likewise, the tapering baton hands, and bold applied mix of indices and Arabic numerals maintain the same polished sheen as other Formula 1 iterations. The subdials themselves also harbor a few bespoke visual cues, with partial scales for both the running seconds and chronograph minutes accented in an appropriate deep shade of brick red. The 6 o’clock 1/20 second subdial adds another pop of detail and color with the finely rendered emblem of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Movement
TAG Heuer provides very few details surrounding the quartz chronograph movement that powers the Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition replica. As a quartz movement though, it does offer certain advantages in accuracy and durability, even if it might lack the cache of a mechanical powerplant. In addition, this movement has proven itself reliable across much of the Formula 1 range over the past several years.Like other Indy 500 special editions, this watch is part of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 replica collection. It features the distinctive Indianapolis Motor Speedway logo placed at the 6 o'clock subdial, which is emblemized with the words 'INDY 500.’
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