A Week on the Wrist with the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm – dainty yet daring

It’s hard to definitively decide which brand takes the crown for the best watch, but one watch manufacturer that truly deserves all the applause it gets is TAG Heuer.

Known for its collections of stylish sport watches, TAG Heuer is rarely absent from red carpets and other sporting events, and you’ll often find them gracing the wrists of celebrities and athletes like Ryan Gosling, Naomi Osaka, Leonardo DiCaprio and Fred Kerley.

So, when T3 decided to champion all things watches and timekeeping in the form of Luxury Watches Month for April, I knew I had to put a TAG Heuer watch to the test to see if it lived up to the hype. I got to wear the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm for a week and this is how it went…

TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm: the specs

First, let’s have a quick look at specs and features of the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm. From the Carrera Date family, this watch differs from the Carrera collection as it doesn’t feature any chronographs. Nevertheless, the Carrera Date has a classic dial and uses the automatic Calibre 9 movement (although some newer versions have the Calibre 7).

The TAG Heuer Carrera Date that I got to try has a 29mm steel polished case, ideal for women and those with smaller wrists. Despite its petite size, the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is packed full of technical features and beautiful materials. Made of 18K 5N rose gold and steel, the mother of pearl dial features 11 1.30mm diamonds around the face as the hour markers.

A date display sits at the six o’clock position, and rose gold is further used in the bezel to protect the Calibre 9 movement which can be viewed through the clear sapphire caseback. The TAG Heuer logo sits near the top of the dial and on the crown, and the bracelet is two-tone for even more colour. The watch is also water resistant to 100 metres and has a 40 hour power reserve.

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What is the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm like to wear?

As a women’s watch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is (unsurprisingly) smaller in size to cater to smaller wrists. Regardless of the slimmer case and bracelet, the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is incredibly impressive, especially considering the amount that’s packed into this watch.

I don’t wear a watch all the time so it took a while to get used to having it there, but the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm felt extremely lightweight, although you can definitely feel its presence on your wrist, whether you have it on show or not. But why you wouldn’t want to show it off is beyond me, as the design is absolutely beautiful.

The rose gold and steel balance each other perfectly, and it’s not too over-the-top or overpowering, letting the mother of pearl dial and diamonds take the centre stage. The TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is definitely not style over substance, as the technical parts of the watch are just as eye-catching.

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The rest of the dial is kept quite simple, and I enjoyed the movement of the second hand. It doesn’t ‘tick’ like other watches but instead moves very slowly so it’s not a distraction. The H-shape bracelet fits snuggly to the wrist and the crown is easy to adjust

My favourite part of the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is the movement which you can see through the caseback. It’s hypnotising to see it move and just another impressive feat that all that detail fits in a smaller watch.

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Is the TAG Heuer Carrera Date worth the money?

At £5,400, I think the TAG Heuer Carrera Date 29mm is good value for money, considering the name that it comes with and the materials and features you’re getting from it. Will it be in everyone’s price range? Probably not, no but if you have the cash, it’s a worthwhile investment piece that will stand the test of time (no pun intended).