Travel watch of the month: TAG Heuer Skipper

Time to welcome aboard TAG Heuer’s distinctive, ocean-going Skipper, a 21^st-century take on a watch first seen more than 55 years ago.

The Skipper was originally created in the wake (pun intended) of the 1967 America’s Cup victory by the New York Yacht Club’s 12-metre Intrepid after she defended a challenge from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron’s Dame Pattie. Heuer (now TAG Heuer) provided Intrepid’s crew with a set of yachting stop-watches for the race, along with a batch of Aquastar wrist watches featuring an ingenious countdown timer comprising a red-and-white disc that rotated behind a series of five holes. Intrepid won the event by a decisive four races to nil – and to celebrate, Heuer produced the Skipper chronograph with a 30-minute sub-dial adapted to count down the 15-minute regatta “pre-start” in three five-minute segments. Each of these segments was a different colour, with vivid orange being used to alert the crew to the fact that there was just five minutes to go; green to represent the colour of the boat’s rigging and teal to replicate the colour of Intrepid’s deck.

The new Carrera Skipper revisits the same summery livery, with a circular brushed main dial in Carrera signature blue (a tone initially inspired by the sea) and sharply contrasting sub-dials – the 12-hour counter being “Intrepid Teal” and the 15-minute regatta counter having segments in Intrepid Teal, Lagoon Green and Regatta Orange. The watch is based on the retro-looking “glass box” Carrera launched last year and featuring a curved dial with a distinctive, flanged edge and a wide crystal to make it extra legible. The new Skipper also gets the Carrera’s robust, 39mm diameter case, the latest TH20-06 movement with 80 hours of power reserve and a high-end, sea-resistant textile strap.

Examples of vintage Heuer Skippers in rare configurations and excellent condition have fetched more than £50,000 at auction – but the latest TAG Heuer version offers the look for just £5,900.