TAG Heuer Carrera CS3140 Quick Review
The TAG Heuer Carrera CS3140 1964 re-edition is a re-issue done right. Not every company can make a re-issue that can be well received today.
What makes the 1964 re-issue sought after is that it is the base movement of the Omega Speedmaster cal. 861 / 1861 in a more modest 36mm case size.
Pricing
The CS3140 has recently increased in value due to popular demand. They’re now around USD$4k for a complete box and papers. From what I have seen, this price doesn’t include a service history.
Packaging
I’ve seen plenty of variations of the box depending on where the watch was purchased. The differences would either be the inner box or paperwork design. The inner box would be indifferent materials while the papers would have a different design. However, I find that most inner boxes I’ve seen shaped circular.
Movement
The CS3140 is powered by a hand-wound Lemania 1873. The watch wiki has more information about the movement here.
Thoughts
TAG Heuer has recently been considered a fashion watch by the enthusiast. What was once a powerhouse in the watch world, it had fallen out of Haute Horology when Heuer was bought out by TAG.
This re-issue features a “Heuer only” logo which is loved by the community. It’s a reminder of the history that Heuer had. To further emphasise this, the crowdsourced watch Autavia 2017 didn’t feature the word “TAG”. It shows that the community would still love a Heuer only on their watches. Even the Steve McQueen Monaco re-issue (review here) didn’t have “TAG” on it to pay tribute to the original.
The dial is white with blue accents. It’s not hard to read as the contrast is blue and gold over white. Lume doesn’t stay longer than 20 seconds which is expected of a watch at this age as it’s tritium as symbolised by the “T” above the Swiss text.
The case is a solid 18kt yellow gold which can easily be paired with a burgundy strap. Case thickness is an estimate 13mm which is quite thick for a small watch. Part of this comes from the acrylic crystal. The lugs are measured 43mm lug-to-lug, but is fairly straight and doesn’t contour too much making this watch a tad larger to wear.
The case back, like the packaging, also varies depending on the year the watch was produced. My copy was towards the end of its production.
The crown has the Heuer only logo, and it’s big enough that you can easily wind it.
The buckle is Heuer signed. An advantage if you can get a complete kit.
As the crystal is acrylic, it’s not as scratch resistant as sapphire so prepare to see some hairline scratches on harsh light.
In my time of wearing this, I have enjoyed this immensely. I have worn this in any attire from casual to business. The only downside I can see in this is that the lugs are fairly straight which reminds me of NOMOS. This doesn’t always bode well for small wristers but is well appreciated by the opposite.
Overall, the CS3140 is a watch that has a place in a collection. I believe this would mostly sit in a vintage Heuer collection as it’s a very niche watch that only a few would look into. However, with the small watch trend’s return, it’s only a matter of time before the demand for this spikes up.
