SJX Watches
Review: TAG Heuer Carrera Dato “Glassbox”
When TAG Heuer revamped the Carrera in 2023 to create the “Glassbox”, it managed to transform a vintage remake into something more modern. The result was praised by enthusiasts, and arguably expanded the brand’s audience. This year TAG Heuer built on the same concept with the Carrera Dato “Glassbox”, a design inspired by the ref. 3147 of 1968. Featuring an unusual date window at nine, the Dato has a single 30-minute register at three o’clock, giving it an asymmetric layout that still has visual balance. Quirky dial design aside, the Dato is standard Glassbox, right down to the highly domed crystal and in-house TH20 movement. Initial Thoughts I write this as the owner of the Carrera “Glassbox” with a black dial, nicknamed “reverse panda”, which was my first-ever TAG Heuer. I was never really a fan of the brand before but when I saw it, I was impressed by the aesthetics. Most striking was how much the dial stands out when on the wrist due to the relatively short lugs. I ended up pulling the trigger on the Glassbox after a few months of contemplation. The Carrera Glassbox in the “reverse panda” colourway On paper, the Dato is not much different from the original Glassbox, since it has exact same specifications aside from the dial’s colour and layout as well as a minor movement tweak to remove two counters. In reality, however, the aesthetic changes make it an entirely different watch. The Dato is a cleaner design that gives something of a dress-watch...
