It’s dangerous to tamper with a classic vintage watch design, but there are certain instances where it all works out.

The Tag Heuer Carrera Reissue, featured here, is one of those instances.

Since the Carrera’s introduction in the 1960s, it’s become nothing short of a legend. Even its origin story is legendary: Jack Heuer heard the name at a race in Florida and registered it upon his return to Switzerland. As the brand’s first purpose-driven driving watch, it broke the mold of every chronograph that had come before, and spawned countless competitors… and imitations.

Yet its design was not set in stone. Starting in the 1970s, after the introduction of the groundbreaking Calibre 11 or Chrono-Matic movement, certain lines in Heuer’s catalog received a makeover. The Carrera was one of them.

Although the Carrera would persist until the 1980s, the company’s takeover by Techniqués d’Avant Garde in the 1984 sounded the death knell for the line. Certain models were discontinued; the Carrera, alas, was one of them. As time passed and as Heuer—now TAG Heuer—moved away from sports watches and more toward luxury watches with “avant-garde” design, the Carrera was forgotten.

But in the 1990s, the brand realized that its classic designs still held value in the commercial market. Two models were re-released: the Monaco and, of course, the Carrera. Unlike the self-winding Carreras of the 1970s and 1980s, with the new Carreras TAG Heuer returned to its roots.

The proportions of the reissue were faithful, down to the long faceted lugs that admirers of vintage Carreras so admire. Like the vintage Carrera, the reissue was available in various case materials and dial colors. It was released in a 36mm gold case with a white dial and blue accents (Reference CS3140), a stainless steel case with a white dial and blue accents (CS3110), or the version featured here—Reference CS3113, featured a stainless steel case and a black dial with white accents.

Best of all, the watch is powered not by an automatic movement, but by the Lemania Calibre 1873, better-known as the Omega Calibre 1861 that drives the current crop of Omega Speedmasters.

This particular Carrera reissue comes complete with a full complement of inner and outer boxes and the original instruction manual.

The Carrera 1964 Re-Issue’s importance to Tag Heuer cannot be overstated. It set a precedent for Tag Heuer to reissue its most classic designs, thus continuing an appreciation for traditional horology. Its popularity is a testament to the evergreen design of the Carrera, which remains popular and will continue to be for generations to come.