CAL5113.FC6329
The Monaco 24 is a superb looking watch, and I really, really like it. I've really, really liked it for a very long time, but I'm just not 100% sure it's for me. With the current price at the outlet standing at £5100, that means I still need another £2700 before I can buy this watch and I'm not sure that I really want it bad enough to warrant the waiting, and then there's the other problem. Other watches...
This week something popped up on eBay, it's not hugely expensive (in fact it looks like a bit of a bargain) and it hasn't ripped a huge hole in my budget, but it did kind of give me pause for thought. Especially when I thought someone else had bought it because I couldn't find the listing, that was definitely a turning point where I knew I wanted this watch. I'm not going to reveal what that watch is just yet (I'm interested to see if anyone can guess) but the more I thought about it the more things came into focus and so here is my 'definitive' wishlist (as of right now anyway...)
1. TAG HEUER Formula One Calibre S
CAH7011.BA0860
This isn't something I've ever actually seen in the metal, but from the pictures this is one that would suit me down to the ground. It's a bit big (44mm), but I can live that with since I believe this is based on the same case as my CAU2012 (which suggests my BT0717 rubber strap would fit too) and that's fine.
It also ticks a box with the Calibre S movement, which I haven't got as yet, and I would like to add to the the collection in some form. Watchfinder currently have one of these on offer for just shy of £1000 which is, I must admit, rather tempting.
2. TAG HEUER Formula One Chronotimer
CAC111D.BA0850
I've long admired the WK111A 2000 Series Multigraph, but having owned a 2000 Series and ultimately sold it because it felt a little too small, owning another one never seemed like an option, however cool I thought it looked... but then I came across this F1 Chronotimer which I believe it a much more acceptable 40mm in diameter. True it doesn't quite have the WK111As good looks, but it's still handsome in a beefy Mac Truck kind of way.
Again this isn't something I've come across, and worryingly a scout through eBay seems to reveal more than you would expect with damaged dials. Again I don't know if this is a delicate watch or if it's a watch that particularly attracts clumsy thugs? I assume the movement is somewhat similar to the one inside my Formula One Kirum, I just love that plain black dial with the silver hands... but then again, I already have the F1 Kirium so is it a bit of a pointless buy? I'm not sure...
3. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre S
CAF7013.FT8011
Long term readers may remember that I've talked about this watch before, indeed I very nearly bought one for a ridiculously good price (£945 in Bicester Village last year) but at the last second the CAU2012 appeared and I plumped for that instead.
This one ticks a lot of boxes as well, for a start I still haven't got an Aquaracer in the collection (an Aquagraph yes, but that's really a 2000 Series), the yellow dial again is something new as is the Calibre S movement. The watch comes on either a bracelet or the rubber strap pictured above and I think the rubber strap sets off the yellow better, but I wouldn't be averse to buying it on the bracelet and buying the rubber strap as an alternative. The other thing I like about this watch is the split bezel with the black inner ring, which again sets off the yellow dial very nicely.
4. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Chronotimer
CAF1010.BA0821
This one also comes either on a black rubber strap or a bracelet, and this time I think I'd prefer the bracelet. These seem to be fairly readily available for about £950-£1050, indeed I've already located a couple of options, and this could well be the first of this list to arrive into the collection.
Realistically, my current budget will buy me two of these watches and I'm thinking the most likely is the Aquaracer Chronotimer and the Aquaracer Calibre S (if I can find one), the F1 Chronotimer is a bit of a wild card and while the F1 Calibre S is neat, I think I'd prefer the yellow Calibre S Aquaracer. But longer term I'd like to pick that one up too, Watchfinder currently have one but its a little beat up around the edges.
You may have noticed that the Grand Carreras are notable by their absence from my list, and well... I tried on a red Grand Carrera (the one with the rubber strap) last week at Bicester Village and it just didn't do it for me. It was £3800 I think, something like that anyway, and it just looked kinda dull somehow...
Also notably absent from this list is the WAY208C Aquaracer, which I've been banging on about forever... and, well, having looked into this model yet again, there are just too many question marks (not least the cyclops - although, that said, my latest acquisition does have a cyclops), so for the time being I'm putting that one on the back burner. Maybe one will pop up somewhere and give me reason to rethink, but for now I'm concentrating on getting the two Aquaracers into my collection I think.
Tomorrow I should be posting about my recent visit to Bicester and another purchase, a very important purchase actually, as it is to celebrate my 25th Wedding Anniversary in October. Kind of early I know, but when you read the post it will become clear why I had to buy it without delay.
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