CAG7010.FT015
TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 27th July 2018
There I was thinking that I was one of the (comparatively) few people who knew how to operate a Calibre S watch... but it seems not all Calibre S watches are created equal! Ye gads, will the madness never end...? This one had me completely baffled, and seemingly only Store Manager Aneta could demonstrate the rather incredible functions of this Laptimer Calibre S (so thanks to her).
I'd love to be able to say I could explain it to you, but... honestly, while I got the general idea, the actual operation is still beyond my grasp. The watch seemed to be working perfectly until I pressed a button and then it seemed to baffle me all over again. In actual fact it was still working perfectly, but (as Aneta patiently explained) I had pressed the wrong button - silly me, because this one definitely doesn't work the same way as the Calibre S I have!
What this Calibre S can do that mine can't is not something I'd ever be likely to use, but it's quite remarkable all the same. As you may or may not have noticed, on the top portion of the dial there is a crescent shape with numbers 1-20 on it. This is where the SLR records the laps and indicates them with the hour hand (when in chrono mode).
Amazingly, the watch remembers up to twenty different lap times and displays them on command, it can also show you the 'best' lap time on demand as well (I'm guessing the lap times can be up to one hour, since the minute hand forms part of the chrono function). Pretty impressive stuff, though obviously you will need to study the manual before use - and remember to reset the lap timer to zero if you are starting a new set of laps.
As I said, chances are it's not something I would ever use, but boy does this watch look cool. And not just the dial... that rubber strap is really something with the stylised gills, designed to mimic the vents in the Mercedes SLR wings. The rest of the strap is plain rubber, but it does culminate in a very nice deployment clasp with the SLR logo prominently featured. The clasp reminded me of the ones found on the Monaco 24s with the pointed shape and twin button release and looks and feels suitably luxurious.
Oddly, TAG have chosen to angle the right side of the case so that the pushers appear to be on the front of the watch rather than the side. I'm not really sure what the thinking was behind this, but one effect is to increase the diameter to a stonking 47mm. Strangely though it wears smaller, I certainly wouldn't say this feels as big as a 45mm Heuer 01.
The (slightly annoying) crown on the left hand side operates a turning inner rehaut, and provides the facility of a countdown timer. That's fine, but why does that crown have to stick out so damned far? It looks a bit silly and it's not the most comfortable thing in the world, although this one didn't feel as sharp as the last one I tried on.
But that really is my only quibble with this watch, well that and it's overly complicated functionality... but you can't really complain about that, can you? The TAG outlet at Bicester currently has this in stock for a very attractive £2345 (reduced from £3600) which looks like about 35% discount from where I'm standing. Worth a look if you are considering a pre-owned SLR for sure.
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