So with Summer turning into Autumn, my thoughts are starting to turn towards constructing my 'Best and Worst of TAG Heuer 2019' post, but as there's still plenty of time for that I thought why not go back and do 2017 in retrospect... seems like a good idea, let's see if it was.
Link Calibre 5 Automatic
From the vantage point of September 2019, it's slightly strange to say it but the Link range isn't really that buzzing to me. It seems to be like the forgotten range, I mean I can't remember the last time someone posted a thread about it on the Calibre 11 forum, it just might as well not exist. I wasn't overly blown away by it myself when I tried it on on in December 2017, finding the bracelet oddly wide in relation to the case. I like it, though I couldn't see me wearing it, but it seems a lot of money for what it is.
Carrera Heuer 01 Senna Special Edition
This one definitely left an impression, it really couldn't fail to with those white 'Drive Timer' numerals and that black PVD coated steel case and bracelet paired with a ceramic bezel. I really liked wearing this watch, but the thought of a PVD coated bracelet fills me with utter dread, especially when you consider the titanic £5150 price tag. It's a stunning watch, but that price definitely puts it up against some tough alternatives.
Autavia Heuer 02 UAE Limited Edition
Oh boy.... so I'm not the biggest fan of the Heuer 02 Autavia in the first place and turning it brown and putting it on a brown strap sounds like a recipe for disaster, but I must admit I do prefer this to the original model. The brown makes it a little softer somehow and (oddly) a little bit less 'retro' looking. I still prefer the Jack Heuer version with the tachymetre bezel and nothing is going to convince me otherwise, but this isn't a bad limited edition in the scheme of things.
Monaco Quartz Watch
Back in November 2017 this had the potential to be the Monaco I might one day own. Quartz made it affordable and I rather liked the simplicity of the black dial with small seconds sub dial. But alas it all fell apart when I visited the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield and tried it on. Firstly the 37mm Monaco case is just too small for a guy like me, indeed, this is basically a unisex model with the only distinctions being the colour schemes (and there's no reason a woman wouldn't wear this) and second of all, I found it extremely effeminate on the wrist. It's just too polished and shiny and while it might wear okay for your average metrosexual suit wearer, for a guy like me this was a definite no no.
Carrera Heuer 01 Air-K Limited Edition
A Japan only release for tennis star Kei Nishikori, this is a great looking Carrera with a super-cool tapisserie dial and splashes of red and green on the dial and pushers. This watch was limited to just 150 pieces and featured a signed crystal display back and additional rubber strap in bright yellow. Incredibly Global Rakutan have one of these for sale in Mint condition for just £2767, which seems like a hell of a deal to me, although I have to say the photos make it look a lot less in your face than I'd hoped. Then again, it still comes with that bright yellow strap... which is about as in your face as it gets!
Formula One Quartz 'Alec Monopoly' Limited Edition
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and with the benefit of hindsight I absolutely wish I had bought this before it sold out. But I hesitated and within a weekend they were all gone (only 200 were produced). That £1000 watch is now trading for way over that, and right now there is one on Chrono 24 for £4250! Drat and dammit. Simple truth is that I am never going to pay silly money for this so I am never going to get one. Such a shame, as I much prefer this one to the 2018 version with the white background. Bah...
Aquaracer Calibre 5 Khaki Special Edition
This was released at the same time as the white/blue camouflage model and I was always way more taken with that one, this didn't change when I finally got to see this in the Meadowhall Boutique. It's okay... but I really don't like Nato straps and the dial is a bit muddy. In certain lights the gold TAG Heuer logo disappears and I'm super glad I didn't buy this because the quartz model that came out in 2018 is much nicer in my opinion.
Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Ayrton Senna Special Edition
This is one I struggle with a little, sometimes I like it and sometimes I find it a bit tacky. Those red hands are a bit much I think, silver hands would have been fine... and I don't really like the way the stripe and the sub dial interacts. The silver bezel looks great against the black case though, and I also like the strap a lot (even though it is slightly mad).
Formula 1 Quartz Ayrton Senna Special Edition
I much prefer the three hand version, simply because you get the uninterrupted red stripe down the right hand side of the dial. It just looks cleaner to me and I recently had to restrain myself from buying one of these that I found pre-owned for about £800 in a local jeweller.
Aquaracer Calibre 5 Arctic Camouflage Special Edition
Long term readers will be well aware of this model as I have commented on it regularly over the past two years, but for me the strap is the sticking point and if you take away the strap it only has maybe half the impact it should. If they'd made a matching rubber strap (similar to the one Watch Gecko sell) then it would be a toss up as to whether I would have bought this or the WAY208C I eventually bagged a few months ago.
Aquaracer GMT Calibre 7
On paper this one looked a winner, but I've never quite been convinced enough to make the leap. I like it, but I don't love it... and I don't think I ever will 'love' it. I imagine this one sells well for TAG Heuer, pretty much anything with a 'Pepsi' bezel has an appeal, and maybe one day it might come together for me. For once I wonder if it might be better if it was a little smaller, maybe a 41mm version instead of a 43mm?
Formula 1 Quartz Calibre 6
I can't actually remember ever trying one of these on in any of the three available colour schemes (this one was produced with blue, black or white dials), but it's not one that ever really pushed my buttons. I will say that I think it's grown on me over the last couple of years, which might be partially because I'm very slowly coming around to the idea of watches with the running seconds on a sub dial.
Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Max Verstappen Limited Edition
The second of Max's three TAG Heuers to date and another one which makes you wonder if Max is ever so slightly colourblind. Just 533 of these were produced (according to the internet) which seems not many at all for a guy who is surely destined to be a multiple F1 Champion in the future. Good luck finding one if you want one, I can't find a single one for sale and there's usually someone trying to make a quick buck on most watches so who knows how much this will be selling for when one does finally show up.
Carrera/Skipper Hodinkee Limited Edition
Definitely my least favourite TAG Heuer of 2017, partly because it doesn't appeal to me aesthetically, but also because a) I'm not a fan of Hodinkee and b) from what people on the Calibre 11 forum said who do like the older style of watches it was a bit of a half-assed bodge up using cases that were already stamped as 'Carrera' when the Skipper was a watch in its own right. I don't want to slate it, it's clearly not my thing, but honestly I wouldn't thank you if you gave me one.
Carrera Heuer 01 Red Bull Special Edition
I do love me a Carrera Heuer 01 with the Arabic numerals, if I knew back when I bought my original Heuer 01 that they would evolve the model into the 'Drive Timer' then I might just have held fire. But, well... now I have my Calibre 16 Carrera so I'm good. Still really like these though, albeit for me the black and red colour scheme works better than this silver and blue 'Red Bull' version. And every time I see one of these I think I have to get myself one of these straps, they are so cool!
Aquaracer Calibre 5 'Polar Explorer'
Clearly designed to tap into the Rolex Explorer II 'Polar' market, this watch originally came out in 43mm with a Calibre 5 movement and later in 41mm with both quartz and automatic movements. I don't think I've seen a 41mm automatic as yet, but I very much liked this original version. But it was one of those things where you like something so much until you realise that it's just too close to something you already have, in my case the WAJ1111 (hour markers, orange second hand, slatted dial (albeit it vertical rather than horizontal).
Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph 'Indy 500' Limited Edition
Never really been convinced by any of the Indy 500 Formula 1s I've seen (as far as I can remember) and this one didn't do much to sway my opinion about them. Again I don't despise it, I just can't bring myself to care one way or the other, which tells you all you need to know really.
Carrera Heuer 01 Indy 500 Limited Edition
So this is basically the red/black Heuer 01 Drive Timer I was talking about earlier, but with branding for the 2017 Indy 500 race. When you start with a stunning watch like this you can't really go wrong, and the Indy logo is subtle enough not to upset the applecart. I'd still choose an unbranded one myself, if only because I've never had any interest in the Indy 500.
Autavia JH85 Anniversay Edition
Again, not being of a 'Heritage' persuasion, the re-release of the Autavia left me a bit cold. But I did think this model produced to celebrate Jack Heuer's 85th birthday was a distinct improvement. My main gripe with the original watch was the bezel and more particularly the oversized numerals etched onto it. Making the numbers smaller gave the bezel a much more elegant look which really helped me like it a lot more. I'm still not crazy about the Heuer 02 Autavia in general, but this is definitely one of the better looking ones for me.
Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Manchest United Special Edition
I like the strap. And that's about it... at least it doesn't have a close up of the 'Manchester United' devil on it... because that is rubbish.
Carrera Heuer 01 Manchester United Special Edition
Nope, if you wanted that you had to spring for the £4000+ Carrera Heuer 01. Jesus, you know what, maybe was a bit hasty saying the Skipper was my least favourite TAG Heuer of 2017. This is very nice watch, utterly ruined by that crappy logo on the running seconds subdial. Ugh...
Aquaracer Quartz Watch
As a starter watch, you couldn't really do much better than this. It's simple, elegant and has a nice colour combination, I'm amazed it took them so long to bring this out as a Calibre 5, and even more amazed that when they did it was as a very limited edition. Makes no sense to me, should be a standard model. This one must have sold pretty well, what's not to like?
Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph
Let's finish on a high, this was the first brown strap watch I didn't loathe, in fact I kinda wanted to buy this for a long time; at least until I picked up my WAY208C Aquaracer and scratched that sand/black colour scheme itch. It just really works, it's unconventional, but it works and this was also probably the first 'traditional' cased Carrera that I really took to, probably because it's anything but traditional; but then with that leather strap it seems to straddle both new and old worlds. I think I'd still love to see this fitted with the tyre tread rubber strap from the Senna Carrera Calibre 16 though... just because. :)
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