BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Classic' Quartz Watch

 
384.513

Way back in October 2018 I took delivery of my first 'classic' TAG Heuer Formula 1; I started out with a full black model (383.513) and to be completely honest I didn't wear it all that much, in fact I kind of regarded it as my first 'collectible' rather than a watch I would actually wear. It was nearly two years until I added a second classic F1 to my collection (the red and black 385.513) and since then I've added them at an alarming rate, within days I added a 380.513 (yellow/black) and then two months later a 382.513 (grey/yellow). 

Once I had realised that the best way to buy these was to import them from Japan, I was regularly browsing Japanese eBay listings and by the end of the year I had added a 381.513 (black/blue) and also my first steel cased 'classic' F1, the green and black 375.513. Another steel cased Formula 1 arrived in January (WA1213 orange/grey) and then a light blue/blue one (388.513) but that's still on the 'down-low' currently so we'll gloss over that for now... 

And now, after much searching, comes this red/green combination, which was one of the three original Formula 1 watches released in 1987. I saw one a few months ago on eBay in mint condition with box and papers etc, but it was £350+ and I though that was a bit too much and decided to wait. For some reason this model doesn't seem to come up as often as some of the others and it took a while to find one that was a decent price and in good condition.

There was one on eBay from an American seller, which wasn't in perfect condition but was still well over £200 (plus import charges, etc) and the seller had a very funny attitude - not that I contacted him, because importing from the US to the UK is an expensive business, but his listing was bizarrely aggressive in pointing out the rarity of his offering and how the buyer should 'educate themselves' if they thought otherwise! Wow, way to alienate your buyers buddy!

Of course, since I bought this one they seem to be coming up on eBay every other day, which is completely typical... but thankfully not cheaper than the one I bought - so that's okay. This one actually turned up in the UK, and I paid a very reasonable £158 for it (UK prices are usually rather inflated compared to Japanese pieces). When it arrived it was on the cheapest, naffest white leather strap you could possibly imagine, but needless to say the guys at Bicester Village were able to order me a proper green plastic replacement strap for it for £32, so even with that it was only £190 all in with a brand new strap.

Actually, the strap is my least favourite of all my classic F1 straps, I don't know if it's because the colour and texture reminds me of garden pots, but it definitely seems a lot more 'plastic' than all the others. Most of them have some degree of 'rubberiness' about them, but this one just looks and feels cheaper for some reason. It also doesn't match the bezel, at all... but that's nothing new when it comes to these watches to be completely honest. 

Someone pointed out that this watch is in 'TAG Heuer' colours, which is true, but it's also true to say this looks a little, umm... Christmassy. I don't know if that's why I feel like overall it seems to look a little 'cheaper' than all the other classic Formula 1s. In fact I did go through a 24 hour period where I was thinking that maybe I didn't like this one all that much, but I seem to have got over that hump. Not that I was going to sell it, because I do intend to get the full set (next stop 'cream and navy' and then all out for the Ukyo Katayama limited edition...), but it's definitely not my favourite of the classic F1s. At least not at the moment, but things could change...