The TAG Heuer SLR started life in 2004 with the release of the CAD5110; probably the most curious looking watch the company have ever released. Following on from the McLaren F1 idea, this watch was only available to people looking to purchase the Mercedes Benz SLR super car and of course, at this particular moment in time TAG Heuer and Mercedes were still very much connected through their associations with the McLaren Formula 1 team and former TAG Heuer owners Ron Dennis and Mansour Ojjeh.
The back of this first piece is numbered, but unfortunately it doesn't say of how many. A quick Google reveals that Mercedes made 2157 SLRs, so it must be less than that. The watch wasn't cheap by any means and given the scarcity of them on the pre-owned market perhaps we can assume that the take up rate wasn't too high? Or maybe the owners just aren't selling, or they sold them on with the car...
A notable feature of the watch is that it is a 'regulator' the only example that TAG Heuer have ever made, at least since the company was taken over in 1985.
After a two year gap, TAG Heuer then launched a completely new watch under the 'SLR for Mercedes Benz' name (much like Breitling for Bentley one assumes). This featured a 47mm case, but this is rather misleading. While it is a big watch, because the pushers are mounted at an angle the measurement actually includes the pushers, so realistically it's probably more like 44-45mm, so it's similar to a Calibre 16 Formula 1 or an original Heuer 01. According to the catalogue the watch was only available on a leather strap, though I have seen one picture of it on a bracelet - but this could have been retro fitted from the later model which probably used the same case.
The CAG2110 was a limited edition of 3500 pieces and lasted only a year in the catalogue, for 2007 another similarly limited piece arrived. This too only lasted one year before the SLR was used to launch the Calibre S Lap Timer; a fiendishly clever (and complicated to operate) watch that stayed in the range for a couple of years. These were the first 'SLR' models not to feature the 'Mercedes Benz' text on the dials
Oddly, in 2010 TAG Heuer released a further mechanical version of the 'third' generation SLR (again sans the MB branding), this time around it was not a limited edition (though I can't really imagine it was made in much greater numbers than before, possibly even less?) and it lasted for a couple more years before the SLR was discontinued completely.
There was of course one other 'SLR' watch, which is the gorgeous looking CAR2112. However, this is clearly a Carrera, not an SLR and as such it will be included in the History of the Carrera, not the SLR.
CAD5110.FC6177: 41mm, black dial, steel case on a black leather strap (Limited edition)
CAG2110.FC6209: 47mm, black dial, steel bezel and case, black leather strap (Limited edition)
CAG2110.BA0254*: 47mm, black dial, steel bezel, case and bracelet (see text above)
CAG2111.BA0253: 47mm, black dial and bezel, steel case and bracelet (Limited edition)
CAG7010.BA0254: 47mm, black dial and bezel, steel case and bracelet
CAG7010.FT6013: 47mm, black dial and bezel, steel case, rubber strap
CAG7011.BA0254: 47mm, silver dial, steel bezel, case and bracelet
CAG7011.FT6013: 47mm, silver dial, steel bezel and case, rubber strap
CAG2010.BA0254: 47mm, black dial and bezel, steel case and bracelet
CAG2010.FT6013: 47mm, black dial and bezel, steel case, rubber strap
CAG2011.FT6013: 47mm, silver dial, steel bezel and case, rubber strap
Ultimately, the SLR is not one of TAG Heuer's great success stories (though given the number of fakes based on them you'd think they were most people's 'Holy Grail' of watches!). I have tried them on several times and never really been convinced, but even now when I see a picture from just the right angle it gets me excited for it all over again. They do have the coolest rubber straps ever made though, with the moulding mimicking the air vents to be found on the aforementioned Mercedes Benz SLR supercar... and (predictably) writing this post had me searching on Watchfinder for a Calibre S laptimer!
FURTHER READING:
Calibre 11's Ultimate Guide to the SLR:
Christies sale of a 2004 SLR CAD5110.FC6267
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