WK111A.BA0331
As you probably know if you are a regular reader, my first ever TAG Heuer watch was the F1 Kirium. Bizarrely what really appealed to me way back in 2004 was not that the watch contained a multitude of digital functions, but the simplicity and modern style of the dial when the digital display was turned off altogether. So naturally this watch held a similar allure for me, but for a long time I couldn't find one at a 'sensible price'. And by a 'sensible price', I mean kinda cheap.
Y'see, I was always conflicted about pumping hard earned cash into one of these because I already had the F1 Kirium. Did I really need another watch that was basically 'the same', albeit aesthetically different? Probably not. But I still wanted one and every so often I would find one for sale and start weighing up the pro's and cons, with one of the cons being that I wasn't sure if I would get on with the clasp on the BA0331 bracelet.
It wasn't perfect, admittedly. There was a small chunk taken out of the back edge of the case on the left hand side, but on the wrist you can barely see it. That aside it was in good order; the bezel had the usual marks and scratches you'd expect on a fifteen year old 2000 Series and because the previous owner had the battery changed not long before he sold it I knew that the watch had failed its pressure test. Well, no big deal quite honestly since I had no intention of ever getting it wet! The clasp was also slightly twisted, it closes but not willingly, the easiest way to close it is to use the foldover as leverage, but again once it is on the wrist it's fine and it undoes easy enough.
As I feared though, the clasp drove me insane and despite several attempts to resolve the issue I just could not find any solution to the irritation it was giving my wrist and in total frustration I ordered a rubber strap for it. This duly arrived (adding nearly 50% to the total cost of the watch I might add) and thereafter I wore it fairly regularly. But there was always this nagging feeling that it looked better on the bracelet and so I formed this love/hate bond with the watch...
Another issue was that I had no instructions for the watch and nor could I find any on the internet. This was super annoying as the digital time on the display and the hands were about one minute out so I always wore the screen in the 'off' mode, which I liked, but it still bugged me that it was through 'necessity' rather than choice. Okay it wasn't that big a deal but it annoyed me all the same...
I did once manage to find a You Tube video giving instructions for the Multigraph, but it was in Spanish and I didn't quite grasp the finer points. The problem with the Multigraph really is that it has no pushers, so everything is done with the crown. It's also (I know now) less than 'instinctual', for example to set the 'day' you don't actually access that via the screen that shows the 'day'. Bonkers.
But then a few weeks ago I had a brainwave; the CAC111D Formula 1 had the same movement, so maybe I could search for instructions for that? Sure enough, one quick Google search brought up a site offering a download of the instruction manual for that watch and a few seconds later I was perusing them with interest. Which is just as well because not long after that the battery gave up the ghost and I had to reset the watch from scratch - I really don't know how I would have done that without the instructions.
The other thing that happened this year was that I finally bought a WK1113 2000 Series with a blue dial. I had been after one of these for ages, but had been put off by 1) the high prices, and 2) the probable clasp issue. But eventually one popped up at a reasonable price; reasonable enough that I felt if I couldn't wear it I could sell it on and not lose too much money, and which turned out to be a really nice, comfortable watch with no issues with the clasp.
So now I was really confused, why was the clasp on the Multigraph unwearable when this one was perfectly fine? I resolved to swap the watch back onto the bracelet and find a solution to the problem, even if it meant ordering a new clasp. But bizarrely, once I put it back on I had absolutely no problems with it whatsoever, which confused me even more.
The main thing though, was that I had finally sorted out the display and now I also had it back on the bracelet (which I definitely preferred) and I started wearing the Multigraph even more enthusiastically. I even used the chronograph to time a walk, although here is where I discovered one of the problems of design. I find it incredibly awkward to turn the crown of the watch while it is on the wrist, and you have to turn the crown to scroll through the different screen displays. This is of course the same on the F1 Kirium (and indeed the Aquaracer Chronotimer), but I've always tended to select a screen before putting the watch on and left it alone before.
So it's not perfect, sure. But I do think the Multigraph looks absolutely killer, especially on the bracelet. It's funny, I wanted the watch for a long time and then when I got it, one way or another it disappointed and frustrated me, but now I've rediscovered the joy of owning one and I doubt very much I will ever let it go. I might sell the rubber strap though, I'm not sure it will ever go back on that again.
No comments:
Post a Comment