Tuesday 28 February 2023
Sunday 26 February 2023
FEATURE: The Trials and Tribulations of Luxury Swiss Watch Ownership
Just before Christmas I took delivery of my long desired Grand Carrera Chronograph, but after a few weeks of blissful ownership something went wrong. When I originally received the watch it had performed incredibly well, staying within 1 second a day, but suddenly it was gaining 30 secs in a day, then losing 15 seconds in a day, then losing 7 seconds and then kinda staying there or thereabouts. Thankfully I had bought the watch from Watchfinder who give a two year warranty and so back it went.
At around the same time I noticed that the chronograph was doing something weird. Now I don't generally use my chronographs very much to be honest, and so I couldn't be sure if this was a new development or whether the watch had behaved this way since it arrived. But I mentioned this in my covering letter and sent it back to them in the return pack provided.
Thursday 23 February 2023
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 'KSA' Limited Edition
WBN2015.EB0283
TAG Heuer clearly has a significant following in the Middle East and this is the latest of their 'Limited Editions' made for that part of the world - could be an interesting subject for a post that. Now obviously these watches and this watch in particularly are very region specific and unlike the 'Year of the Rabbit' Carrera I would not expect this to be for sale outside of Saudi Arabia, especially as there are only one hundred pieces available.
Wednesday 22 February 2023
Sunday 19 February 2023
ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Quartz Chronographs
CBP1112.BA0627 CBP1110.BA0627
TAG Heuer Boutique & Goldsmiths / Meadowhall, Sheffield 28th January 2023
While trying on the Watches of Switzerland Limited Edition Carrera Elegant Panda (which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago) I noticed that the downstairs Goldsmiths in Meadowhall (for there are two) had one of the new Aquaracer chronographs in a small display cabinet set into the wall. It had a bright spotlight shining on it and when I took it from the salesman it felt extremely warm, but I guess since this is an 'outdoor explorer's watch that's ready for anything you can throw at it' that shouldn't do it any harm...
I will admit I was slightly disappointed that the only one they had was the black dial one, as this is perhaps the least interesting of the three. But still it was nice to finally get a new Aquaracer chronograph on the wrist after a few years without one in the catalogue and looking at it objectively it is a smart looking watch.
Saturday 18 February 2023
Thursday 16 February 2023
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Autavia Heuer 02 Flyback Chronograph
CBE511A.FC8279
Way back in March 2019 a Czech website called Hodinky.Koscom posted pictures of a bunch of TAG Heuer Autavia chronographs, including this one alongside the black and silver versions which were released early last year. I'm 85% sure there were more than three but I don't recall what the other ones looked like and sifting through my records produced nothing but a slew of broken JPGs. Typical.
Suffice to say that this watch is already nearly four years old, which is kinda crazy. One of the reasons for this perhaps, is that these watches were originally supposed to carry the Isograph carbon hairspring which was originally launched in the three hand Autavia range and then subsequently recalled and discontinued as in practice the technology did not work well with the (rebranded Sellita) Calibre 5 movements. And then of course there was the global pandemic...
Wednesday 15 February 2023
Monday 13 February 2023
INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer F1 Kirium and Aquaracer Chronotimer
F1 Kirium Aquaracer 'Chronotimer'
If you own either a TAG Heuer F1 Kirium or a TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Chronotimer' but don't have an instruction booklet then you might be a bit lost. Both these watches use the same movement (the multifunction ETA E20.321) and here below I bring you the instruction booklet for these and probably many other watches.
I know this isn't a very exciting post if you don't own one of these watches, but every time I post a set of instructions for a complicated watch I get at least one person thanking me so it's worth it.
Sunday 12 February 2023
Friday 10 February 2023
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Porsche Special Edition' Heuer 02 Chronograph
CBN2A1M.FC6526
When TAG Heuer announced they would be teaming up with Porsche a few years ago there was much approval rippling through the THF Forum... at least until the first watch arrived. I quite liked it and one THF forum member actually bought one, but generally speaking there was a LOT of negativity towards it. Partly this was because of the 44mm diameter of the Carrera Sports case (yawn), but also because it wasn't nearly as 'retro' looking as people hoped (quelle surprise).
Then last year they brought out a new version accented in yellow and the people who didn't like the first one liked it even less! In fact the yellow version scored almost a full half mark less than the first version in the end of year 'WOTY' poll. But, out in the real world, the yellow Carrera sold out quickly and the only time I got close to seeing one was when I visited a TAG Heuer boutique in Nottingham and was told they had one out the back awaiting collection by it's new owner.
Thursday 9 February 2023
Tuesday 7 February 2023
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 40mm Quartz Chronographs
CBP1110.BA0627 CBP1111.BA0627 CBP1112.BA0627
It's been a few years since we've had an Aquaracer with a chronograph function in the range. It seemed like for a while there TAG Heuer decided that a dive watch should be a dive watch and on a dive watch a chronograph function was more of a liability than an asset (more holes in the case to waterproof). But of course, the new 200 Professional Aquaracers are not actually 'dive' watches, but 'outdoor' watches, a subtle distinction that presumably validates the re-introduction of the chronograph to the range. I guess we'll see if that explanation holds water (no pun intended) if TAG Heuer decide to reintroduce the Calibre 16 or Heuer 02 movement into the 43mm case...?
Monday 6 February 2023
Saturday 4 February 2023
ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Elegant 'Watches of Switzerland' Limited Edition Panda Dial Heuer 02 Chrono
CBN2018.BA0642
Goldsmiths / Meadowhall, Sheffield 28th January 2023
I was looking forward to visiting Meadowhall and the TAG Heuer boutique again, but on the way there I happened to pass the smaller Goldsmiths store downstairs. Never one to pass up an opportunity to gawk in a watch-filled window I perused the display looking for the new Aquaracer chrongraphs, but no joy there. However, towards the back of the display I noticed a small plaque screaming 'LIMITED EDITION' at me and lifted my head to finally spy a Watches of Switzerland panda dial Carrera Elegant!
You may remember this watch was convincingly voted the 'C.O.C.O. Watch of the Year' for 2022, and was limited to just 250 pieces (125 on a strap and 125 on a bracelet): released nearly three months ago, how could this highly regarded and extremely limited Carrera still be available, here on a bracelet - but also later in the TAG Heuer boutique on a strap?
Friday 3 February 2023
Wednesday 1 February 2023
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Titanium Solar Powered Watch
WBP1180.BF0000
It seems slightly bizarre to me that while the original black Solargraph was announced last March and supposedly launched last September I am still yet to see one* and here we are in the middle of January 2023 talking about a new version of TAG Heuer's first solar powered Aquaracer. TAG Heuer have certainly taken a completely different approach to this one, creating quite a different aesthetic compared to the original. This time we're working with titanium and once again like the previous Ti Aquaracers the watch has a sandblasted finish which is quite attractive (though I have heard mutterings that it's the cheapest way to finish a titianium watch on the THF Forum).
*I actually got to see both Solargraphs a few days after writing this post.
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