FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 'Qatar' Limited Edition

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After the disappointment that was 'LVMH Watch Week' (Polar Blue 34mm Solargraph aside - potentially, though it remains to be seen) the feeling I had when I clapped eyes on this limited edition release for Qatar, was 'THIS IS MORE LIKE IT'. And while repeated exposure has tempered my (over) enthusiasm a little, this is still perhaps the most exciting TAG Heuer of 2024 so far and most importantly it's not bloody teal!

THANK YOU: 750,000 PAGE VIEWS!

Wow. It really doesn't seem like five minutes since the blog hit the half million views milestone, and yet here we are at 750,000 already! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, for some reason the blog has been picking up views rapidly in recent times... I'm not 100% sure why that is, I can only assume it must be the renewed interest in TAG Heuer generally that's sparking people to search the brand and in the process they are coming across links to the blog.

This last month in particular has been very busy with an average of about 1800 page views per day and February 2024 is already the biggest month in the blog's history with nigh on 50,000 views this month alone. It seems like a given that the counter will top the one million views mark this year, so I can only say a big thank you to everyone who visits and reads my nonsense, and of course a massive thank you also to everyone that has contributed to making this the best TAG Heuer dedicated blog on the internet over the last eight years.

Still the only one as far as I know. 🤣

Tomorrow we'll be looking at the new limited edition Qatar Carrera Day/Date and then on Monday our newest COCO recruit will be sharing his Top 10 Aquaracers with us. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T 'Ginza Boutique' Limited Edition Chronograph by WatchBox Reviews

 

Wow. Cool watch, but I thought Tim would have realised that there were no end links and you shouldn't be able to see the ends of the strap like that... but apparently not!

FEATURE: Is There Ever Going to be a Genuinely New TAG Heuer Watch Ever Again?

 

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As much as I enjoy writing this blog, as the years wear on it does frustrate me that everything is so damned predictable. I mean what do we have to look forward to really? More Carreras, more Monacos and more Aquaracers. Which is fine.... and of course we have the Autavia and the Link floating around, basically doing nothing much and the Formula 1 propping up the whole shebang - although judging by last year's output you have to wonder for how much longer?

It seems like TAG Heuer have become so obsessed with their own history and heritage that they can't even contemplate starting with a blank sheet of paper, which is odd when you consider that this is a company who proclaim themselves avant garde at every opportunity. But then they've painted themselves into this corner where they can't even use a dial colour without referencing racing cars, drivers' helmets or Steve McQueen's underpants.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Calibre TH20-00 Chronograph by Brent Miller Time

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox 'Teal Dial' Tourbillon Chronograph

 
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I've not so much saved this one till last... as put off writing about it until I absolutely had to. This is the final watch released at 'LVMH Watch Week' and it is literally a new colour on an existing watch, so really there isn't much to say about it. Unfortunately the Glassbox tourbillon is not a favourite of mine: I briefly saw (the blue) one in the Covent Garden boutique at the tail end of last year and it confirmed to me that I was never going to like it much and I can't see this new teal green colour scheme changing my mind.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Collection by Random Rob

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Carrera Part Three (2017-2019)

 

With Jean Claude Biver now in charge TAG Heuer continued to re-invent itself and to reposition itself as an 'affordable luxury' brand. This era coincides with my growing interest in watches and the start of this blog (in October 2016), so as you can imagine this era is quite a big deal for me as it marks the time when I was first visiting watch stores locally (and in London) to get first hand experience of as much as I possibly could. 

I know a lot of people disliked the 'Biver' era of TAG Heuer and especially the skeletons, fearing that Jean Claude was trying to turn TAG Heuer into a poor man's Hublot; but I am emphatically not one of them. Apart from anything else, I miss the days when a skeleton dial Carrera cost £4000 - I recall at the time Jean Claude promoting the Heuer 01 and telling us all that the new watch was an £8000 watch selling at £4000, and given the price of the more elevated Grand Carreras it kind of replaced he wasn't far off the mark. 

VIDEO: LVMH Watch Week Interview with new CEO Julien Tornare by Revolution Watch

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde

 

At last year's Watches and Wonders TAG Heuer released two new Carrera Plasma models: one was an even more blingy version of the previously released 44mm Carrera that overstepped the line where good taste ends and just kept on running... at the same time they released a much less gauche Carrera in 36mm, which featured a pink lab-grown diamond crown and a pink lab-grown TAG Heuer shield on the (lab grown diamond) dial.

It was pretty cool actually, and this year they've given it a make over by switching out the pink elements for yellow and putting it on a white alligator strap. Unlike Beaverbrooks while I can't honestly say I'm 'obsessed' with the 1.3 carat diamond crown, it is undeniably cool. The white strap I'm not so sure about and like most of the Council of Considered Opinion I think overall this looks 'nice' but perhaps slightly less 'nice' than the previous version. Or perhaps it just doesn't have the same impact second time around?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 3000 Series Quartz Watch by Birth Year Watches

 

FEATURE: Will 2024 Bring The First Ever Carbon Cased Formula 1?

 

You know, a few weeks back I toyed with the idea of writing a 'predictions' post for 2024. I've never actually done one before, largely because I was already 'in the know' (so to speak) thanks to information sent to me from a far away land. It would be a bit pointless making things up that I knew didn't exist and I never wanted to leak anything, because that's never been what this blog is about. But this year it seems the pigeon died on the way over and so apart from a few tidbits here and there gleaned from the interwebz I am largely in the dark. Yes, I have heard some rumours but what I want to talk to you about today is not something I have any genuine information on, so I could be massively off target. On the other hand if I'm right then rest assured I wasn't trying to pass off 'knowledge' as insight. 

So while I was showering earlier this evening my mind drifted to thinking about the idea of a new 'cheap' Formula 1 for 2024. I mean, everyone is expecting something what with all the articles in the press about how great the original resin cased quartz F1 was (although don't tell the Heuer fanbois that or they'll have your guts for garters) and it seems like everyone is expecting TAG Heuer to do a Moonswatch on us with something cheap, cheerful and in a range of colours in the sub £500 price bracket. 

VIDEO: Which TAG Heuer Monaco by Brent Miller Time

 

INFORMATION: Welcome Page Updated and New Links

 

Since the blog seems to be undergoing a massive surge in views over the past couple of weeks I thought it was finally time to update the 'Welcome' page of the blog. I'm not sure how many people read these things, especially since you have to find it by clicking on a tab (in a drop down menu on a phone), but anyway... it's done and I've included a bunch of links at the bottom of the page giving quick access to major posts like my year end roundups, the COCO Watch of the Year and also my trip to Switzerland.

So, if you are new here or you want to get those links, I'll leave a link below:

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Dato 'Green' Calibre TH20-07 Chronograph

 

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I've said many times before how the hardest posts to write are the ones where you feel nothing for a watch, about how much easier it is to write when you feel really strongly (one way or the other), and yet I'm struggling to start this one. Honestly, I'm really struggling...

You know, one thing I've always loved about TAG Heuer is that you never quite know what they're gonna do next. But obviously, with that kind of unpredictability comes uncertainty; sometimes they hit it out of the park and sometimes they fumble the ball. Unfortunately the new Dato in teal green is one such example of 'fumbling the ball'... and for once I'm not standing on my own screaming against the crowd, because the Heritage lovin' COCO, who I thought was gonna lap this up, don't like it much either.

Consider me shocked!

After all, these are the same people who voted the previous Hodinkee Dato the '2021 COCO Watch of the Year'... and yet here we sit with the new Dato scoring way down in the dumps with watches like the 'Year of the Rabbit' Carrera and the brown dial Aquaracer. Yeah, I definitely wasn't expecting that!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Skeleton' Heuer 02 by Brent Miller Time

FEATURE: I Really Want to Buy This Watch... But I'm Not Going To. Honest.

 

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You have no idea how much it pains me to say this, because I've wanted to own this watch ever since I saw it in TAG Heuer's Bicester Village store five or six years ago. Indeed, I drooled over it again and again, trying to justify the £2600ish price tag to myself (which now looks like a bargain of course!) but I never quite managed to go the whole hog and buy it. But I never forgot the WAJ2182 and its stunningly beautiful gold bezel; if you've ever seen one you'll know what I mean - this is quite something and many's the time I've searched the internet for one - in fact the last time was only about a week ago (Chrono 24, German seller - £2454).

And then yesterday this one popped up on Watchfinder, which should have been perfect for me; two years warranty (crucial for that 'bulletproof' Calibre 5) and easily returnable if I decided I didn't like it once it arrived. And yet, despite staring at it every few hours I know deep down that I'm not going to buy it. I also know that as soon as someone else does I will be rueing my decision. But there we are.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Skeleton Chronograph by The Watch Village

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Ladies Watches

 
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It's February already and finally we have some new watches to talk about... yay! But don't get too excited because honestly the TAG Heuer part of LVMH Watch Week didn't so much as explode in our faces as hand us a flyer outside Tescos. Yes it was truly exciting... not! But don't despair, I'm certain that TAG Heuer are keeping all the awesome stuff they have ready for us for Watches & Wonders. At least I hope they are because, well, honestly after all that waiting around I was a little deflated.

Okay, so I expect you were thinking I was gonna lead with the green dial Carrera Glassbox Dato 45 didn't ya? Well, that was my first thought, but I feel like I need a little more time to digest it and since I wanted to start the year on a positive note I decided instead to focus on the five, yes FIVE 34mm Aquaracer Solargraphs that were launched at the show.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Chronotempvs' Limited Edition Heuer 02 Chronograph by Doug FNJ

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by ThingzILikeToo

 

As you probably know, all this year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the mighty Aquaracer and a few weeks ago we kicked off our celebrations with a post from BP Smith who told you all about his favourite models. I said then that this series would continue throughout the year and true to my word here we are back with a second helping, this time in the company of another THF Forum and COCO Council member: ThingzILikeToo (Dominic). 

Don't worry if you missed BP Smith's post, all the 'Aquaracer@20' posts can be found by following the 'Aquaracer@20' label (link at the bottom of the page).

Okay, let's find out what Dominic has chosen for us...