FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm Calibre 7 Automatic Ladies Watches

 

It's always hard to write about new ladies pieces because they regularly elicit the exact same responses from the C.O.C.O.: ('Isn't this already in the catalogue', 'No more diamonds', 'Urgh, Mother of Pearl', etc, etc), but actually TAG Heuer are quick to point out that these 36mm Carreras should not be considered solely 'ladies' pieces because they can just as easily be worn by a man or a woman. Well, technically that's true. But until I see a guy wearing one of these I think I'll stick to my old fashioned ways and call these 'womens' watches thanks very much. The blue, green and pink 36mm Carreras yes, okay maybe you can make an argument for those, but these.. really?

The other reason it's hard to write about new ladies pieces like these is because like the council I feel like I've seen them before, because basically I have (well two out of the three anyway.. in one form or another). That's because these are the quintessential 'standard' ladies pieces featuring Mother of Pearl dials, diamonds and two tone bracelets and/or cases. Well clearly TAG Heuer know what their lady customers want and they continue to supply it, nothing wrong with that. And anyone who argues this isn't actually what women want, I'd suggest is deluding themselves. True, not all women like gold and diamonds, but clearly an awful lot of them do.

Key feature on these new Carreras is the clever placement of the diamonds around the rehaut rather than on the bezel, a superb idea which protects the diamonds from wear and tear (and damage) and also has the added advantage of keeping them clean and sparkly. I'm intrigued to see the rose gold dial version (something that is actually quite novel admittedly) as I suspect the render is doing it no favours at all, the other two however I'm pretty sure that what you see on the website is gonna be pretty accurate and exactly what you'd expect.

Predictably the Council has little to say on these, but let's check out a few comments anyway..

Gold Dial 7/10, MOP Dial 7/10, Double Diamonds 7/10: "I like them, sporty and a bit of bling. Nice ladies watch."

Gold Dial 2/10, MOP Dial 3/10, Double Diamonds 1/10: "I feel like I've seen them all before. Diamonds, two-tone, mother of pearl - all the things ladies love, right? Absolutely zero imagination, however."

Gold Dial 8/10, MOP Dial 7/10, Double Diamonds 7/10: "The gold dial one is a strong 8/10, main thing lowering the score is the lazy date. $200 micro brands colour match their date discs, why can't a luxury brand charging thousands do the same? Embarrassing. The other two get a 7 each."

Gold Dial 2/10, MOP Dial 2/10, Double Diamonds 2/10: "Powder box colors... and indeed, those frame window dates look very 'dated'."

Gold Dial: 3/10, MOP Dial: 2/10, Double Diamonds 1/10: "Showed these to my wife and she just laughed and said she could have written down the headline elements of these, as they’re pretty much the same every time."

Gold Dial 4/10, MOP Dial 7/10, Double Diamonds 7/10: "I like the contrast of the mother of pearl/gold, the diamond ring is a bit much but overall they seem quite elegant."

Gold Dial 3/10: "Not for me, or the boss, not pleasing colours." MOP Dial 4/10: "Better but the hands need to be better defined against the face colour to match the markers (may be picture though)." Double Diamonds 3/10: "Don’t do diamonds on watches."

Gold Dial 5/10: "I’m not a fans of that tone of rose gold." MOP Dial 3/10: "I’m not a fan of diamonds. Double Diamonds 3/10: "Still not a fan of diamonds."

Gold Dial 4/10: "It's fine. Its nothing exciting but I'm sure it'll do well, just a bit plain besides the gold." MOP Dial 4.5/10: "It's nice. The diamond rehaut is a nice touch and adds some nice interest along with the mother of pear dial but I prefer the two tone version with the diamond markers." Double Diamonds 5/10: "My favourite of the 3 'Ladies' watches. Its like they mixed the other two together and came out with this which is great in my opinion. It works very well al together. That said, i know it has a lot of diamonds and gold but the price is a tad on the high side."

VIDEO: Interview with Julien Tornare (GMT Watch Club Limited Edition) by World Tempus

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Twin Time 'GMT Watch Club' Limited Edition

 

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We're still only part way through the 'Watches & Wonders' releases, but for reasons far too tedious too explain (let's call it 'technical reasons') today we will be looking at something else. But don't worry, I'm still going to cover the 36mm 'unisex' Carreras, the Calibre 16 F1 Chronos and of course the Monaco Rattrapantes. I'm sure you're looking forward to that one... 

Okay, so this one is quite a special watch that's limited to just 24 pieces. Yes, you read that right, just 24 of these are available, which the 'Fine-Watch-Club' website claims is the smallest batch of 'limited editions' TAG Heuer has ever made. This isn't actually true, because off the top of my head I can think of at least two models made in much smaller runs (Jimmy Butler Carrera tourbillon - 5pcs and the LE Carbon Bullhead - 10pcs). But whatever... 

It doesn't alter the fact that this is an interesting take on the current WBN201A, swapping the blue dial for what they are calling a 'bronze' dial. This combined with the half white GMT ring and in particular the blue second hand and blue tipped GMT hand combine to create quite a bold statement. 

The watch is made to celebrate the 24th anniversary of 'GMT Magazine (hence 24 pieces), and it's quite cool that the watch can wear the logo of the magazine slap bang in the middle of the dial without it looking overly out of place; since of course the watch is a 'GMT' or 'Twin Time' as TAG Heuer prefer to call it. Some might find the logo a tad too bold and attention grabbing, but then again this is supposed to be about celebrating the magazine, so I think it is okay. I mean, if it was printed in white then that definitely would have been a bit OTT, but as it is, it's fine. 

At the time of writing the watch is still available to purchase for the sum of 3990CHF, which is perhaps somewhat surprising given the extremely limited quantity. But to be honest the website isn't doing itself any favours, featuring as it does, just two very poor quality photographs alongside the usual not particularly reliable renders. 

With so few of these around we'd be very lucky to experience one of these in person, but from what I can see here it's definitely one of 2024's better releases so far; let's find out if the council agree with me...

9/10: "This is actually pretty interesting! I really like the blue accents. The chapter ring going from cream to brown reminds me of a macchiato. I’ll call it the coffee dial. 9/10 for me. I love it!"

5/10: "I don't know if the colour scheme is a reference to something. But it's not very appealing to me."

7/10: "The blue seconds hand, although part of their colour scheme, just doesn’t work for me. Everything else is a nice look to me."

5/10: "I quite like the colour scheme. Reminds me a bit of a Grand Seiko although not quite as good."

7/10: "Could be better in real life."

7.5/10: "I normally wouldn't be into brown and blue, but somehow this quirky combo works on this watch. In the sunlight, the dial looks more like champaign brown and gives me a '70s vibe."

6/10: "Not for me, but I can see the appeal."

3/10: "Not a fan. I find it bland. Blue hand looks like it shouldn't exist in this watch."

7/10: "Bit brown."

8/10: "This is a very strong proposition from TAG Heuer. Lovely colours and I could see myself rocking this bad boy. Strong 8 from me."

8/10: "Yeah, I like this too and genuinely think it will look even better in real world photos, given the usual poor renders TH put out. Plus it’s got a proper case and not one hidden by stupid shaped glass. ;)."

7/10: "I like this one!"

4.5/10: "I've mulling this one over and whilst I quite like the colour scheme, that bolded 'GMT' text just irks me. It's just, so....., bold and it stands out and therefore takes over the dial. Reluctantly, I can only go 4.5/10 but without the GMT text, I'm thinking closer to 7."

7/10: "I wouldn't easily opt for a brown/bronze watch. But I think this copy is still a good success. Beautiful appearance and a bit mysterious. Partly because of the blue accents. So well done."

3/10: "Looks awful in my book."

4/10: "I think these should have a separate category, since a 24-piece limited edition isn't really something most of us will encounter. That said I'd call it a 4, the colours aren't too interesting and using the same copper/brown for the bezel as the dial doesn't do it any favours."

7/10: "I like it, and they say is ‘24 numbered pieces', so I guess it is not the lazy ‘One of 24'"

6/10: "I would have scored a bit higher if they had utilized additional blue accents (like they have done in the past with the Zenith model), but I recognize that could be difficult with a non-chronograph timepiece and a simpler dial layout."

4/10: "A bit underwhelming in my opinion."

9/10: "Greatest colour combinations."

VIDEO: Inside the TAG Heuer Manufacture by Wristcheck

 

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Carrera Part Five (2022-2024)

 

At the tail end of 2023 TAG Heuer announced that Julien Tornare would move from Zenith (also in the LVMH group) to take over as CEO. Previous CEO Frédéric Arnault meanwhile would become 'Head of Watches' for the LVMH group with his remit covering brands such as TAG Heuer, Zenith, Hublot, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari.

2022 WATCHES

2022 was a strange year, as we were still living with the aftershocks of the pandemic. The watch industry was bubbling though, fuelled by people working from home for the first time (and thus saving commuting fees) and unable to go on holiday. This fuelled a luxury watch bubble which wouldn't burst until the beginning of 2024 when prices for super desirable pieces like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Rolex Daytona fell sharply.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Split Seconds by Watches TV

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper Solid Rose Gold Calibre TH20-06 Chronograph

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For most people the 'Skipper' dial version of TAG Heuer's 39mm glassbox Carrera has been the runaway winner, and even I must admit it does have a certain charm about it. So what better way for TAG Heuer to capitalise on this success than to issue a new version in a solid 5N rose-gold case? 

What? Yes, more solid gold watches from TAG Heuer. Has no one told them about the cost of living crisis or that the watch bubble has burst? I guess the people this is aimed at don't have such every day worries as mortgages to contend with and can probably find the requisite £18,750 simply by fishing a hand down the back of their Fritz Hansen sofa. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Panda by Monochrome Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz 'Indy 500' Special Edition

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At some point I should probably write a post about the many Indy 500 watches TAG Heuer have produced, but for now let's concentrate on this brand new model released last week at Watches & Wonders 2024. TAG Heuer have been pretty consistently releasing Indy 500 watches for the last few years, some of them really nice and some of them not so much. From the renders this one looks to be one of the better ones, perhaps bested only by the CAZ101AD released in 2020 with its black case, asphalt dial and red brick stripe.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2024 by Revolution Watch

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Panda' Glassbox Calibre TH20-00 Chonrograph

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Okay then, here we go with the first of the new watches released at Watches & Wonders... and I thought I might as well start with the one most people will have the most interest in, since a) it's a Carrera Panda, and b) it doesn't cost £120,000. Oh don't you worry, we'll get to those new Monacos eventually... but probably not anytime soon as there's a lot to digest there and I feel like I haven't really understood all the intricate details, like why it costs more than my house did in 2003!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2024 Watches & Wonders Releases by Time & Tide

 

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

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As I'm writing this, on Sunday the 7th of April, we're just days away from the opening of Watches & Wonders 2024... and knowing that most likely I am going to be asking a lot of the Council of Considered Opinion over the next few days I thought rather than asking them to give their 'First Impressions' score for this one, I would just keep this simple.

VIDEO: Is the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Any Good? by Teddy Baldasserre

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Dato 'Green' Calibre TH20-07

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 18th March 2024

I think I've been pretty clear on my feelings about the 2021 Hodinkee Dato and the 2023 39mm glassbox Carreras in general come to that... and I was also less than enthusiastic when I wrote my 'First Impressions' post for this new teal dial version back in February. So honestly I was all ready to hate this even before I got it on the wrist. But... and this just shows that I am nothing less than professional at all times, I was somewhat shocked to find that I actually liked this one a little more than I thought I would.

Now don't get the wrong idea, I didn't feel like the scales had dropped from my eyes or anything, but in the flesh it certainly looked better than expected. The thing is my expectations were low. Very low. I actually gave it 3/10 when I gave my 'First Impressions' score, so there was a lot of room for improvement and even now I don't think I would give it more than a generous 5, but still it's not the disaster I thought it was and that's something.

BUYING EXPERIENCE: Cartier Pasha Quartz Watch

 

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While my wife Rose does have a pretty healthy selection of TAG Heuer watches that she's collected over the years, she hasn't been quite as loyal to the brand as I have. Over the years she's picked up a skeleton-dial Oris Atelier and an Omega Constellation quartz (both of which are right up there amongst her favourites) and now she's expanded this betrayal to include her very first Cartier. 

For a while she had been looking at a number of blue mother of pearl dial 'Links' on Watchfinder but couldn't quite decide if they would ever look as good in real life as they did in the pictures (my guess is not). Prior to that she had been looking at some nice looking Dior watches on the same site, but gave up on them when she realised how small they were...  and then she started looking at Cartier. I must admit I was quite surprised at this because she's never been one for Art Deco and she hates Roman numerals on watch dials (which most Cartiers of course have). 

OWNED: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Chronotimer' Quartz Chronograph

 

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Hard to believe but I've now had my CAF1010 'Chronotimer' for six years. I wouldn't say it only seems like yesterday that I drove to Sheffield to pick it up, but I still remember the experience quite vividly and I particularly remember driving home down the M1 and being distracted by the sunlight reflecting off the polished hour markers, hands and the digital display frame. 

The watch was purchased pre-owned from 'Parkers' and came with a slightly tatty but complete set of boxes. along with the booklet, warranty card and a service card from TAG Heuer and a bracelet that was just long enough for my 7.1/2" wrist. I originally found the watch listed on Ebay for £995 but later found the watch on Parkers own website for £945 (due to them not having to pay eBay fees).