FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Porsche 1964' Limited Edition Chronosprint

 

Way back at the start of the year TAG Heuer dropped two new Porsche Chronosprint models celebrating some race where Porsche came 2nd (or 5th, depending on how you read it) which I found very difficult to understand honestly. These watches were very popular though and the gold version sold out very quickly (albeit only 11 were made... because '911') so I suppose it's no great surprise to see this slightly different take on the same model coming out now. And it's surely indicative of the level of demand that this new rose gold version is limited to a slightly more accessible sixty four pieces (because 1964, of course.... do keep up).

I think it's fairly indicative that I kept putting off writing this post, because really it's not that different to the earlier release and if it wasn't for the fact that it's a different colour gold (rose this time rather than yellow) and another limited edition I would probably have skipped over it... but here we are.

The other main difference is that the subdials here are silver rather than black, and while some may prefer it, to me it looks 'okay' but definitely inferior.

I just can't help thinking that adding silver when you already have 'pink' gold and black and red is perhaps a step too far and the overall effect is less cohesive. Perhaps if the subdials were the same rose gold as the case that would have been a better choice? But then the red highlights would probably look a bit odd I guess...

I'm sure plenty of people will still like this, and may view it as a chance to get the watch they missed out on earlier in the year, but do you really want to spend this kind of money (£21,500) on a watch that's similar but not as cool? 

I definitely don't hate it, I'm giving it a very fair 6/10, but for me it's definitely 'less' than the original version... and I don't even think you get a toy car with this one! 🤣

Okay, let's see how this fares with the Porsche loving, Carrera loving 'Council of Considered Opinion...'

9/10: "I really like this one, it's got the classic look I like; traditionally what I'd expect a Carrera to look like and highly legible. Some nice innovative touches too. I like the steering wheel rotor and the 6 o'clock subdial is reminiscent of a classic Porsche speedo. Out of my price range but definitely a watch I would wear. A solid 9/10 for me."

6/10: "Looks good, price is tough though."

8/10: "Don't know if this one comes in a cool box set like the 911 Monte Carlo Rallye did. Also, lacks the originality impact of the earlier release but the rose gold is nice."

6/10: "I like the black and rose gold together but apart from the dial is a bit....meh. It's OK. Can't remember what I scored the previous one so I'll give it a 6."

7/10: "Very smart and elegant. Definitely gives off expensive car vibes which I guess is the point."

7/10: "I love the Chronosprint, 7/10 for me."

4/10: "This one gets a 4/10, which is pretty much the same score as I gave almost the same watch which we started the year with. 🙈"

7/10: "Not sure if anyone with full conscience will buy it though given the price."

5/10: "The "Chronosprint" function is quite clever mechanically, but it's basically a gimmick that renders the chronometer useless for actually timing anything. Also too expensive."

4/10: "Can't remember what I gave the original. I'd probably rate this a 4/10."

4/10: "Can we see the other exact same one for comparison please? Oooooh so the new one is lady gold instead of good looking gold 👍🏻"

8/10: "Yep this would get a home here."

7.5/10: "Same score that for the Porsche Rally version."

5/10: "For lack of originality and steep price."

7/10: "There was a limited number of 64, and it is unclear how they were sold out."

8.5/10: "I absolutely love this dial with the glass box design, but I’m not sure how I feel about this tone of rose gold."

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraphs by Brent Miller Time

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Senna' Quartz & Calibre 16 Chronographs

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 10th November 2025

A few years ago I did a post about all the Ayrton Senna watches that TAG Heuer had produced, which included a poll of the C.O.C.O. and pronounced the Ayrton Senna designed (WH1114) 6000 Series the pick of the bunch. Since then we've seen last year's (oddly) predominantly blue tourbillon version... and now these slightly more accessible 'Formula 1' models (for those of us operating on slightly more real-world budgets). As luck would have it I visited the TAG Heuer boutique in Milton Keynes a few days ago and these two both happened to be in the store; as such this post is really not so much of a 'First Impression's' post for me, but since we all love to read what the Council's first impressions are I didn't want to skip to a full 'On the Wrist' post either.   

I must admit, despite the fact that I personally own a 'Senna' branded Formula 1 (the 2nd placed WAZ1014), every time I hear about a new watch coming out I roll my eyes. There's been so many of them (these are the twenty fourth and twenty fifth models in fact), which I suppose is quite incredible really and if nothing else illustrates the enduing power of the Senna brand. 

I know, I know... 'celebrity' endorsements are best treated with a degree of scepticism, but Ayrton did have a genuine connection to TAG Heuer, having driven for the McLaren F1 team (owned by then TAG Heuer shareholder Ron Dennis) and he continued to wear the brand even when he left to drive for Williams in the ill-fated 1994 season. Sure, if he'd lived and continued to drive for Williams it's possible that he could have switched to another watch brand (if say Williams had attracted a watch sponsor), but given that he did work with TAG Heuer to design the first 'Senna' 6000 Series, we can at least attribute a little more authenticity to the collaboration than say the ones with Chris Hemsworth, Bella Hadid or indeed Steve McQueen.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Full Collection Tour by Vintage Vega

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport I F1® 75th Anniversary Limited Edition

TAG Heuer are really doubling down on the Extreme Carreras aren't they? Clearly, someone, somewhere must be buying them... and so after the splendidly exotic 'Lucha Libre' limited edition launched a couple of weeks ago, we now have this 'F1 75 Anniversary' tourbillon. Oddly, my first thought was, doesn't it look like a Connected? And my second thought...? It looks way better than that terrible white ceramic Monaco Ratrapante with 'Lights Out and Away We Go' on the dial.

Surely there's no arguing with that, is there?

And yet, true to form the Council of Considered Opinion are laying into this one as well. It's funny, it seems that they are prepared to accept a certain amount of tomfoolery when it comes to Monacos; they might not really like it, but they'll let it slide a bit, but when it comes to Carreras... that's a different story. Because after all, Jack Heuer's original idea was to make a chronograph that was supremely legible on the wrist even when fishtailing through the Parabolica, and that's as relevant today as it was in 1963. Suuuuuuuuuuuure it is. 🤣

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2014/2015

 

FEATURE: Don't Trust AI to Tell You if a Watch is Genuine or Even If It Exists at All!

Quite regularly now I receive emails from people asking me to advise whether the watch they are thinking of purchasing is genuine or not. Of course I don't mind helping if I can, but honestly most of the time your best option is to join the THF forum and post the pictures there as there are much more fake-savvy people there who can advise you far better than I can. If a watch is obviously fake or it's an older model and I can be pretty sure it's pukka then I will give my opinion, but for anything recent, especially Formula 1 or Aquaracers, I generally can't say with any certainty.

However, when you get a watch like this 'TAG Heuer USA Air Force F-16 A/R Limited Edition' I don't really need to think too hard because this is clearly not a genuine TAG Heuer because this model simply doesn't exist!

But what if you don't know much about watches? Maybe you just think it looks cool? Some parts of it do look pretty cool I guess, if you like Breitlings... 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Max Verstappen Red Bull Champions' Limited Edition Quartz Chronograph

 

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A few weeks ago I got an email from a guy who told me that he was an ex employee of the Red Bull Formula1 Racing Team, he said he wasn't a watch enthusiast but he had received one of the 'Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Champions' watches and in researching what it might be worth he had discovered my blog and found it interesting reading my thoughts on his watch.

He said he had listed the watch on eBay for £3600, but perhaps unsurprisingly it did not sell and it was later relisted with a starting bid of £1025 and a buy it now price of £2800. Being that he wasn't into watches I tried to give him the best advice I could, but with a watch like this it's quite hard to advise on what he should expect because it's so difficult to assess.

First of all, who is likely to buy this watch? To me it's clear that it's probably more for a huge Max Verstappen fan than it is for a 'watch enthusiast'... much like the Alec Monopoly Formula 1s were, but this can work for and against you. A watch enthusiast is more likely to to be willing to pay 'thousands' for a wristwatch than a F1 fan who isn't really interested in wristwatches, but watch enthusiasts tend to be more invested in automatics than quartz pieces and with that rather clunky bezel this watch isn't exactly the best looking Formula 1 ever made either is it?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 2000 Series Watch by You'reTerrific

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport Tourbillon 'Lucha Libre' Edition

 

Wow, well... this was unexpected (if four new Extreme Carrera skeletons in a row can be called 'unexpected') and rather refreshing if I'm truly honest. But look, I can tell you right now, before I even get the scores back from the 'Council of Conservative Opinions', that this is not going to score well. Why? Because look at it... it's wonderfully bonkers and colourful and fun and everything that watch collecting is supposed to be about, but actually isn't because what everyone actually wants is a boring, black dial, no date Submariner. There I said it! 🤣

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera CBK221F Chronograph by The 1916 Company

NEW RELEASES: TAG Heuer Aquaracer LE, Carrera Extreme and the New Balance Collaboration

 

There's been a flurry of new releases of late, some of which the Council of Considered Opinion are currently mulling over... however there are also some which aren't really 'C.O.C.O.' worthy, but which are still worth bringing to your attention... and so I hit on the idea of combining them into a 'New Releases' post.

So the first thing I want to talk about today is the collaboration with New Balance that launched a few days ago. These are pretty cool looking trainers, but my personal experience of ordering New Balance online was that they were way smaller and way narrower than expected, which was a shame because I did find some really cool designs but unfortunately I was a bit late to the party and they didn't have them in bigger sizes for me to reorder. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports Calibre TH20-02 Twin Time Chronograph

Hey did you hear there's a new TAG Heuer skeleton dial Twin Time available? Guess what colour it is? Go on guess. Bet you can't guess. You'll never guess in a million years. Is it teal green? Of course it is! Sigh... 

I really liked that new Shanghai limited edition Extreme Sports Carrera we looked at last time and this one is 'okay' too (certainly better than some of the Extreme Sports models we've seen), but we already have a teal themed 'Twin Time' Carrera, why do we need another one? Yeah okay the 41mm Carrera Twin Time is green and white and this one is green and black, which IS better, but it still isn't really that cool a combination of colours in my opinion. Okay, they wanted to change because the last one had been around forever and just making a new blue/black (or 'Batman') GMT/Twin Time wasn't really going to inspire owners to upgrade, but this is pretty meh from where I'm sitting and I'm so done with green now, and especially this bloody teal colour.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Maverick Watch Reviews

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports Calibre TH20-00 'Shanghai' Limited Edition Tourbillon

 

This year I've been fairly vocal about the fact that a lot of TAG Heuer's new releases are leaving me cold, but with the recent carbon Monaco and now this new ten piece limited edition for Shanghai I'd have to say things are looking up! Now, obviously both of these watches are out of my reach and it's also very unusual for me to find a tourbillon appealing, never mind an Extreme Sports Carrera... but it's nice to know that TAG Heuer can still excite me in unusual ways when they put their mind to it.

Now I get that this one is probably not going to be to everyone's taste, indeed when I was told that there was a new limited edition Extreme Sports Carrera that was red and blue (rather than red or blue) I imagined something fairly horrific. But that's because I (wrongly) assumed that the red and blue would be between the dial spokes like on the standard models. Thankfully the dial of this one has been kept black and grey and all the better for that, with the colours kept to a 'tasteful' band around the edge, the chrono second hand*, the crown and the tourbillon cage. 

*I hope the second hand red matches the red around the dial otherwise it will be minus at least one point for me!

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2013/2014

OWNED: TAG Heuer 4000 Series Quartz Watch

 

I last wrote about my white dial, quartz powered 4000 Series way back in 2023 so I guess it's high time for an update. Back then I had two almost identical 4000s in my collection, this WF1112 and the WF1111 which I had owned for several years before and which wasn't really in the greatest condition one way and another. Last time around I had just bought my green dial Calibre 5 Aquaracer and when I collected that I also picked up a brand new bracelet to replace the rather stretched one that the WF1112 came with (and which I had previously sold on eBay, wrongly thinking I could utilise the bracelet from the WF1111).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph Comparison by Brent Miller Time

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera and Monaco TH-Carbonspring Limited Editions

Hello dear reader! As you can see from the blog header above we are about to celebrate nine years of the TAG Heuer Enthusiast. Quite an achievement you might think, but as the late, great Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister once said when asked how he managed to keep Motorhead going for forty years, the key to keeping going is simple - don't stop. Wise words indeed. And as it happens, I may well be paying homage to the great man as you read this as I intend to visit Stoke on Trent this week to see the statue they've erected there for him. Not that most of you are Motorhead fans I'm sure, but my very first gig ever was Motorhead in 1983, so Lemmy will always have a special place in my heart. 

Anyway, you didn't come here to read about my teenage exploits did you? So let's turn our attention to the matter in hand, namely carbon hairsprings. Now, I'm sure some of you will remember about seven years ago TAG Heuer launched the Carrera Nanograph, a funky looking thing that was covered in hexagons and topped with lime green accents... I loved it, but unfortunately at £26000 it was definitely out of my reach (currently there's one on Watchfinder though for about half that, if you're interested).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera and Monaco TH-Carbonspring by Time & Tide Watches

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Astronomer Calibre 7 Limited Editions

Sure enough, and just as I predicted, the Carrera 'Astronomer' sent to the GPHG for appraisal wasn't a stand alone model and so now we have two more 'Astronomers' to add to the 2025 'Council of Considered Opinion: Watch of the Year' entry list. Unlike the initial piece though these two are limited editions (both made in runs of 500), but with one of them carrying quite a hefty price premium over the other... well, they don't call 'em precious metals for nothing you know!

VIDEO: The Watch that Saved Heuer by Vintage Watch Service

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco Limited Edition, Carrera Extreme Sports Chronograph & Aquaracer 'Beaverbrooks Exclusive' Solargraph

 

Beaverbrooks / Meadowhall, Sheffield 6th September 2025

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 6th September 2025

Well my last 'On the Wrist' post was a bit negative wasn't it? So let's redress the balance slightly with this one, which also focuses on watches I tried out on the same day in Sheffield.

First of all, my wife and I visited Beaverbrooks where she was eager to see the new 'Beaverbrooks Exclusive' Aquaracer in... turquoise (or Tiffany blue, if you prefer) and since I've already made my reservations about the new 34mm Aquaracers clear (mainly the ugly-ass bezel!) I decided to keep my mouth well and truly shut and let her make up her own mind. 

Well she certainly liked the colour (although it wasn't quite as striking as she'd hoped), we know she likes diamond hour markers, the bezel didn't seem to be an issue for her and she loves the idea of a 15 year battery (and speaking as the person who ends up changing all her batteries for her, so do I!) but in the end she concluded that £2700 was a lot of money that could buy her something more exciting from Watchfinder. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 by Random Rob

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Senna' LE Tourbillon & F1 Solargraphs

 

6th September 2025 / TAG Heuer Boutique, Meadowhall, Sheffield

6th Septermber 2025 / Beaverbrooks, Meadowhall, Sheffield

Last November TAG Heuer released the long awaited 'special' Senna watch... the one that Julien Tornare spoke about in that interview with Wei Koh of Revolution Watches... the one that made us think that maybe TAG Heuer were actually about to do something crazy like a new S/EL. Oh how silly did we feel when that proved to be completely wide of the mark?

But our embarrassment turned to shock when we saw the price of this new (not limited) Senna tourbillon, priced as it was with a £12,000 premium over the rest of the range. Of course this was before 'The Great Tourbillon Repositioning' where TAG Heuer decided to increase the prices of all their tourbillon watches by about £10,000 overnight... (oh yes they did).

The logic seemingly being that they weren't selling at £20k so maybe they will sell at £30k. And that's not me being sarcastic, that's literally how the luxury industry operates - make a product more expensive and it appears more exclusive and thus more desirable. I know, crazy, right? But that's literally how it works sometimes... and anyway, any bragging rights TAG Heuer once enjoyed for selling the 'cheapest' Swiss made tourbillon have long since lost their impact, so why not?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carbon Monaco and Carrera Tourbillon by Revolution Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Astronomer' Calibre 7 Watch

 

I've often wondered when, or indeed 'if' TAG Heuer would ever get around to making a watch with a 'moonphase' complication... after all, moonphases tend to be reserved for the kind of watches that have blued hands, white guilloche dials and Roman numerals - which is clearly not TAG Heuer's bag. But with the release of the Seafarer last year we were told it was a variation on the moonphase complication, so you might have expected a new moonphase to come in the shape of a modified calibre TH20-00, but it seems that isn't what this is. According to the GPHG website the movement is a Calibre 7 (so Selitta) which seems a bit odd, to submit a watch to GPHG without an in-house movement (unless this is one of those 'designed with Selitta, but not actually in-house so no 5 year warranty watches, maybe?). 

As far as I know this watch doesn't actually come out for a few weeks yet and normally I wouldn't post about a watch before it's released, but this one has been submitted to GPHG for appraisal so effectively it's 'out there' and fair game. You might remember this happened last year too with the Carrera Skeleton Extreme, and like that one I have a feeling this might not be a single watch release so it will be interesting to see what comes along.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Brent Miller Time

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Variations on the Titanium Solargraph and the 2021 39mm Carrera

We seem to be reaching the point of the year where TAG Heuer aren't actually releasing new watches so much as putting straps on existing models and trying to generate excitement about them by calling them 'Online Exclusives'... which is something I've never really understood. 'Boutique Editions' I understand (watches you can only obtain by travelling to a particular boutique, possibly in an exotic location like Monaco), but suggesting that something is 'exclusive' because you can 'only' buy it on the internet makes so little sense that I feel like I would need the world's most powerful microscope to measure it!

Anyway, I feel somewhat duty bound to at least show you a picture of these most elusive timepieces, but I really don't think there's any need to trouble the C.O.C.O. with either of them. After all, they'll still get to score them at the end of the year.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Twin Time by Brent Miller Time

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Glacier Express' Limited Edition Automatic Watch

 

It never ceases to amaze me how even though I think I must have uncovered 99.9% of all the watches that TAG Heuer have made over the last 40 years, I still manage to find references that I've never come across before. This Aquaracer was actually the by-product of hunting for information on a different watch (another limited edition that I hadn't seen before, a 2015 'Swiss' Aquaracer) that I was trying to find a part number for. Google images threw this one at me, presumably because it is also a silver dial limited edition Aquaracer... and, well, I kinda like it!

The watch is currently on eBay, being sold from Australia for approximately £1985. If that seems a lot (it did to me too) even for a properly numbered 250 piece limited edition, one thing to point out from the off is that this watch isn't a quartz as I assumed it would be, but a Calibre 5. Even so, I doubt the seller will achieve that figure very easily. In fact the watch was previously up for £900 more, which was really reaching! 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Chronograph by The 1916 Watch Company Reviews

 

FEATURE: Beating the Price Rises

 

Come rain or shine there's one thing of which you can be sure, the Swiss will raise the prices of watches, and probably faster than inflation or wages. But you want the latest watches on your wrist... so what can you do? Well, if you can wait a few months, the truth is you can save yourself a lot of money. No you won't get the full 'boutique' experience, but honestly is a glass of champagne and a free hat worth a thousand pounds to you? If so then maybe you don't need to read the rest of this post... for everyone else, please read on!

So look, of course it's easy to find 'deals' online and we all know what an absolute cess-pit the internet is... so for the purposes of this post I'm going to restrict myself to looking at what Watchfinder can offer. Now I have no special 'relationship' with Watchfinder to declare, the only thing I've had from them was a complimentary service and polish one time, which I'm still a little confused about... but anyway, the reason I'm looking at Watchfinder particularly is simply that they aren't renowned as being the cheapest of the cheap, but I've always had good service from them and they offer a two year warranty on everything they sell, so it's as good as buying new as you're going to get. 

And to be honest, if you're buying a current 'in-house' movement TAG Heuer you will still get their five year warranty anyway, so happy days!

Regardless, the point of this post is really not to plug Watchfinder specifically, but just to point out that there are deals to be had and you don't have to fall back on models from five years ago to get a nice watch at a decent price (though personally I probably still would, if only because the watches of 2020 beat the watches of 2025, but that's just my opinion, naturally).

Yes indeed, the idea of 'watches as investments' is dead in the water (thankfully), unless you're looking at Rolex and possibly some of the more sought after pieces from other higher end manufacturers. Hopefull no one is buying a Carrera (or a Monaco) in 2025 with the idea that they'll be able to sell it for more than they paid in the future. It just ain't happening. And that. my friends, is a good thing.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Spending Time Watching Time

 

THANK YOU: Two Million Views!

About a year ago I celebrated the blog hitting 1,000,000 page views by buying my Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Caliper... actually I can't believe that was a year ago, but it was! In fact I posted my Buying Experience post for that watch exactly one year ago today. 

Incredible....and what better way than to celebrate hitting 2,000,000 views just twelve months later than by buying the watch I've been hankering after for the last four or five years? It actually wasn't planned that way but it's worked out pretty sweet hasn't it?

So thanks to everyone who visits the blog, I'm sure you're not all bots, though judging by some of the comments some of you might be. 🤣

Let's hope TAG Heuer have something genuinely exciting for us in the last quarter of the year, because I feel like this year has been a little flat for me. Major purchase aside of course...

Aquagraph 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Carrera Dato '160th Anniversary' Heuer 02 Limited Edition

 

Before I start this post, I just want to mention something... you may have noticed that I removed my Instagram address from the blog header, and that's because I've removed Instagram from my phone. Honestly I detest Instagram, it is truly a brain-rotting waste of everyone's time and I want no more part of it. I only ever went on it to promote this blog and since the blog is doing quite nicely now I feel like I no longer need to give it my attention. 

I do still have it on my computer, and I may post once in a blue moon, but trying to contact me through Instagram is a pointless exercise I'm afraid and I really don't want to 'collaborate' on any posts. Sorry.

'So with that out of the way, let's turn our attention to the matter in hand, namely the coolest TAG Heuer watch of the last five years and the one and only watch I truly desire to add to my collection....'

That's how this post WAS going to start, because originally this was supposed to be a 'Spotlight On' post. But there's been a development. A major development. Because it's no longer the 'only watch on my wish list', it's on my wrist! And I can hardly believe it...

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2010/2011

Click on the images to open them in a larger size.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'Osaka Expo 2025' Limited Edition Chronograph

Let's be frank, I've been fairly withering about TAG Heuer's 2025 releases, haven't I? I mean there are a few I like a bit, but generally speaking I've been left decidedly underwhelmed. And now we have this... mess of a Carrera to look at and I simply don't know where to begin.

Okay, look. Let's back up a bit. First of all, this is clearly not aimed at me, as until today I had never heard of Myaku-Myaku (which is the character logo for the Osaka Expo 2025). If you Google it you will see it's clearly popular, you can get all sorts of merchandise for it, including some bonkers looking trainers... so maybe all 125 pieces will be snapped up and flipped at a profit? I really don't know..

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 42mm Chronograph Review by A Blog to Watch

 

OWNED: TAG Heuer Microtimer

 

The TAG Heuer Microtimer. It's an oddity isn't it? And one that's not to everyone's taste I'm sure... but oddly it was one of the first watches I bought after setting up this blog back in October 2016. Indeed it was all the way back in February 2017 that I bought my Microtimer off eBay for the princely sum of £681.97. Unfortunately once it arrived I realised it was a little bit too beaten up for my liking and so I immediately took it to a local AD who sent it off to be repolished for me (which added another £100 to the overall cost). To be fair to them, it came back looking almost like new, save for a couple of small scratches and I was very pleased with my decision to have it refinished. 

Since then I've worn it 'sparingly' I would say, although in my 2018 'Owned' post I said I wore it more than any of my other watches, which I find it hard to believe - or remember! That said, over the last two or three years I've made more of an effort to wear it regularly, because for some years it did rather languish in the cabinet; a typical scenario following a polishing job for me, the same thing happened with my Grand Carrera Calibre 6 albeit to a lesser extent. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Polychrome Tourbillon by SwissWatchExpo

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'Harrods' Limited Edition Chronograph

Okay, let's get this out of the way right off the bat.... why is this a 'Spotlight On' post and not a 'First Impressions' post? The answer is simply that 'First Impressions' posts are for watches that have just been released, and somehow it seems this watch was released last year without anyone in my circle knowing about it. Nobody told me, nobody posted it on the THF forum, literally did not have a clue and as such it was not included in last years 'Watch of the Year' voting procedure. In fact the only reason I found about this one at all is because I spotted it on Watchfinder and thought 'what the hell is that!' 

And that's a bit of a shame if you ask me because I feel like this one could have garnered a vote or two. First off it's that crowd pleasing 42mm size (well, crowd pleasing is maybe a touch generous, but it's not 44mm so... a few more people will like it) and crucially it isn't yet another bloody glassbox, and that immediately kicks it up a notch in my opinion. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper by The Mad Watch Collector

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'French' Limited Edition Chronograph

 

A couple of years ago TAG Heuer released one of the nicest watches in their recent history, the blue dial 'French' limited edition 42mm Carrera (part number CBN201B). There were 200 of these made (one of which is currently available via Watchfinder I notice) and if I remember correctly it was in my top three watches of 2023. Ultimately it placed fifth in the COCO Watch of the Year poll, but oddly was the only watch besides that year's winner to score an 8/10 (voting was massively affected in 2023 by the all conquering Panda Glassbox it must be remembered). Big shoes to follow then, and while this is another pretty nice 42mm Carrera, I don't think it's quite as good as it's predecessor. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm Which Colour? by Brent Miller Time

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer's 2025 Releases (Jan/Jun)

Once again we've reached the mid-point of the year and presumably passed the halfway point of TAG Heuer's 2025 release schedule. So it's time to refresh your memory and give you an insight as to what could be in the running for the COCO Watch of the Year award come December.

It's amazing, everywhere you look you hear 'TAG is back', indeed it's become a slogan for TAG Heuer themselves since they took over from Rolex as the official timekeeper of Formula 1. As an aside, if you are an F1 fan, don't you absolutely hate it when people say 'The F1'? Isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard? Or am I just an angry old man who hates change and gets upset about the stupidest things?

Well, maybe!

Which is kind of funny because, how can I put this.... everyone loves TAG Heuer's new direction, the endless glassbox Carreras, the new 38mm F1s and.... and.... I just don't! Initially I really wanted to like the new F1s, in fact I was even mentally setting aside the money to buy the red 'Italian' GP one, but having tried on a few of them now, I just find them slightly odd. 

Maybe it's because I've owned a ton of the original models and I'm still hung up on how they 'used to be', but while making them larger seemed like a great idea, it just doesn't seem to have translated somehow. The lume pots are too chunky, the hands are too small and thin, the case around the lugs is just weird and, well, I could go on... the rubber straps are extremely cool, I'll give them that, but I'm not buying a watch just for a cool strap (...again).

So yes, my excitement level this year is pretty low, in fact I'd say right now I'm struggling to think of a watch release this year that I'd actually want to own, save perhaps for the Monaco Gulf. I must admit I do quite like the black/lime Calibre 16 Formula 1, but in person it's not quite as exciting as I'd hoped. I'd rather get an old 500M Aquaracer in the same colour scheme for less than half the money.

Ah yes, money. It always comes back to money doesn't it? But how can it not. Prices are still rising at ridiculous levels and contributors to the THF Forums are one by one switching brands or simply stating that they've bought their last 'new' TAG Heuer. I have to agree. I can't honestly see myself buying anything else at 'full price', unless my circumstances change drastically, not when you see the 'real' market value of the current watches when they appear pre-owned on Watchfinder, etc within a few months. Now that's depressing!  

But, you know, when I got into this hobby I couldn't afford to buy new watches, and then for a while I could (just about) and now thanks to my stagnant wages and TAG Heuer's price rises I can't again. Whatever. Maybe in five years I will be buying a pre-owned 2025 watch at a fraction of the price it cost new? Or maybe thanks to the lunatics in Silicon Valley I'll be looking for food in the bottom of a dumpster while trying to avoid getting shot by security drones... 

Anyway, let's have a look back at what TAG Heuer have presented so far this year:

VIDEO: The TAG Heuer F1 Solargraph is Not Over Priced by Chisholm Hunter

 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List - June 2025

 

It's now been 5 years since I compiled my first price list (during the early days of the pandemic, oh how time flies) and just for giggles I wondered what would appear in both that one and this latest price list and what the difference would be. Well, truth be told there's almost nothing, but the obvious candidate would be the stalwart CAW211P Monaco (colloquially known as the 'Steve McQueen'). So, shockingly (or maybe not that shockingly really) the price in July 2020 was £5050... and after the latest price increase it's now a bowel-loosening £7500!

Wow, that is some hefty, inflation busting rise eh? But the thing is with that though is that the pre-owned price has not kept pace with that at all. In fact if you want a CAW211P today and you're not stuck on buying brand new then Chrono 24 has over 100 examples on offer right now, with prices starting at £3500... that's a hell of a saving (or a massive depreciation cliff depending on your point of view).

That aside, for the most part it's the usual bi-yearly £50-150 increases, which don't sound too bad but which of course add up to a significant sum over two or three years. There are also a few other instances where we see £200+ increases, notably the Hodinkee Seafarer, the solid gold Carrera glassbox and the Porsche 963 Carrera, but thankfully there's none of those outrageous 40% increases we saw back at the start of the year.

Hilariously though, despite raising the prices of some of the tourbillon models by up to £10,000 earlier in the year, TAG Heuer have still added another £50 on to the prices this time, presumably because they didn't go quite far enough last time 🤣. 

But it's not all bad news, if you've been hankering after a Superdiver but didn't want to pay £6100 for it you'll be pleased to know that it's now priced at £5550. And also coming down is the darker green Aquaracer 300 which for some reason had a price premium at launch. This is something we are seeing now and again actually, where one colour is more expensive than the rest of the range and then eventually they all come into line.

Quite a few new additions this time, obviously there's the new 38mm Formula 1 range and various 34 and 36mm Aquaracers, but also a few Monacos and Carreras and even previously available models now available on bracelets (in particular the two tone Aquaracers and the Glassbox Carreras).

Unsurprisingly, there are no new Links. Surely that range needs something doing with it soon?

I also notice the older CAR style tourbillons have gone now and the solid gold Aquaracers have been discontinued too (after the £2000 discounts earlier in the year), and with the release of the new Carrera Day/Dates obviously another casualty are the old WBN models, which makes sense. 

As usual, blue text is for price changes, red text is for new additions.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf and 'Stopwatch' Limited Editions by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' Calibre TH20-00 Limited Edition Chronograph

 

Way back in the dark ages I remember seeing various 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' limited edition Carreras in the TAG Heuer outlet at Bicester Village. It always struck me as slightly odd that watches that were limited to such small quantities (125 / 250 pieces) should remain unsold, and perhaps that's why we haven't seen any in recent years...? 

But with TAG Heuer doubling down on their commitment to motorsport I guess it shouldn't be a massive surprise to see this new limited edition of 100 pieces. Initially released to members of the Goodwood club, the model is now available on the TAG Heuer website for £6450, which given it has rather a unique look to it, doesn't seem too bad.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Mitch Lui

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Heuer Monaco 'Stopwatch' Calibre 11 Limited Edition

Of course the 'Gulf' Monaco wasn't the only Monaco TAG Heuer launched at the (somewhat anachronistic) Monaco Grand Prix, in fact it was only one of three. There was also a new colour variation on the eye-wateringly expensive 41mm rattrapante that literally no one paid any attention to, and then there was this black DLC coated titanium cased Calibre 11 'Heuer' Monaco that seems to have garnered almost as much attention as the Gulf. Which kinda makes you wonder why they released them both at the same time honestly, given that they are probably aimed at a similar buyer. Oh well, I'm sure TAG Heuer know what they are doing... perhaps the cache of launching it at the Monaco GP outweighs the conflict and perhaps some well heeled harbour-dwellers will take both?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 2000 Series 'Moon Dust' Restoration by The Nekkid Watchmaker

 

OWNED: TAG Heuer 1500 GMT Quartz Watch

 

As I've mentioned recently, I'm still in the process of trying to reduce my TAG Heuer collection to something approaching a 'sensible' size (20 would be perfect, really) and that obviously means selling more watches. That's fine, but obviously the further I go with that the harder it's going to get to convince myself to let go of watches that I've collected, especially watches that have been with me for some time and which (to me at least) represent the 'best' of a particular model line. 

And that's exactly how I feel about this GMT variant of the 1500 Series, at 40mm it is the perfect size for me and much better than the vast majority of 1500 Series models which are 37mm in diameter. As such, me selling this is basically ruling the 1500 Series out of my future collection because I'm not going to buy an inferior piece or buy another one of these again, so unless I win the lottery and money no longer matters, this is it. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Professional by Bruce Williams

 

ON THE WRIST: Colourful 36mm Aquaracers & Miami/Spanish Formula 1 Solargraphs

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 31st May 2025

My second visit to the Milton Keynes boutique this year and this time I was lucky enough to find not only a couple of the new 36mm colourful dial automatic Aquaracers but also two limited edition Formula 1 Solargraphs. Sadly there was no sign of the blue dégredé dial on the white rubber strap, and it seems like perhaps it's not actually released yet - though I notice TAG Heuer have added it to their website with the option of a steel bracelet now.

But we (my wife and I) did get to see both the purple and the pale green versions and honestly we thought they looked rather nice. I was expecting the purple dial to look a bit wishy washy in real life, but it's actually quite a strong, vibrant tone and while it's certainly not going to be everyone's cup of tea I thought it was quite effective. My wife really liked it, but unfortunately (like the 'Tiffany' blue model before it) at 36mm it's just too big and chunky for her wrist. And of course a 36mm diver is far too small for me, not that I particularly want a purple dial Aquaracer anyway...  

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Day/Date Watches by Brent Miller Time

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Gulf' Limited Edition Calibre 11 Chronograph

There's always quite a lot of excitement when TAG Heuer announce a new 'Gulf' branded Monaco and even I (someone completely untouched by the romance of Le Mans, Steve McQueen, etc) am not immune to the lure of the striped, square dial. However I did find the most recent regular 'Gulf' model a little disappointing (for me it was perhaps the least interesting of all the 'Gulf' models we've seen to date) so it's nice to see a really good one this time around, even if it is a limited edition.

For the 2025 edition we've gone right back to the start with another white dial Monaco embellished with red and blue stripes (as seen on Steve McQueen's race suit in the film Le Mans). It's funny but every time we get a new Gulf Monaco it always descends into a debate about how they never use the right shade of pale blue (with most agreeing that the 2018 limited edition of 50 pieces was the most accurate from that point of view), but thankfully here we don't have to worry about that, phew!

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2010

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph Watches by Adrian Barker

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 36mm 'Coloured Dials' Calibre 5 Watches

 

Three new 36mm Calibre 5 Aquaracers for you today, and while I wouldn't dream of labelling them 'ladies' watches, they definitely tend to fall into that general category due to sizing, diamond hour markers and general colour choices. I must admit when I first saw them the one that caught my eye was the purple dial, but the more I look at it the more I'm unsure how successful it actually is. I applaud TAG Heuer for embracing a new colour in this range and maybe it looks fantastic in person, but as of right now I'm definitely on the fence.

VIDEO: The TAG Heuer F1 Return Has Some Problems by Britt Pearce

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Running Out of Steam...?

Good morning my TAG Heuer enthusiast friends. As you probably know, I've been writing this blog for nearly nine years now and I have made over 3000 posts since I started back in October 2016, in the process making this the first choice resource for all things 1986-present day (as shown by the recent 1.5 million views milestone - thank you all once again for that).

Over the years I've explored pretty much every facet of the brand, with very few still to be covered (the 1000 Series is a glaring omission I know and I will get to that sooner or later) and so it gets harder and harder to think of new posts when there's a lull in the release schedule. 

On top of that, there's the issue of time. Simply finding time to write these posts week after week after week is starting to feel a bit like 'work' and it doesn't help that I'm not finding too much in the new releases to inspire me. TAG Heuer has always been a brand that refreshes itself constantly, indeed it's one of the things I really like about the brand, but the latest models are not really rocking my boat and even if they were I'm not sure I'm able to afford many of them until they become 'pre-owned'.

I'm actually okay with the fact that I'm not lusting after the new designs, because I know in a couple of years the line up will have changed again and maybe then the design language will have shifted back to my taste, or it could be that eventually I start to see the new watches in a different light and I move towards them, you never know. This is where TAG Heuer win over the likes of Rolex for me, because I know what Rolex do and it doesn't really change that much... I know some people argue that's Rolex's strength and that may well be true, but it's not the basis of a good blog that's for damned sure!

Back in the Jean Claude Biver days I was pumping out posts left right and centre (admittedly not always great posts, but post nonetheless...) because it was all new to me and frankly there was so much to get excited about. Currently, not so much. Despite the YouTubers insistence that 'TAG Heuer is BACK!' my initial enthusiasm for the re-released Formula 1s has waned quite dramatically since I saw one in person and I really don't think I'm going to be buying one (though I'm still keen to at least try on the red one when it comes out in September). I also really don't like the glassbox Carrera very much and while the new Calibre 16 Formula 1's are quite cool, the price tag is enough to prevent me getting too invested (and I certainly wouldn't choose one over my £1300 orange quartz three hander either!).

So I guess what I'm trying to work my way around to saying is that I just don't think I can keep this blog going at the pace it's been going any more. So with that in mind I am going to relax my posting schedule and see what happens. I'm not stopping the blog, and if five new watches come out tomorrow morning then I will write about them next week as usual. But I'm done staying up until 2am trying to write a post about some obscure 2000 Series because of some self-imposed 'deadline'. I just don't have it in me anymore. 

Perhaps a break will give me a chance to think up some new angles and I will start posting more again, but right now I want to allocate more of my time to other interests. I will still be posting, just not as often and not as regularly. I hope you all understand and will bear with me.

Rob / AquaG

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronographs by Brent Miller Time

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Kirium Chronometer Chronograph

Oh man but I'm so tired of silly people on YouTube telling us that the new TAG Heuer Formula 1s should only have cost £600... honestly, anyone that ever believed they were going to charge £600 for a 'vintage' inspired re-issue of a beloved watch with upgraded materials and a solar powered movement need to give themselves a good talking to. Have these people ever bought a watch strap from TAG Heuer? Do they know how much they charge for two small pieces of rubber? Come on, be serious. This is not a Swatch and the Moonswatch was not an Omega, just get a grip. It's fine to want them to be cheap, of course... but actually being disappointed when they aren't is just silly.

How could they possibly sell a Solargraph F1 for £600 when the Solar Aquaracers are nigh on £3000? Sure they are overpriced, but show me a Swiss watch from any of the big players that isn't. It seems the problem here is that there is an expectation that TAG Heuer were relaunching an 'affordable, entry level model to the mass market' when it's actually nothing of the sort. Most of the watches are limited to between 1000 and 3000 pieces, hardly 'mass market' and primarily they are aimed at middle aged people like me who remember them from the first time around (just about) and perhaps younger people drawn in by the Kith release last year. 

But look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to buy a decent TAG Heuer for around £600 and it can be done. In fact it's surprising what you can find if you're willing to wait and keep your eyes peeled.... and you can do it without exposing yourself to the cess pit that is Ebay. No you're not going to get a Monaco or a Carrera at this price point, but there are watches available that in their day were pretty high end, for example this minty looking Kirium chronometer chronograph which is currently on the H&T website with a discount of 20%. 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2009

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

 

Watches of Switzerland / Canary Wharf, London

I haven't really been to any major towns since the new Formula 1 Solargraphs launched a few weeks ago, so I haven't had a chance to try one on until today's visit to Canary Wharf in the financial district of London. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and initially there was no one free so I went next door and sampled the delights of Laderach chocolate. It was pleasant enough, but it reminded me of the 'Swiss Chocolate' you get in Marks & Spencer, nice enough but not worth £10.50 per 100g! 

Sample consumed, I returned to Watches of Switzerland to find the store empty and two salesman vying for my attention. Incidentally, before we go any further regular readers will probably remember that I tried on the new black/blue Calibre 16 Formula 1 chronograph a few weeks ago and I said I wanted to see the black/green version because on the website it looked green in one picture and yellow in another.

Well, I didn't try it on, but Watches of Switzerland had it in the window and it definitely looks green. It's not as bright a green as I would like it to be though, I was kinda hoping it was going to remind me more of those glorious PVD coated Aquaracer 500M models with the green lume, but it's a little more subdued. Still nice and I'm glad it's green not yellow... and I'm not completely opposed to the idea of maybe getting one in the future (once someone else has taken the depreciation). But honestly it would be a lot cheaper to get one of those black/green Aquaracers!

But anyway, back to the WBY1111...