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. 

Let's get the obvious out of the way straight away shall we. That right hand subdial screams 'Seafarer' doesn't it? And as such I can't help thinking this was perhaps envisioned as a follow up for those who either couldn't get hold of the limited edition Seafarer, or those like me who don't really like the glassbox Carreras all that much. Unfortunately, despite the Hodinkee connection (oddly I haven't heard anyone mention the name Hodinkee since the Seafarer's launch, I assume it's still going?) the Seafarer is still available nearly a year down the line... and as such I understand the proposed grey dial follow up model has now been delayed or possibly canned altogether. Given that, I'm slightly surprised to see that this one is not limited to 200 pieces but 500, so TAG Heuer must be fairly confident that this one will sell well. 

Like the Seafarer this one also looks to have those blingy subdial rings, which I could live without and while the yellow certainly pops against the blue dial it feels like a dive watch vibe that doesn't sit as well with the elegant overall design as it could. The blue stitched strap is a nice touch, but I can't help thinking this is a nice but inferior rework of a previous winner (much in the same way that every Red Bull F1 has been inferior to the original) and I can't reasonably score it any higher than a 7.25/10.

As usual with the (formerly 'Elegant') Carreras, this one is powered by the calibre TH20-00 (formerly the Heuer 02) and costs €7350, and perhaps not surprisingly given the number produced it is probably available in your country and not just in France - apparently the United States have been allocated 6, so what makes it for 'France' I'm not really sure.

Anyway, let's see how the Council feel about this one...

8.5/10: "I think its a great looking watch. They did a good job with the colour choices and details. A fun summer watch - good time to release it."

7.5/10: "I don't quite know what it is but there's something quite attractive about this watch. The navy blue dial with the pops of colour in the sub dials looks great and with those orange hands it really pops."

8/10: "Very nice watch, but the coloured sectors in the right sub-dial don't really match the rest of the watch."

8/10: "Beautiful watch. The slightly faded orange color looks nice."

 

9/10: "Recently I am drawn to blue watches."

7/10: "Nice, simple style, colours effective.7/10 as price unknown."

8/10: "I rate this higher than the Goodwood FoS based on looks. But I'm not into Nautical themed watches, so have no real interest in buying one. Whereas I might on a Goodwood if one were to come my way."

8/10: "Nice strap, nice -Carrera Elegant- case, a properly numbered LE… I like this one more than the Hodinkee Seafarer new glassbox (7/10), but less than the Goodwood FoS version (9/10), so it’s a 8/10 for me."

8/10: "This watch is both fresh and retro. The bezel ring is my favourite. I also prefer it to the Hodinkee seafarer.

9/10: "Oh this is gorgeous. I really admire the dial on this one. Great colour choices, too. Too big for me, though."

9/10: "Yes, quite nice indeed! 🔥🔥🔥"

7/10: "I like the skipper vibes but without the weird glassbox and absurdly large tide pusher, looses a point for the running seconds."

6/10: "It looks nice in general, but I am not sure I like the Seafarer inspired subdial. Scored it an extra half point just for being properly numbered (not a lazy "one of" LE)."

7/10: "I like it a lot but I will forever hate the moronic decision to put that cross hair ugly ass running seconds on the dial. Extremely solid 7 of 10. Just imagine how sexy and perfect it would be with a proper sub dial at 6!"

8.5/10: "I rather like this one. It’s like the Skipper but for those with taste. That is, not a glassbox sh*tter. I particularly like the cross hairs as it gives the appearance of having just two subdials, which is preferable for me." 

6.5/10: "It's nice, big fan of dark blue, but I guess it's yet another combination of similar 41/42mm Carreras, just with the addition of a nicely coloured subdial."

6/10: "Not bad, not overly exciting. My score is 6."

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:

FORMULA 1

While I agree it's a good thing that TAG Heuer have taken the Formula 1 back to it's roots, for me there's just something not quite right. The Solargraph movement is a welcome improvement and the watches are definitely better quality then the originals but somehow the charm isn't there for me. Maybe in time I will grow to love them, but right now it ain't working. Meanwhile the new Calibre 16 chronographs are cool, but again they don't make me want to spend £4000+ to own them... and finally we have two (very) old watches that have been given a new lease of life with a blue rubber strap (for the UK market only).

WBY111A.FT8106 - 38mm, Solar quartz, Steel and TH Polylight, Rubber  £1550

WBY1111.BA0042 - 38mm, Solar quartz, Steel and TH Polylight  £1650

WBY1112.BA0042 - 38mm, Solar quartz, Steel and TH Polylight  £1650

WBY1113.BA0042 - 38mm, Solar quartz, Steel and TH Polylight  £1650

WBY1114.FT8084 - 38mm, Solar quartz, DLC Steel and TH Polylight, Rubber  £1650

WBY1117.FT8087 - 38mm, Solar quartz, DLC Steel and TH Polylight, Rubber  £1650

WBY1160.FT8085 - 38mm, Solar quartz, TH Polylight, Rubber  £1550

WBY1161.FT8086 - 38mm, Solar quartz, TH Polylight, Rubber  £1550

WBY1162.FT8105 - 38mm, Solar quartz, TH Polylight, Rubber  £ 1550

CBZ2084.FT8097 - 44mm, Calibre 16, DLC Titanium, Rubber  £4350

CBZ2085.FT8093 - 44mm, Calibre 16, DLC Titanium, Rubber  £4350

CBZ2086.FT8098 - 44mm, Calibre 16, DLC Titanium, Rubber  £4350

CBZ2082.FT8096 - 44mm, Calibre 16, Titanium, Rubber  £4150

CBZ2080.FT8091 - 44mm, Calibre 16, Titanium, Rubber  £4800

CAZ1014.FT8099 - 43mm, Quartz chrono, Steel, Rubber  £1850

WAZ1010.FT8099 - 43mm, Quartz chrono, Steel, Rubber  £1500

AQUARACER

2024 was a good year for the Aquaracer, which ultimately concluded with the model finally breaking the stranglehold of the 'old-man' Carreras on the much coveted 'Council of Considered Opinion Watch of the Year Award' via the solar quartz powered 'Time & Tide' limited edition. But 2025 has been a bit flat, honestly. So far we've seen twelve new Aquaracers, four of which are old automatic models with gold bezel inserts that have finally been given steel bracelets. Truth be told they look a bit odd, like they forgot to plate the centre links on the bracelet... but as we saw with the recent day/date Carreras, a two tone bracelet is no longer a viable option as nobody with a brain is going to pay £8000 for a Calibre 5 powered Aquaracer! 

That aside, we've seen a couple of two-tone solar powered 34mm Aquaracers, a powder pink dial 34mm Solargraph, a pale blue 40mm Solargraph and a trio of brightly coloured 36mm Calibre 5s. And that's it really... it seems 2025 is truly the year of the 'Formula 1', which is fair enough given it is the 39th anniversary and everything. 🤣

WBP231N.BA0618 - 36mm, Calibre 7, Ceramic/Steel  £3650

WBP1182.BF0000 - 40mm, Solargraph, Titanium  £3000

WBP2450.BA0622 - 30mm, Calibre 9, Gold, Diamonds and Steel  £4400

WBP2451.BA0622 - 30mm, Calibre 9, Gold, Diamonds and Steel  £4400

WBP2150.BA0627 - 40mm, Calibre 5, Yellow Gold, Steel  £4800

WBP2151.BA0627 - 40mm, Calibre 5, Rose Gold, Steel  £4800

WBP231L.BA0618 - 36mm, Ceramic, Diamonds and Steel  £3650

WBP231N.FT6234 - 36mm, Ceramic, Diamonds and Steel  £3500

WBP231M.BA0618 - 36mm, Ceramic, Diamonds and Steel  £3650

WBP1323.BB0004 - 34mm, Solargraph, Diamonds, Gold Plating and Steel  £3800

WBP1324.BB0005 - 34mm, Solargraph, Diamonds, Gold Plating and Steel  £3800

WBP1318.BA0005 - 34mm, Solargraph, Diamonds and Steel  £2700

MONACO

I guess we could say it's been a slightly better year for the Monaco so far, with just two regular (albeit limited edition) models launched, alongside two 41mm Rattrapante Monacos (one of which is also limited). The 'Gulf' and 'Stopwatch' models launched at the Monaco GP back in May received a lot of positive comments and both could be in with a shout when it comes to the 'WOTY' award. For my money the Gulf is the better of the two, but these are both definitely at the 'top end' of TAG Heuer's 2025 releases so far. 

As for the rattrapantes, well... they're both insanely expensive and putting 'Lights Out and Away We Go' on the dial of the white ceramic one was truly a crime against not just horology, but basic good taste. Thank Christ they only made ten of these. The other one is just a colour revamp on the ones released last year; I quite like the colour, but unfortunately the watch is still missing the mark for me when it comes to looks (and I like modern looking watches!).

CBW2190.FC8356: 41mm, Rattrapante, Ceramic/textile  £POA

CAW218F.FC6356: 39mm, Calibre 11, DLC titanium/leather  £8600

CAW218G.EB0393: 39mm, Calibre 11, titanium/textile/leather  £8300

CBW2185.FC8350: 41mm, Rattrapante, textured titanium  £POA

CARRERA

Since the Autavia has been consigned to the bin once again... and since literally nothing has happened with the Link for about five years, we come to the Carrera. And sadly if you're expecting my excitement to peak here, well... think again. Like with the Aquaracer we have a bunch of models being re-released with a new (7 link) bracelet, which, honestly I couldn't care less about... but it looks okay I suppose.

As for the new 'day/date' Carreras... well I always used to want a 41mm Day/Date Carrera, but these new ones just look weird to me, and not remotely exciting (despite the red fumé dial and funky strap options.) The two tone model looks the best of the bunch, but the price is just hilarious - are we really paying a £3500 premium for a two-tone bracelet? 🤣

Will be interesting to see what the pre-owned price is for that one!

As for the GMT they seem to have turned what was one of the best looking 41mm Carreras ever into one of the worst, and of course it's green. Seriously, can we just stop with the bloody green now? It's not even a nice green! Ugggh.

Anyway... given that I'm not a fan of the 39mm glassbox, I actually think the purple dial model is quite nice. It's pretty dark, obviously and it's a pity the 42mm version has a dirty great hole in the dial and a £30k tourbillon filling it, since that one actually fits my wrist, but I probably wouldn't have bought one anyway if I'm honest. 

Elsewhere the Porsche Rallye glassbox is sure to feature strongly at the end of the year, but it still confuses me that they made a watch celebrating a race where the car in question finished second in its class and fifth overall! I still think the gold is the better of the two, but there were only 11 of them.. because 911. Of course. 🤣

Other than that we've seen a couple of 36mm Carreras in pink (meh) and lilac (cool), a couple of odd diamond bezelled 39mm glassboxes (nice blue and 'Michael Kors' pink) and most recently the limited edition Carrera for the 'Goodwood Festival of Speed'. That one is interesting, but I'm keen to see what it looks like in real life/videos before making my mind up as I still haven't seen anything other than renders.

CBS2015.EB0381 - 42mm, Calibre TH20-08, Steel  £8950

CBS2041.EB0382 - 42mm, Calibre TH20-08, Yellow gold, leather  £21500

CBS2214.FC6567 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel/Diamonds, Blue leather  £7600

CBS2215.FC6568 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel/Diamonds, Blue leather  £7500

CBS2219.FC6607 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel  £6150

CBS5017.FC6605 - 42mm, Calibre TH20-09, Steel  £30450

WBN231D.BA0001 - 36mm, Calibre 7, steel/diamonds  £3900

WBN2319.BA0001 - 36mm, Calibre 7, steel/diamonds  £3900

CBS2216.BA0048 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel  £6300

CBS2210.BA0048 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel  £6300

CBS2211.BA0048 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel  £6300

CBS2212.BA0048 - 39mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel  £6300

WDA2110.FC6614 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-02, Steel, Leather  £3500

WDA2111.BA0043 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-02, Steel  £3850

WDA2111.BD0001 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-02, Steel, Steel/Gold  £7400

WDA2112.BA0043 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-02, Steel  £3650

WDA2113.BA0043 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-02, Steel  £3650

WDA2114.BA0043 - 41mm, Calibre TH31-03, Steel  £4250

CBN2010-NS - 42mm, Calibre TH20-00, Steel, Brown leather  £6450

Well, there we have it. I honestly hope this selection gets you more animated than it does me and I truly hope TAG Heuer releases something in the second half of the year that actually excites me, because right now I would give my WOTY vote to the Gulf Monaco without a second thought... but only because there's no better option. 

Oh well, it's all part of the rich and interesting history of the brand and as such it's still interesting to observe, even if it doesn't make me want to raid my meagre savings and buy anything. In a way it's good, because I know what I actually want and I need time to save for that so I really don't need any distractions holding me back.

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