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..
But looking at the watch objectively, does that dial even say 'Myaku-Myaku' to you? I'm afraid to me it just looks like a bit of a mess, and I particularly dislike the two odd grey sections, one of which makes the left subdial look like it's melting. Or maybe that's what they were going for? No I'm being serious, maybe that is the idea...?
The back of the watch actually makes more sense, with the logo and text printed on the display back. I just can't help feeling that it would have been better to put Myaku-Myaku on the dial somewhere rather than these random splashes of colour. I mean, it could be that this paint design is everywhere at the Expo, maybe? But even if it is, surely the reason to buy this watch is Myaku-Myaku, not the Expo itself?
And finally, can we just address the elephant in the room. This watch looks like it should be made of plastic and cost £150, doesn't it. It's a Swatch dial dropped into a Carrera Glassbox. And it pains me to say that because I know one member of the C.O.C.O. has bought this watch and I hope he's not going to be too upset by everyone's comments because, well, the C.O.C.O. is distinctly unimpressed. We're talking bottom of the barrel, right down there with the cream Kith F1 and the Monaco Riviera, honestly (in fact it's provisionally sitting at the bottom of the table, 0.1 under the Kith F1).
Sorry Snowy.
I debated my score long and hard and eventually settled on a 3. There's nothing wrong with the watch itself, other than being too small for me at a very small wearing 39mm. But the dial is just an absolute car crash I'm afraid, and I can't even believe that in person it would be that much better, so...
Let's find out what the C.O.C.O. actually had to say for this one.
5.5/10: "This watch is surely polarizing, like any abstract piece of art. On the one hand, the overall look of the watch dial is pretty crazy and not my cup of tea at all. OTOH, I'll give TAG Heuer credit for doing something so unique and nicely tuned to the mascot theme of the Osaka Expo. I also like that it has traditional sunken sub-dials, rather than the raised edges usually found on the glassbox's registers. Plus, the price is reasonable for a Limited Edition relative to TAG's pricing for the Japan market. The latest live pictures I found gave me a more favourable impression of the watch, so I raised my score from a 5 to a 5.5."
3/10: "It’s not only the date on 12 I don’t like.."
7/10: "This time, I purchased a limited edition watch for EXPO 2025. With its unique appearance, the Carrera, with its dome-shaped crystal, reminds me of a Swatch, but like Alec Monopoly's watches, I consider this category to be a work of art. Due to its unique design, it is difficult to predict whether it will increase in value in the future. I have purchased it, but I will give this watch a fair rating of 7 points.
Regarding the price, Japan's pricing standards have not yet caught up with Switzerland's, so the retail price is currently lower. However, the Swiss headquarters is not pleased with the lower prices in Japan, so they repeatedly adjust the prices a few times a year to gradually align them. This is why Tag Heuer watches are popular among overseas tourists in Japan, but once the prices catch up, I suspect sales will plummet."
4/10: "Lazy design, mish-mash of colours on the dial which the sub-dials get lost in."
2/10: "I know I'm not the target audience for this watch but I can only rate what I see and to me the dial is a complete mess. The watch itself is great but not the execution. I'm sure it will have many fans in its country of sale but personally it's not great!"
1/10: "This one is rough."
?/10: "I guess I just don't don't understand this one, to be honest. So I don't vote on it."
5/10: "I find it hard to rate… it probably looks better in real life, so I'll give it 5/10 but I can't give it more points. I don't particularly like the new glassboxes with the bezel under the glass, but I also really don't like the mascot ðĪŠ of the Osaka expo. So, for me, the biggest drawback of this watch is the mascot that decorates it ð
"
2/10: "The back is better than the front but it's a low bar. My score is 2, on the basis that it must look better in real life."
0/10: "I’m sorry I can’t score it anything, Edouard Heuer would get sick at the sight of it !!! It’s embarrassing !!!!"
2/10: "Classic Japanese design ethos? A solid 2/10 with one extra point included for TAG's bravery thinking that there are 125 mentally challenged souls who want to memorise their visit to a fair by paying £5500 for this ð"
3/10: "Not very attractive at all, sometimes it’s better to just not release a watch like this."
5/10: "Not a fan, don’t want distractions on the watch, and to pay extra for them, 5/10 because underneath it’s a nice watch."
1/10: "Bad design and poor execution."
3/10: "Jesus... this is pretty bad."
One of the worst releases ever from TAG Heuer
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