FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Rattrapante 'Air 1' Limited Edition

 

I'll admit I haven't exactly been complimentary about the previous Monaco Rattrapantes. Obviously I haven't seen one in person and it's entirely possible that they are one of those watches that just doesn't photograph well (much like the Grand Carrera), but until now I've found them spectacularly unappealing, despite several different colour combinations being released. But now TAG Heuer have given us this new $150,000 limited edition (30pcs) and if nothing else they've certainly improved it's kerb appeal.

But it's more than just a new colour combo (and black and gold is almost always a winner), because this one has been redesigned to mimic the look of an imaginary supercar, taking design cues from said car including all the grilles and shapes you'd expect to find on a Lamborghini cum Ferrari cum Aston Martin.

TAG Heuer say they have used a laser to fabricate the gold 'grilles' found around the edges of this model and I honestly think it looks fantastic. I'm not sure how they have done that and managed to keep some level of water resistance (actually only 30M, so no more than walking in drizzle...) but they have, so I imagine the grills are just decoration in front of something a little more solid.   

I find it incredible that with some fairly minor cosmetic changes they've managed to turn what really was rather an ugly looking watch into one of the best looking watches of 2025. The price is still beyond justification, a Rattrapante is simply not that expensive to make and can be had for much, much less in other (better) brands, but if you're a TAG Heuer junkie and you want the ultimate (current) model then this is what you choose.

Personally I could only afford the strap, which ironically is one of the best parts of the update. I love this futuristic design and it goes perfectly with the watch. It would be interesting to see it on the other models I think as it might improve their looks a little bit too.

I also like the solid gold pusher on the left hand side, but I'm still not keen on the area around the crown and the crown itself. It looks like a little bit like some kind of Lego spaceship, but overall it's still a huge improvement and I think I'm going to give it a slightly generous 8/10.

 

I do have one question though. Given that TAG Heuer are currently collaborating with Porsche, why did they need to create an 'imaginary' supercar to base this one on? Admittedly it looks more Aston Martin or Lamborghini than Porsche in design, and it doesn't bother me because I couldn't really care two hoots about Porsche, but it seems a little strange. Just think how much extra they could have charged if it had Porsche engraved in the crystal or something...

I'm sure the Council will have mixed views about this one, but I've definitely noticed some positive comments mixed in amongst the usual withering apathy. 🤣 Truth be told I'm still a little shocked by the score they (collectively) gave the Las Vegas Carrera. There's no way on Earth that is worse than the cream coloured Kith Formula 1 or the Riviera Monaco. Personally I think they've become a little bit heavy handed with their 1/10s lately; hopefully they will be mindful of this in the coming weeks as they fill in their end of year scores.

8/10: "Very attractive case design, can't wait for the additive manufacturing to trickle down to more-reasonably-priced models. Loses a point for the sorta-skeletonized dial, which makes the watch harder to read."

4/10: "A lot of detail going on here and I can appreciate that. I have to give it a 4/10 because of how hideous it is."

8/10: "These colours and the gold elements all work well for me. Well done."

1/10: "Not a fan of any of these Rattrapante Monaco’s, especially given the insane prices. Someone tell TAG the Emperor has no clothes."

7/10: "Very much going on here. It looks interesting and futuristic. But somehow too playful, almost childish. I like the simpler designs better."

8/10: "But I’ve ordered 29 of them so might be a 11/10."

1/10: "What is that? It's ridiculous!!!!"

8/10: "This watch is designed with motor sports in mind, and as a special piece, it has a high degree of perfection and a good impression."

9/10: "A very interesting watch, definitely "haute horologie". Impressive in all respects, including the price!"

3/10: "‘Laser-focused’ I lost my focus on this one.."

2/10: "I still do not like the looks of any Monaco Rattrapante release."

2/10: "Looks like a gargoyle. 😱"

8.5/10: "Previous Monaco Rattrapantes (red, blue, white) were between 7/10 and 8/10 for me, and this black & gold “JPS” 😉 version is now my favourite of them all, so it’s a 8.5/10."

0/10: "0MFG, I like an industrial design but what the hell is that!?! Yes, that is a zero in 0MFG…for obvious reasons…"

7/10: "I regret selling my unconventional Monaco. I think this should get 7/10 at least. I don't 'like it' per se. But as with all these "weird" Monacos, they will all gone after some time. so if you like it, you better get it now."

8/10: "This is gorgeous. Just enough gold and the strap detail is interesting."

6/10: "Black and gold work very well together as proven here. Seems a bit more legible compared to the previous ones and overall more aesthetically pleasing."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco & Carrera Extreme Sports 'Las Vegas' Limited Edition Chronographs

 

Believe it or not we're pretty much set for 'First Impressions' posts all the way up to Christmas now. As you can see from the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Gallery we still have a ton of new watches to look at and I keep hearing there's still more to come. Quite why they've decided to release like TWENTY watches in November and December is beyond me! Anyway, we'll do what we can, and if I have to post more frequently to get through them all then that's what I'll do. So long as the Council get their fingers out and send me their scores fast enough of course! 🤣

So one way to get through them is to do two or three at a time, and that's exactly what we're doing today. First we have the primary focus of this post, which is the Monaco that TAG Heuer released to coincide with the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The multicoloured dial was 'inspired' by the neon lights of the gambling capital of the world and I have to say I absolutely love it. In fact I'm going to nail my colours to the mast right now and say that this 600 piece limited edition is my 'Watch of the Year'. 

Yep, you heard me right. I really didn't know where my vote was gonna go, maybe the Mexican Carrera, maybe the Gulf Monaco... but both those were like 'well there's nothing else I'm really that excited by' kinda situations, so it's really nice to be able to consciously choose one that I really like and say 'that's it'. I mean aside from the dial and the stitching on the strap there's nothing much new here, but what a dial. It kinda reminds me of the Polychrome Carrera Tourbillon I voted for a few years back, but with a more limited colour palette (and all the better for it).

Well done TAG Heuer, it's been a tough year but you finally got me!

CBU2086.FT6272

Now, you may remember last year TAG Heuer released another Las Vegas watch at the same times as the 'Pink' highlighted Monaco, a carbon bezelled Carrera tourbillon that they did their absolute best to keep as secret as possible (why I do not know). And they seem to have done pretty much the same thing this year, as if it wasn't for someone bringing these to my attention I'm not sure I would have even known they existed.

First I heard about the regular Carrera Sports Extreme model and that was a surprise, but then I was sent a picture of the tourbillon version with the diamond bezel, neither of which feature on any websites as far as I kind find. I mean, okay they're limited to 77 and 7 pieces respectively and they're probably only sold in the boutique in Las Vegas but what's the big secret? Are they ashamed of them or something?

I mean, clearly they're not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and maybe the best way to buy a watch like this is drunk and high on winning on the superslots... imagine waking up with vomit all down your chest and one of these strapped to your wrist. What a story! 🤣

But even though the C.O.C.O. were lining up to shoot these down (actually just the regular version, as I didn't know about the diamond bezel version until too late) I actually don't hate it because if nothing else it's exactly what you want from a watch meant to represent a Las Vegas Casino (as distinct from a racetrack built in a neon lighted city). It's loud, it's brash, it's red and black and GOLD! It even has a 'roulette' wheel inner bezel... and I'm giving it a 7. Why '7'... well why not? The watches are plastered in lucky 7's, and the tourbillon even has three seven's in it's price tag (£117,770). So shoot me....

CBU5083.EB0395

Not sure what I would have given the diamond bezel version, but the Council and I will have to put our thinking caps on soon. I also can't help thinking that if the Council had been presented with both of these Carreras at once then the standard version would probably have scored slightly higher than it did if only because they would have hated the diamond version even more... 

Okay, we know the score for the Las Vegas Carrera is going to be terrible, but I'm fairly confident that the council will like the pinky-blue Monaco (and rightly so), let's hope that translates into WOTY votes at the end of next month.

9/10: "I absolutely love this! Would buy this in a heartbeat if I could afford it right now."

7.5/10: "I love the colourway and the stitching details on the strap, both look amazing against the matt black case."

9/10: "This one is stunning in person."

9/10: "Now we’re talking. This is a very welcome final flourish of 2025. Growing on me a lot tbh and now sits in my top 3."

8/10: "Much prefer this one to the Vegas Carrera. It looks pretty nice, not sure why they didn't lume the running seconds hand though, or at least use a colour where it stands out. The use of coloured lume is quite creative but at the end of the day it is just funky luminova. The crystal and caseback has some sort of coating to give a colour change effect. I like it, I'd wear it but it's a bit less of a wow than I expected. A solid 8/10."

7/10: "This is one the best of the skeleton Monacos. Solid release."

10/10: "Amazing. Loving the disco vibes."

7/10: "Yes, I quite like this one."

8.75/10: "If I were to judge this watch on its renders and photos, my score would be much lower. But I was really surprised by the impact the watch gave me when I saw it live in person. Based on my live impression, it gets an 8.75/10."

7/10: "Interesting watch and colour effects… same score as for the Luminous Turquoise skeleton Monaco."

10/10: "This is an amazing Monaco!"

9/10: "Ok damn this is a hit. 9/10 for me!"

9/10: "I will pick up mine today."

8/10: "The ultimate Vaporwave watch!"

7/10: "Which includes an extra point for actually numbering the LE."

7.5/10: "The more I look at this watch, the more I like it. However, the dial and display back still look like the designers just discovered fun with blacklights. I'm giving it an extra 1/2 point because they gave it an actual number instead of that "one of xxx" cheesiness that other LEs received."

7/10: "I too like that this is numbered. The colour scheme is fitting for Vegas too."

3/10: "Nope."

5/10: "It is what it is and I don't actually mind it. The date could be highlighted better but overall it's a bit of fun and screams Vegas to me."

1/10: "Far too busy and the colours aren't great either. The roulette outline is tacky."

8.5/10: "Rather like this one to be honest. Way better than the recent shower of sh…"

3/10: "It kinda hurts my eyes. Legibility in this photo is poor."

2/10: "That dial looks like the tackiest parts of a low-budget casino."

1/10: "The designer of this should be fired - this watch should have never been made."

4/10: "But why would they make this!!!?!"

0/10: "That would just be left in the hotel room whilst I indulge myself in the casino."

1/10: "Hahaha!"

1/10: "A contender for Worst WOTY. Based on looks alone, this Vegas Carrera Extreme is probably my least favourite release. But the Monaco Air is also a contender for WWOTY, because its 150,000 CHF price makes that watch an even greater disappointment for me."

3/10: "I like the Carrera Extreme design, but not this one. 😱"

2/10: "Seventy seven pieces too many for me! I guess this is somehow linked to the "Lucky 7" casino with all the highlighted 7's on the bezel and caseback. I quite like the roulette wheel outer dial track but that's as far as it goes. I'm not averse to innovation but this is just a tacky mess. Must do better, a generous 2/10."

6/10: "I think it is kinda cool."

0/10: "A tasteless hot mess."

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Chinese Zodiac' Limited Edition Chronograph

I don't really understand these watches, or rather the release logic of these watches. Why did we have a 'Year of the Rat' Autavia for 2020, a 'Year of the Tiger' Carrera for 2022, a 'Year of the Rabbit' Carrera for 2023 and 'Year of the Dragon' Carreras (one steel and one solid gold) for 2024 but we missed out the Ox (2021, well okay, maybe Covid killed that one) and the Snake (2025)? 

In a way I can understand the Ox, because after all there's nothing sexy about an 'Ox', but then there's nothing particularly sexy about a rat either, and 2027 is the year of the goat (or sheep). I just can't imagine a Carrera with a goat on the back, can you? Oh I do hope they prove me wrong... a Carrera Tourbillon with a goat skull (and maybe a candle) on the back would probably sell well to affluent members of the Metal community at least. 🤣

We'll see, but for now we have this brand new for 2026 'Year of the Horse' Carrera glassbox and... well, I gotta say I'm not exactly loving it. It looks like they've taken that previous 'Japanese' aesthetic with the single red subdial and recycled it here mixed with the previous 'Year of the Dragon' model, but then messed it up by switching out the silver dial for champagne. I'm just not sure the red subdial and the champagne dial go together personally.

On a more positive note the bracelet looks good on all these new glassbox Carreras and I'm sure there will plenty of positive comments about that, and the 'horse' print over the display caseback is attractive too.

Finally, we have the date wheel which is red (again, not really loving that but I guess they did that to try to balance the subdial) and features the Chinese Zodiac symbol for the horse on the 7th day of each month. Maybe adding the applied dial furniture in gold was a touch too much, perhaps silver would have worked better with the champagne and red, but I'm not really sure... it looks better in the render than in the photograph below I think.

There are just 250 pieces available and so far it doesn't seem to be on any of TAG Heuer's websites. In fact if you Google the part number the only place it shows up so far is Chrono 24. No doubt this one will be sent straight to the Asian boutiques and we'll only get to hear about it officially when they want to sell it outside the Pacific region. 

Okay, let's see what the Council have to say about this one... I tell ya what though, I'm glad I decided not to do every single watch this year because this is number 54 and there's another 25 we skipped over! And we ain't done yet, either! We still got a crazy Monaco Rattrapante Air 1, two green dial Carreras from Dubai Watch Week and TWO 'Las Vegas' Limited Editions to get through...

And of course all 80+ watches will be rescored in a few weeks, when we will also be crowning the 'Council of Considered Opinion Watch of the Year'. Hard to say what's going to come out on top this year, as there's not really one 'standout obvious belter' that everyone can get behind. Should be fun! 

1/10: "If you can’t think of something positive of any kind, then say nothing at all."

7/10: "Not bad at all. I like the colourway, the red subdial and date wheel works ok for me. Less keen on the horse caseback,but overall it's a decent looking watch if a little uninspiring."

3/10: "I know I'm not the target audience but I really don't like this. The dial looks unbalanced and the champagne colour doesn't work for me."

6/10: "Great design apart from the glassbox."

5/10: "I like the champagne dial and the bracelet, less keen on the big red subdial though as it looks very clunky. The backplate design is also a nice detail."

6/10: "The dial is cool. But it doesn't match to the steel case and bracelet. I like that new bracelet though."

1/10: "Hate it!"

6/10: "The render looks alright but the picture doesn't look too appealing."

8/10: "The bracelet should be awesome."

7.5/10: "Overall nice design, but the dial looks a little unbalanced."

4/10: "If this were a silver dial with steel indices it'd be straight fire. As usual, TAG goes one detail too far and jumbles it up though."

1/10: "Watch basically ok, not sure about the shade of red and definitely don’t want/need the horse gimmick."

8/10: "I like it. The champagne & red combo dial looks good to my eyes. Quite possibly my favourite of all the Zodiac animal watches released by TAG so far."

4/10: "I don't particularly like the new glassboxes, and this one is one of my least favourites... neither the colour combination between the dial and case, nor the bracelet, and also the fact that it's an LE without being properly numbered."

4/10: "This is pretty close to being cool. Something about it feels very 1950s Christmas though. 4/10 for me."

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Las Vegas' Limited Edition Chronograph by Armbanduhren

 

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

 

CAZ101AY.FC6591

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...