CG1120.BB0424
Believe it or not, one of the highlights of my visit to the TAG Heuer museum in La Chaux de Fonds in September 2018, was clapping eyes on an 'S/EL' for the first time. That may sound a bit silly given the other amazing things they have in their collection, but up until then I'd never seen one in real life and leaving Switzerland I was determined to get one into my collection. Fast forward two and a half years and I now have four... but this two-tone quartz chronograph was my first.
It wasn't my first two tone TAG Heuer, that honour went to my silver dial 2000 Exclusive and in truth it wasn't really my first choice either... in fact I only really ended up buying this because I couldn't seem to secure a black dial steel CG1110 in the right condition for a sensible price - they were either minty for £850-£1000, or £400 with 'issues', indeed I remember trying to buy one from 'Birth Year Watches' but they couldn't get a replacement crystal and I didn't want to buy it with a scratch on it. Eventually I did manage to get hold of one (that seemed okay) for £400... which then cost me another £500 in servicing and repairs, so that worked out well, huh?
At the time of purchase I was still a little bit unsure about two-tone, but I reasoned that if I was going to have more two-tone pieces then what better than an S/EL? Go big or go home, right? I also figured that if I bought the two-tone model that was available to me (with a white dial) then when I was able to find a CG1110 to buy it wouldn't be too much of a 'duplication' in the collection.
I will freely admit that once I got the CG1110 my interest in this one did wane just a bit. I haven't worn it as much for sure, but then again given the rapid increase in size of my watch collection over the last couple of years that's neither particularly surprising, nor exclusive to this piece. Indeed, there are plenty of watches languishing in the cabinet which very rarely see the light of day, my Microtimer is one and my original F1 Kirium is another.
I'm quite sure, some of you are recoiling in horror from these pictures... and I get it, a two tone S/EL is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, in fact to some of you this is probably something of a 'nightmare' watch. Not only is it quartz, but it's also a 90s design with a completely rounded off case, a bizarrely integrated bracelet, not to mention that famous 'S' link bracelet which is quintessential TAG Heuer, but also the focus of much (misplaced) scorn.
I'm betting most of the people who 'despise' this bracelet have never worn one though, as it's one of the most comfortable bracelets I've ever tried on. I don't really know why that should be but it's a fact that when wearing an S/EL I often completely forget about it and have to roll up my sleeve to check it's still there, it really is that good (and definitely better than the Link bracelet that replaced it, in my not so humble opinion).
As with the CG1110, the CG1120 had a mid-life facelift and while the new dial wasn't as horrendous as the black dial variant, I still prefer the original and that's what we have here. The CG1120 re-dial was a lot more subtle than the CG1110, all they really did was pick out the subdials with a slim black line whereas on the black version they slapped some really thick silver edges on that I really found quite objectional!
As ever with these old two-tone TAG Heuers, the gold plate is pretty thin, but mine is looking pretty good. Obviously the bezel is scratched up, but that's a given - gold is not a hard material and putting it on a bezel is a bad idea generally. But it does look cool, and you can't tell it's scratched unless you look closely.
Unlike my CG1110, this one has always worked perfectly and the chronograph resets accurately, in fact the only slight issue I've had with it is that when I have changed the battery or altered the date sometimes the watch stops and I have to set it again. I suspect it may be something to do with the watch thinking the crown is still out when it isn't, probably not a massive problem and something that will no doubt be fixed someday when it inevitably goes back for a service.
In a way, I kinda wish that I had bought a brown leather strap for this one rather than the black one for the CG1110, but then again, if you're going to have two tone you might just as well have the bracelet as well and really bling it up... and also I was a little worried that the new gold end links (which would be necessary to fit the strap) might not quite match the gold on my watch. I do like this watch but I do tend to always reach for other S/ELs in my collection over this one which leaves me wondering if perhaps I should move it on? I doubt I will, especially as this crown issue would need fixing first which could make it a bit pointless financially.
I think most likely I will continue to sit on it and to enjoy an occasional day with it now and again instead. Ultimately, it's a fun watch to wear, it's just not the first one that catches my eye when I'm browsing my collection of a morning...
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