SPOTLIGHT ON: Grand Carrera Calibre 17 RS 150 Chronograph UK Limited Edition

CAV518H.FC6273

Ah, the Grand Carrera... something just keeps pulling me back to it, and this one is pretty cool it must be said. Released in the UK only, this one was limited to just 150 pieces and as such it's no surprise that I've never actually see one. Oddly enough, a quick Google tells me that Watchfinder actually have one in stock, and unusually it doesn't look like it's been worn as a beater by a pig farmer. Seriously, every time I've seen one of these on eBay (which isn't often to be fair) it looks like its had a very hard life, so it's intriguing that they have what looks like a decent piece available.

That said, I'm a trifle confused by it, as the watch shown clearly has a grey second hand and text on the bezel when it should be bright blue. What's up with that? The strap should also have blue stitching, so I don't know what's going on there, but they're asking £3650 for it so I'd want to know! It's a shame because I really like the blue highlights, it makes a nice change from the standard red or yellow, and aside from a little damage around the bottom lugs it looks surprisingly well preserved.

But then again, the Grand Carrera is a 'difficult' watch. I used to really love the PVD case ones, especially the caliper models, but now when I see them I don't really feel the same about them. I actually prefer the steel versions, in particular the chronograph versions with brown, blue and black dials, albeit it the blue dial version is a Japan only 500 piece limited edition, so not much chance of finding one of those.

It's a bit of a shame the watch doesn't have a PVD clasp as silver clasps on black watches is something of a pet hate of mine, not that I have the means to buy one of these at the moment, and anyway, I'd have to think long and hard about investing in another Grand Carrera after my unfortunate experience with the Calibre 8 GMT (barely wore it, sold it within a year and lost a load of cash).

Oddly enough, here's another one that looks grey, maybe it's just the photographs then? It looks pretty neat on that perforated rubber strap though. This one sold for £2650, which is a bit more like it, although again there's some damage to the coating on the case, which would surely bug me.

The Grand Carreras are aptly named, at 43mm they are big on the wrist, bigger than a 43mm Aquaracer I would say, and some of the ones I've seen have rather shaky dials, which again is something to check before buying. I really would like another Grand Carrera, but I think it's going to take some time for me to pick the exact one because they really aren't all that affordable, considering they're not exactly the top of the TAG Heuer tree and definitely don't have anything like the cache of the Monaco or the standard Carrera.

Well, I'll keep looking, maybe one day I'll find the perfect one. Probably when I least expect it!

MORE WRIST TIME: TAG Outlet, Bicester Village

CAV518K.FC6268

I've already written about part of my visit to Bicester Village yesterday (you can read my thoughts about the Yellow Dial Calibre S Aquaracer HERE) and I thought I'd combine the rest of my visit into one post. 

For the third time I tried on the CAV518K Grand Carrera with the orange highlights and... I have to say, in light of the £4200 price tag, I found it wanting. It's still a nice watch, but at that price I'm not sure. I still have grave reservations about the strap. It looks so delicate and again even though this wasn't the same piece I tried on last time there is definite signs of wear to the strap. Indeed, where the strap ends meet the case there was some imperfection, as if the strap was bunched up and it looked like the top layer could peel away.

This wouldn't be quite so bad if spare straps were available, but I'm betting they aren't. At least not with the limited edition orange stitching, and as I've said before, replacing the strap with a plain black one (or worse, the wrong colour stitching) is going to seriously compromise the overall aesthetic.

The other thing that bothered me somewhat, was that when the watch was going the second hand wheel seemed rather juddery. I don't remember the steel version I tried on not that long ago having that issue, so maybe it's just that one watch?

CAV511A.BA0902

Speaking of which, also available was the steel CAV511A. Second hand this is selling for anywhere from £2100-2800, and here it was on offer for £3800. I didn't realise the list price was nigh on £5000! That makes the second hand prices look very attractive indeed. I do still rather like this watch, but I'm conscious that my next purchase will probably be my last 'major' acquisition for some time, so I'm hesitant to jump into buying one, especially when there are lots of these available.

CAJ2180.FT6023

God knows why, but I tried on the CAJ2180 again (previous review HERE), reading that again most of my opinions have remained constant. I do like the dial (except the horrible cyclops), I think the vertical lines look great as do the green lumed hands. The case and strap not so much. The case is very thick, which is not a deal breaker in itself, but the backplate is quite pronounced and makes the watch stand 'off' the wrist quite a bit. So not only is it thick, but it doesn't quite look as if it's sitting properly either. 

So all in all, the yellow Aquaracer aside, this was quite a disappointing visit. There were some other very nice pieces in the outlet, such as the Monaco 24 in both blue/white and grey/orange (but not the black version I really love) and the Flyback Carreras (great deals on those, but still a lot of money), but I have kind of accepted that the Monaco 24's in particular are probably a step too far money wise. Undoubtedly I 'could' save up the required cash, but whether I would feel comfortable dropping that amount on a single watch is thoroughly debatable.

One thing I will say about this particular visit to the outlet, I did feel kind of like I was being shepherded towards the 'cheap' watches. Admittedly I went from work with a colleague and we didn't look that smart in our branded polo shirts, but he was wearing his Tudor Pelagos LHD (a £3000 watch) and I did have my everyday TAG on (sadly not my skeleton). 

Usually the staff in there are fairly hands off, but the lady in there was offering a bit of a running commentary, which was a bit off-putting, especially as I'm pretty sure I know a lot more about the watches in her store than she does. Actually once I spoke to her a bit I think she realised and her attitude changed a little, then she was okay, but it's bad sales etiquette to make judgements about people's financial standing based on their appearance. 

Inevitably, today I was still mulling over my visit and wondering if maybe I should have gone for the yellow Calibre S Aquaracer (don't think so).... when I got an email from Watchfinder telling me about their SALE! (Incidentally, before you rush off to Watchfinder, the sale is only open to email subscribers and if you visit the site normally you will not see the sale prices.)

CAV518B.FC6237

Most interestingly, Watchfinder had dropped the price of a five year old Grand Carrera CAV518B.FC6237 from £3250 to a very attractive £2550. This gave me pause for thought, but within minutes of me seeing it the watch had been sold (hardly surprising really, that's a ridiculous price). There are three other examples on the site, albeit not as competitively priced, and bizarrely another piece is a lot older yet £500 more expensive. I will never understand Watchfinder's pricing structure.

So the upshot of all that is of course... my TAG fund remains intact, ready for another day and whatever comes my way. I've been informed by my wife that she wants to visit Bicester in the next few weeks so we'll see what opportunities present themselves I guess...

ON THE WRIST: Grand Carrera Calibre 17 Chronograph

CAV518K.FC6268

TAG Heuer Outlet / Bicester Village 4th February 2017

Without a shadow of a doubt the second nicest watch I tried on today, this one was priced at just under £4000 if I remember correctly, which represents a good £1300 saving on the original sale price. Indeed the outlet was groaning under the weight of Grand Carreras on offer today, with at least seven or eight different models represented, including the yellow and red 'caliper' models and the red caliper with the rubber strap (CAV5185.FT6020).

I definitely appreciate this one and for £4000 I would definitely choose this over both the Heuer Monza 40th Anniversary* and the Senna Carrera with the tyre-tread strap. It's very light and not too big on the wrist, despite being 43mm. My only real concern was that the strap was already starting to show signs of wear, still with this kind of discount you can't really moan too much can you?

I did start thinking, well you could replace the strap with a FT6020 (assuming you can get one), but then part of the appeal is the orange stitching on the leather strap. Still I assume you can purchase replacement FC6268 straps as well (hopefully?).

I think the non-caliper Grand Carrera is better looking overall than the 'caliper' version, although I do like the yellow version with the caliper, it's a tough call, or it would be if the caliper's weren't another thousand pounds even in the outlet. And once we're up to £5,000 then it's getting difficult to justify anything that isn't a Monaco 24.

*Saw a Monza 40th the other day and it wasn't as nice as I remember it. Was rather shocked how little white was on the dial and how biege the lume looked... 

VIDEO: Grand Carrera Chronograph Calibre 17 RS Review by iReviewWatches