VIDEO: TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S Laptimer by Luxury Works

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'SLR300' Calibre 1887 Chronograph by FN Watches

 

INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer Calibre S Laptimer (SLR & Carrera)

While not overly exciting for most of you, this post is sure to make someone's day at some point in the future. The Calibre S Laptimer is the most complicated watch I own and makes the standard Calibre S look like child's play in comparison. Trying to work out how to use it without a manual could drive someone insane, .

I have been meaning to make a video showing you what the Laptimer can do, and sooner or later I will. But I'll probably need to brush up on the instructions myself first! 🤣

NB: This is a note for myself as much as anyone else. When resetting the LAPTIMER after a battery change keep in mind that the watch has three modes not two like the normal Calibre S! Once you figure out which mode you are in things get easier. Also, don't try and do this in a rush, last time took me 40 minutes to get it right.

Chrono reset instructions are on the last page of the booklet.

FEATURE: The Joy of Switching Out Straps

 

Visit any watch forum and you will always find a thread where people are discussing which straps they are wearing on their watches, where they came from, how much they cost and which exotic animals were killed in the process. No word of a lie, someone on the THF Forum has watch straps made of giraffe and hippo leather - I can't even with that. But who am I to cast aspersions, do I not own a pair of brightly coloured sharkskin straps for my 4000 Series? Why yes I do... and here they are.

FEATURE: Keeping Track of Wrist Time 2022

 

Happy New Year everyone, and welcome to 2023. We start the year with everybody's favourite post... 'Keeping Track of Wrist Time' (I jest of course, it doesn't get any more self-indulgent than this!), in which I reveal which watches I wore the most (and least) during the year of our Lord Jean Claude Biver 2022. 

I know, it's a LOT, just keep calm and we'll get through this together! Haha.

Now if you've already read my 'Another Crazy Year of Watch Buying' post that went up a few days ago, you'll know that there's been a fair bit of coming and going this year. Actually a lot more going than coming... which is a good thing, because looking back it's clear that I had (and still have, truthfully) far too many watches to actually wear them all. In fact I'd be somewhat surprised if I'd worn my Microtimer more than 25 times since I bought it back in 2017. And given it cost me £85 for a new battery last year, that isn't a good ratio!

FEATURE: Another Crazy Year of Watch Buying!

 

Ever since I started this blog way back in October 2016 my watch collection has been expanding year on year, some years at a genuinely frightening pace. In fact by the end of 2021 I had in excess of 50 TAG Heuer watches.... which is quite a lot by anyone's reckoning! 

However, 2022 was the first year when this trend was not only halted but reversed, and for the first time I finished the year with a MUCH smaller collection than I started it with. 

The year began slow but steady, right up until I bought my long sought after blue dial Japanese limited edition Grand Carrera... which turned out to be something of a pivotal purchase as far as my TAG Heuer collecting goes. 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes Benz Calibre S Lap Timer Chronograph

 

CAG7010.BA0254

I don't know how many times I have seen a CAG7010 at TAG Heuer's Bicester Village store, but up to about 2019 it seemed like something of a constant fixture during my regular visits. I must have tried it on a few times too, and even a year or so ago (the last time I saw an SLR in store) it was the white dial version of this same watch, actually now I come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen an automatic version of the SLR for sale there, only ever the Calibre S version. 

Of course, being something of a contrarian I've long admired the watch, seduced by it's obnoxiously brutalist bracelet and complex quartz movement, but never quite enough to pull the trigger; especially since even at outlet discounted prices these watches were still pretty pricey (£2500-2800... IIRC).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S Quartz Chronograph by WatchBox Reviews

 

FEATURE: My Top Five Brown Dial TAG Heuer Watches

 
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Okay, let's be honest, TAG Heuer doesn't exactly have an endless supply of brown dial watches from which to compile a top 5... and even though I managed to cobble together a list of about twenty five individual references there was lots of repetition with the same watch featured on a bracelet and one or two different coloured straps. But ultimately I have come up with a reasonable list of watches that while I probably wouldn't actually buy myself with my own money, I certainly wouldn't object to wearing if given to me as a present. 

HISTORY: The TAG Heuer SLR (2004-2012)

 

The TAG Heuer SLR started life in 2004 with the release of the CAD5110; probably the most curious looking watch the company have ever released. Following on from the McLaren F1 idea, this watch was only available to people looking to purchase the Mercedes Benz SLR super car and of course, at this particular moment in time TAG Heuer and Mercedes were still very much connected through their associations with the McLaren Formula 1 team and former TAG Heuer owners Ron Dennis and Mansour Ojjeh. 

The back of this first piece is numbered, but unfortunately it doesn't say of how many. A quick Google reveals that Mercedes made 2157 SLRs, so it must be less than that. The watch wasn't cheap by any means and given the scarcity of them on the pre-owned market perhaps we can assume that the take up rate wasn't too high? Or maybe the owners just aren't selling, or they sold them on with the car...

A notable feature of the watch is that it is a 'regulator' the only example that TAG Heuer have ever made, at least since the company was taken over in 1985.

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Calibre S Movement (2007-2014)

 
 

Back in the mid 2000s and under the control of Jean Christophe Babin, TAG Heuer had aspirations to move upmarket and part of this was the drive to showcase its technology, which in turn led to the brand winning numerous awards for horological achievements (the TAG Haters never want to talk about those do they?). While TAG Heuer made some real high end haute horlogerie movements like the V4 for the Monaco and the Mikropendulum for the Carrera, they also created during this period an 'in-house' electro-mechanical movement that was attainable for those of us with more modest budgets.

The Calibre S was announced in 2005, but it wasn't until 2007 that it first appeared on the market. Initially it was offered in just two product lines and right off the bat it was available in two variations: the standard Calibre S in the Link and the Aquaracer and the Calibre S 'Regatta' in the Aquaracer. 

The 'Regatta' version of the watch had a countdown function, which was intended for use in yacht racing. When the ten minute signal is given you would activate the watch and it would count down the ten minutes until the start of the race and then automatically switch into standard chronograph mode to start timing your 'elapsed time'. This feature was also available at various times in the 2000 Series and Link Searacer models.

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Pieces in the Latest 'EST 1897' Sale

 

Apologies to anyone not living in the UK, unfortunately this may not really be relevant to you...

You may or may not be aware of EST 1897; on balance I'm guessing not since they haven't really penetrated the market to the same extent that (for example) Watchfinder have, but they do have a considerable amount of pre-owned watch stock including a lot of TAG Heuer pieces. You may even have one of their branches nearby and not know it, because while they do have their own branded stores they also operate through any network of pawn shops, which means you can have watches sent to your local store to try on.

I have personally bought two watches from my local EST 1897 pawn shop and had zero problems with either. Both had a year's warranty (now expired) and both were bought during one of the company's fairly frequent sale events. I was very lucky to pick up my Link Searacer for the ridiculously low price of £500 (reduced from £995 - which is much more like it, but in fact still quite low) and I also bought my 2000 Exclusive in two-tone from them at a decent discount too.

This morning I got an email from them telling me that their latest sale was starting today and I headed over to their website to check it out. Unlike most pre-owned watch companies, when EST 1897 do a sale they don't just pick out some slow moving stock and drop the prices, they just reduce almost everything they've got - which is pretty silly when you think about it, but it does present some great opportunities for the potential customer.

VIDEO: Is the Heuer Carrera 300SLR the Best Looking TAG Heuer by EDC Gunner

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S Lap Timer Chronograph

CAG7011.BA0254

TAG Heuer Outlet / Bicester Village, 19th September 2019

When I bought my Calibre S Aquaracer, I thought it was pretty complicated... but now that I've had it a while, I've got used to its 'unique' approach and I can actually set it now without using the manual (although I still need to refer to the 'instructions' on the back of the case). So I picked this up fully aware that it was more complex than my version, but confident I had a grasp of the basics. Except, it doesn't really work the same at all, and I was no better off than the last time I looked at a Calibre S Lap Timer!

The confusion starts because unlike the standard Calibre S this one doesn't count 'hours' using the hour hand, the hour hand is solely to indicate which lap you are timing / looking at. It's far too complicated to go into here and to be honest I still don't really understand it. Apparently it's not too bad until you want to completely reset it, and then you have to do something akin to one of those eight fingered death moves you used to pull playing Tekken on PS2!

Okay, so in very simple terms the CAG7011 has the ability to measure, remember and recall 20 separate lap times, which is pretty impressive I'm sure you'll agree (even if the ability to remember how to work the watch is even more impressive still...).

At 47mm, this is not for the feint-hearted or the skinny of wrist...I don't think it wears that big though. I expected this to be a 44mm, in fact I checked more than one site to make sure that the 47mm measurement was accurate. Because of the case design you are essentially including the chornograph pushers in that measurement which you usually wouldn't, so probably 44/45mm would be a more representative size.

The second crown (which allows you to move the chapter ring underneath the crystal) is my least favourite part about the watch, this one feels smoother than some others I've tried before (some were very sharp) but I can't help but think it would have been better to move it up to the 10 position (about where you'd see a Helium release valve on a Seamaster). It's not actually that bothersome, but it looks like it is... and I can imagine it might put some people off the watch.

The bracelet is nice and features the expected deployment clasp. I haven't taken a photo but from memory it was not dissimilar to the Grand Carrera clasp so I don't think there is any micro adjustment possible. The vertical fluting on the dial looks good, and lends the watch a 'classy' and expensive appearance.

The SLRs all have some good details, but I'm yet to truly bond with any of them. This is probably one of the better ones and you could also fit the FT6009 rubber strap which would make it even better (as it would create a bit of a contrast with the dial), although you would also need the deployment clasp to suit.

List price on this one is £3600, but this one is currently available (on a bracelet) at the Bicester store for £2345.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera SLR Calibre 1887 Review by WatchBox Studios

FEATURE: Some Photographs from a Recent Visit to TAG Heuer at Bicester Village

I've got a bit behind on my posts, I've still got several to write based on my trip to London in March and I also have a bunch of photographs I took on a recent visit to Bicester. Since the stock moves so quickly at Bicester, it's probably not really the best use of time to write about those watches too much as some of them I've spoken about before and they may not even be available any more (some of them were there last time I visited though). So I thought what I'd do is rather than discard the photos, I would dump them on you in one big lump and at least then I can clear one of the (many) folders that are littering my desktop!

I've reviewed the white dial / blue hands version of this Carrera previously. It features the same beautiful Guilloche dial, and looks very smart. Think I prefer the white dial version though...

Which was also still available. Admittedly this isn't one of my better photos, but this is the worst one you'll see today - I promise!

I've tried the PVD case / gold bezel 500M Calibre 5 Aquaracer on a few times and I do really like it. I was surprised to see that the steel case version had sold last time I visited, I think the black and gold version looks so much nicer!

If you like cufflinks, then TAG Heuer Bicester is the place to be. They have quite a selection, which almost makes me wish I had a shirt that was suitable to use them with.

Another watch I have commented on before, this is the Cameron Diaz limited edition Link that originally came in a box with a ring and a necklace. Now these are being sold on their own at a slightly reduced price.

Ladies who love white ceramic Formula 1s have a lot to chose from, this is just a couple of the available options...

A couple of SLRs, including a white dial Calibre S on the right.

Unsurprisingly, this Calibre 16 Aquaracer was gone when I returned to Bicester the other day. This kind of stock is exactly the sort of thing that flies out of the door within a day or two of arrival. And it's not hard to see why... this one was down from £3350 to £2345.

Not really my thing, but I understand these Heuer dashboard timers are very popular.

A very nice Calibre 45 grand date Aquaracer chronograph which I tried on, but my wrist shot photos were terrible so I haven't included them here.

This Calibre 16 Aquaracer 500M in full PVD with lime green markers has always been a favourite of mine. Maybe one of these days I'll add one to my collection.

I've tried both of these Calibre 36 Carreras on before. These dropped significantly a few years ago when TAG Heuer adjusted the list prices, the black 'Racing' version on the right used to be about £8,000!

A couple of classic Carreras for those who prefer the retro look, again not really my thing although I can still appreciate them even if they aren't a style I would choose to wear myself.

A couple of petite ladies Aquaracers, the one on the right is interesting, it is a limited edition Swiss anniversary watch and features the outline of Switzerland on the dial in red.

What better way to start your wife/girlfriend on their own watch collecting journey, this classic, elegant Carrera is sure to be gratefully received!

Bicester seems to be enjoying a glut of Grand Carreras at the moment, if you're in the market then check them out first, they have a lot of different models available.

Another shot of the Cameron Diaz Link, this time alongside a diamond bezel Lady Carrera chronograph.

Another Grand Carrera, this time the Caliper version with the yellow highlights and yellow stitched strap.

Again, if bullhead Carreras are your thing, I can't imagine anywhere you will be able to find a better selection.

Out with a bang, still the most expensive watch to pass through the TAG Heuer Bicester Village outlet. You can get this dial colour in steel, but it's a Chinese only limited edition - which my wife happens to have bought from Bicester last year. It goes perfectly with the gold and gives it a distinctly regal flavour.

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S Chronograph / Lap Timer

CAG7010.FT015

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 27th July 2018

There I was thinking that I was one of the (comparatively) few people who knew how to operate a Calibre S watch... but it seems not all Calibre S watches are created equal! Ye gads, will the madness never end...? This one had me completely baffled, and seemingly only Store Manager Aneta could demonstrate the rather incredible functions of this Laptimer Calibre S (so thanks to her).

I'd love to be able to say I could explain it to you, but... honestly, while I got the general idea, the actual operation is still beyond my grasp. The watch seemed to be working perfectly until I pressed a button and then it seemed to baffle me all over again. In actual fact it was still working perfectly, but (as Aneta patiently explained) I had pressed the wrong button - silly me, because this one definitely doesn't work the same way as the Calibre S I have!

What this Calibre S can do that mine can't is not something I'd ever be likely to use, but it's quite remarkable all the same. As you may or may not have noticed, on the top portion of the dial there is a crescent shape with numbers 1-20 on it. This is where the SLR records the laps and indicates them with the hour hand (when in chrono mode). 

Amazingly, the watch remembers up to twenty different lap times and displays them on command, it can also show you the 'best' lap time on demand as well (I'm guessing the lap times can be up to one hour, since the minute hand forms part of the chrono function). Pretty impressive stuff, though obviously you will need to study the manual before use - and remember to reset the lap timer to zero if you are starting a new set of laps.

As I said, chances are it's not something I would ever use, but boy does this watch look cool. And not just the dial... that rubber strap is really something with the stylised gills, designed to mimic the vents in the Mercedes SLR wings. The rest of the strap is plain rubber, but it does culminate in a very nice deployment clasp with the SLR logo prominently featured. The clasp reminded me of the ones found on the Monaco 24s with the pointed shape and twin button release and looks and feels suitably luxurious.

Oddly, TAG have chosen to angle the right side of the case so that the pushers appear to be on the front of the watch rather than the side. I'm not really sure what the thinking was behind this, but one effect is to increase the diameter to a stonking 47mm. Strangely though it wears smaller, I certainly wouldn't say this feels as big as a 45mm Heuer 01.

The (slightly annoying) crown on the left hand side operates a turning inner rehaut, and provides the facility of a countdown timer. That's fine, but why does that crown have to stick out so damned far? It looks a bit silly and it's not the most comfortable thing in the world, although this one didn't feel as sharp as the last one I tried on.

But that really is my only quibble with this watch, well that and it's overly complicated functionality... but you can't really complain about that, can you? The TAG outlet at Bicester currently has this in stock for a very attractive £2345 (reduced from £3600) which looks like about 35% discount from where I'm standing. Worth a look if you are considering a pre-owned SLR for sure.

VIDEO: Setting the Time on Your TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S by Erelyx

FEATURE: Visiting Two Watchfinder Stores in London

Another visit to London, which this time included trips to both the Capital's branches of Watchfinder.

We packed a lot into this day, not all of it Watch related. We did the Emirates Air Line Cable Cars, Tate Modern, Regent Street, Covent Garden... not to mention a cake stop at the newly redecorated 'Richoux' in Piccadilly.

But for the purposes of this blog, I'll keep it focused on the watches...

We didn't go to Harrods or Selfridges this time around, and we didn't go down Bond Street either, so the only really crazy-money watch we saw was a Richard Mille in the Canary Wharf Watchfinder. But let's start at the beginning, which means the Royal Exchange store which we've visited a couple of times before.

As usual there was a plethora of Rolexes in there, which I didn't really pay much attention to. I did have a look at some of the Hublots, but realistically the ones I actually like are out of my price range. So far as TAG Heuer goes they had about twenty pieces I would estimate... one thing that is a little annoying about Watchfinder is that they don't have the prices marked on the watches, which is fine with the TAGs because generally speaking I can take a good guess, but it's something that is a bit annoying on the other brands.

I only tried on one watch, and it seems I've tried it on before. The one that caught my eye was an SLR CAG2111.FT6009 (9 years old, no box, no papers).

CAG2111.FT6009

It was on offer for £1750, which seems pretty reasonable to me. When I saw it in the TAG outlet at Bicester it was on for about £3000, and while this one doesn't have a box of papers it is in excellent condition and actually it does look a lot nicer than the picture suggests. My main issue with it is the crown on the left hand side which seems to stick out far too much and which has quite a spiky edge to it (the crown turns the rehaut, providing a moveable 'remaining time' scale), I could feel it digging into my arm, which was a shame because for that money I might have been tempted.

You can read my previous 'On the Wrist' piece HERE

My wife pointed out an unusual looking watch in the cabinet, and she asked to try it on. It was a men's 4000 series (£575) and it appeared to have some odd marks on the dial. When the watch was taken out and showed to us it became clear that the marks were in fact reflections which moved as the watch was handled. I'm really not sure where the reflections were coming from but they made these odd part circles on the dial. I can only assume it must be some freak of the glass and the lighting in the shop.

999.213

This picture doesn't really show the watch as it is, it looks here like it has a silver dial but in actual fact it's a sort of cream colour, which I thought looked a bit odd, but my wife liked it. Strangely, since my wife's wrists are very small, this looked fine on her. It didn't look any bigger than her ceramic F1 diamond spot really, which makes me think this actually must have been one of the 'midsize' watches, because I tried on a 4000 series last year and it was much more man-sized than this one.

Next stop was the Omega boutique across the way, nothing particularly exciting to report really (not that I'm much of an Omega fan anyway), but I did see one watch I quite liked which was a Seamaster GMT Chronograph with red detailing and white hands. 

It seems you can get a non GMT version of this for £4000 which rather surprised me, it looked like mega-bucks in the cabinet.

Leaving there we made a quick stop off at Lulu Guinness for the wife to dribble on the handbags and point out a wedding anniversary present idea. Then after lunch it was off to the Tate, then down the river to the cable cars and then to Canary Wharf.

We hadn't been to Canary Wharf for a very long time and it was just as confusing and incomprehensible as we remembered. We tried to walk into the HSBC building by accident and a kindly security guard pointed us back in the right direction. After some more aimless wandering (and to be fair the maps in there are rubbish!) we asked another security guard and he showed us the way.

Unfortunately, after all this effort, the Canary Wharf branch is obviously the poor relation to the Royal Exchange. There were a few interesting things in there like the Cartier Dive Watch, the Richard Mille in the window, a bright yellow AP Royal Oak Offshore which I liked and a few Hublots, but it was all a bit of an anticlimax. On the TAG front they had a couple of Calibre S Aquaracers and some other rather everyday models, but nothing terribly exciting.

So we amused ourselves looking at some of the most hideous women's Rolexes, with bright pink faces, diamonds and massively oversized cyclops... lovely!

I think it's safe to say we won't be returning. It's such a pain to get there and it's simply not worth it, after all that we didn't even try anything on and instead headed off to Piccadilly for cake.

ON THE WRIST: SLR Series 4 Chronograph

CAG2111.FT6009

TAG Boutique / Bicester Village 2nd April 2016

When I first started to really get into watches and TAG Heuer in particular, this was one of the first watches that really caught my eye. I think it was partly the strap that did it, that louvred effect is very cool and very reminiscent of the air vents on the actual Mercedes SLR that this watch was created to celebrate.

This watch was made in a limited run of 3500 (somewhere around 2008 I believe), and again it's somewhat surprising to me to find one brand new 8 years later. But then this watch is probably not for everybody, for a start it's quite a big watch so those with slim wrists would probably find it a bit large and the styling is quite unique and different to any other TAG Heuer and so may find a more select audience of admirers.

It was interesting to try it on and on the wrist it didn't seem quite as unwieldy as I feared it might have been (this was before I bought my 45mm Carrera Heuer 01), this may be partly because the pushers are set into the case rather than protruding from the case and so the size taken must include them. Still, don't imagine this wears like a 43mm because it certainly doesn't, this is a chunk of Switzerland alright.

Unfortunately I can't remember the exact price, I think it was somewhere between three and four thousand pounds, certainly more than I was willing to pay for it anyway. Personally I still haven't really made up my mind whether I like it or not. It's an odd one for sure and I wonder if I might not find it more appealing if the case was a little smaller relative to the bezel?

It's slightly disappointing to report that the watch features a solid caseback, for this amount of money I would have thought a glass back would have been in order, especially as you can get some very nice display backed Carreras for under £3000. But still, I'm sure there are some people who won't let that put them off as this is exactly the kind of watch that will have it's own limited fan club who believe it to be the best watch TAG Heuer have ever made and more power to them. But it's not one I will be buying any time soon I don't think.

http://www.calibre11.com/tag-heuer-slr-series/