FEATURE: A Trip to the TAG Heuer Boutique in Meadowhall

A couple of weeks ago I happened to be passing Meadowhall and stopped in and to my surprise found a newly opened TAG Heuer boutique, this was before they'd even posted it on their Facebook, but unfortunately I was in a rush and couldn't spend much time there.

Last weekend I attended the Infest Festival in Bradford and stayed over in the Premier Inn opposite Meadowhall, so I was there bright and early on Saturday morning, desperately hoping that by some miracle they might have the WAY208C Aquaracer that I've been trying to track down.

Well, a quick scout around the perimeter told me that particular hope was in vain, so I fell back on other possibilities and tried on a few watches instead. The first watch I tried on was the new khaki Aquaracer which was released alongside the 'snow' camouflage version that I tried on in Steffans recently.

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It was interesting to try this one on and to see the difference between this and the very similar camo version. I still think the strap is garbage, but it's less offensive on the eyes than the blue/white version. I can't understand why the silver retainers are so big, they just seem unnecessarily clunky and the watch is quite difficult to put on and get tight enough to feel comfortable somehow.

I mean obviously if I was going to buy this then I would change the strap, but the dial is odd. It's quite hard to see the logo and text on the dial from most angles, I suppose this is also supposed to be a 'camo' model and in that respect it works a lot better than the 'snow-camo' version, but I would pick that one every time. Yes the blue/white one is not to everyone's taste but in comparison this is quite dull, I guess it depends if you are into the military aesthetic?

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The next watch I tried on was the Aquaracer Phantom three hander, which I've tried before. Considering this is a limited edition of 2,500 it's quite surprising that these are still knocking about, they obviously haven't exactly flown off the shelves. I still quite like it and if I could purchase the black nylon strap from this watch and stick it on the blue/white camo one or the WAY208C that would be an acceptable compromise, but I think I've got over my initial attraction to this one.

I tried on a couple of Carreras, but nothing that I haven't seen a million times before. I still quite like the Carreras with the mirrored 'minute' numerals, but for the price (£4000) I think I would much rather go for the Red Bull Heuer 01 on the blue leather strap.

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I was interested to try the new Formula One Senna chrono, if only because I wanted to get another look at the strap. I didn't really comment much on the strap when I posted about the Man Utd F1, and I have to say I rather liked it. The raised centre section doesn't seem as weird as it does in the pictures and the strap is quite comfortable. TAG have incorporated a feature into the strap which holds one of the strap retainers in place which is a fantastic idea. It does make it a bit harder to get the tail of the strap under as it's quite close the buckle, but once there it's very secure and if you are like me and the retainers moving drives you nuts then this is a boon!

The watch itself is okay, the aluminium bezel looks good but you just know it's going to get scratched. The red stripe on the dial is very muted as well and again those plastic looking bright red hands make this look cheap I'm afraid. It's a pity because simple silver hands would lift this watch, the case looks great, the contrast with the bezel is nice and the strap is excellent... but overall it doesn't really wow me.

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The last watch I tried on (at the salesman's suggestion) was the CV5111 Heuer Carrera, which at 39mm is a tad on the small side for my 7" wrist. It is a very nice looking piece, but the retro look really isn't me at all and again for nigh on £4000 I would be looking at another Heuer 01 rather than this. But it was still nice to have a look and a try on.

On the face of it there was a fair collection of watches in there, but when you consider that TAG's website offers over 200 Carreras you realise it's actually quite a limited selection on display. Apparently business has been good and the Goldsmiths next door has dumped TAG in favour of Longines, also while I was waiting outside for my wife I noticed a couple of young girls walk by (about 20 I guess) one of which pointed to the shop and said 'Look a TAG shop!', so TAG's marketing efforts are obviously paying off.

VIDEO: Which Monaco is Right for You? by Time and Tide Watches

Autavia Heuer 02 Chronograph Review by A Blog to Watch

VIDEO: Carrera Calibre 5 Watch Review by Spartans Watch Reviews

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Formula One Quartz Senna Special Editions

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As you may have gleaned from my comments about the new Calibre 6 small seconds models, I'm really not a fan of the current 'shiny' steel cased models, however, coat the case in black PVD (or whatever it is they're using this week) and they look so much better. Indeed, if I had any love for Manchester Utd I might possibly have been tempted to purchase their F1 model, and if my Dad was still alive and I had a lot of disposable income I would have loved to have bought one for him, but alas, sadly not (on both counts)...

And so we come to these new Senna Formula One's... which utilise the same FT8027 straps as the Manchester Utd watch, which makes sense because of Senna's connection to the Link bracelet (which these rubber straps are designed to mimic). I'm still not sure what I think of these, they do look kind of cool in that brash way that is okay for a quartz Formula One, but I'm still not sure about that raised centre section. 

I have to say, though I haven't yet seen one in the flesh, in these pictures these look even better than the Man Utd watch. Having looked at that watch again in a shop window earlier today, it is quite a dark watch and the silver bezel on these gives it a bit more pop, especially with the red 'Senna' logo and black tachymetre markings.

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To be honest, I'm usually one for chronograph watches, but on this occasion I'm rather more drawn to the three hand version. I do like the chrono and when I get to see them I might change my mind, but from these pictures I think the chrono looks a little too busy with the three subdials and the stripes and the date and the logo. There just doesn't seem to be any room to breathe on that dial whereas the three hand version looks a lot more easy on the eye.

I'm a bit confused about that as there are plenty of other similar designs which don't give quite the same claustrophobic feeling, the Red Bull F1 for example never struck me as being too busy. Maybe it's something to do with the black on black aesthetic? 

I must say I am rather tempted to hang fire on purchasing the WAY208C Aquaracer until I've had a chance to see one of these because while I'm not a massive Senna fan, perhaps a black and red quartz model with an unusual rubber strap is just the sort of thing my collection is crying out for?

30+ Articles Added from Escapement Magazine

Monaco V4 Tourbillon

I've just added more than thirty links to the 'Articles' page from Escapement Magazine, including some high end pieces like the Carrera Mikropendulum and the Monaco V4 Tourbillon.

Visit the 'Articles' page HERE or click the link at the top of the page.

VIDEO: Monaco Chronograph Review by Watches on You

NEW BOUTIQUE: Meadowhall (Sheffield)

Last Monday I unexpectedly had to shoot up the M1 to Sheffield on business, as I was passing Meadowhall I decided to stick my head in the door and pick up some Hotel Chocolat for the good lady wife. Imagine my surprise when I was confronted with a TAG Heuer boutique next door.

Sadly as I was on business, time was limited, but I had a good look around and was pretty impressed with the range of pieces on display. Two surprising omissions where the new white dial Aquaracer Calibre 5 and the Pepsi bezel Aquaracer GMT, but I'm sure they'll be in there sooner or later (after all we have them here in Northampton already).

As luck would have it I'm heading up that way again in a couple of weeks so I intend to go back and give it a closer look. Maybe they will have the WAY208C in stock and I can get a look at that nylon strap before I make up my mind to buy...

VIDEO: Aquaracer Calibre 16 Review by Govberg Jewellers

ON THE WRIST: Aquaracer Camouflage Calibre 5

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I didn't actually go looking to try this on again, I am actually in the process of trying to find a shop which is stocking the WAY208C which I am genuinely considering buying, so I looked in on Steffans to see if they had one in stock. They hadn't and it seems the watch is discontinued, though they say they can probably get one in for me.

But I really need to find one in stock so that I can make my mind up about the nylon strap, obviously I'm probably going to end up putting it on a rubber strap eventually, but I'd rather not buy yet another TAG and have to replace the strap straight away.

Unfortunately, when it comes to the WAY208D, though I really like it, I feel like I couldn't put up with that strap even for a short period. Indeed in the course of my conversation with Ford in Steffans, he took the fabric strap off and it looks markedly different. I had my everyday F1 with me and I laid it on the counter and placed the Aquaracer on top and you could see how it would look with a rubber strap - a lot better! 

My reservation is that I'm not sure if I will still like this watch in a years time, whereas the WAY208C is a lot less divisive. I'm not one for worrying about resale because I don't sell my watches, but I would be less inclined to buy the Camo watch new because I think perhaps it might end up a good bit cheaper on the second hand market, or potentially an outlet bargain in time.

I just think TAG are missing a trick not offering this on a rubber strap, but there you are. I definitely like it though, I appreciate it's craziness, and this being the second time I've tried it on I can say for sure that the appeal is growing. That strap is awful though, I can't deal with that at all.

So yes, the WAY208C is most likely going to be my next purchase...

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But I really need to see it at least one more time to see if I can cope with the cyclops and whether I can get used to the idea of the nylon strap. I don't really think the strap getting grubby is a major issue, if only because this watch wouldn't get worn on a day to day basis, so it's only going to be occasional wear when I go out or something.

VIDEO: Formula One Calibre 16 Chronograph Review by Perth Watch

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FIRST SIGHTING: Aquaracer GMT Calibre 7 and Formula One Calibre 6

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Michael Jones / Northampton 26th July 2017

Unfortunately I wasn't able to try these on as I was in a hurry, but I did get a good look at the two of them through the window and thought I would share my first impressions with you. Firstly the new Aquaracer GMT Calibre 6 and secondly the new Formula One Calibre 6.

It never fails to surprise me how big the Aquaracer's look in the window. I really don't know why that is, but I imagine it must put off a lot of potential customers from trying them on. I don't understand how it is that they look so big, because at 43mm they are a couple of mm smaller than my Carrera Heuer 01.

Anyway, having recently tried on an Aquaracer I have a good idea of how these feel and look on the wrist, the real point of interest here is the bezel isn't it? I must admit I'm in two minds about it, as I have always been with the Pepsi Rolex GMT, I kind of like it because it's colourful, but at the same time I can't quite reconcile this much colour with a luxury watch somehow...

The bezel itself looks good, although I know a lot of people are majorly unhappy that it's an aluminium insert and not ceramic. I can totally understand that, because I would imagine this is more a watch you would wear everyday and you really are going to live in fear of scratches (unless you are one of those overly well-adjusted freaks who don't care about things like that). It is a shame it isn't ceramic, but I'm sure TAG would say that it would be too expensive, and let's not forget, Rolex only just worked out how to make the Pepsi ceramic (I can't remember which it was, but they struggled with getting the red or the blue right) and so who's to say TAG Heuer even has the capability to make this in ceramic?

The price in the window was £2350, which I assume is full list price... I would check but I can't seem to find it on Ernest Jones, Goldsmiths or TAGs own (terrible) website. So I'll have to assume that's what it is!

I must say the thing that struck me about the bezel was that it didn't look quite as 'rich' as I expected*. Not that it looks pre-faded or anything, it just doesn't look quite as in your face as I thought it might. This is probably a good thing, I guess too bright could have made it look 'cheap' and nasty and besides, some people actually find faded out bezels desirable (which personally I don't understand, but there you are).

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The second piece I caught sight of was this blue dial Calibre 6 small seconds Formula One which retails for £1300 I believe, which is pretty affordable for an automatic watch. I've never been much of a fan of small seconds dials, I kinda think the second hand should be where the second hand should be unless it's a chronograph, but if you like it then this is a fair option I guess.

The blue is quite nice, dark enough to look classy, without being too dark - it's still clearly a blue dial (this watch is also available in white or black). I like the large '12' and the dial overall although I find the white subdial ring a bit too chunky. Actually my only real negative with this watch, and automatic F1's in general is the case design and more to the point that horrible shiny crown.

This case in black looks so much better, but in steel it looks a bit cheap to me. Obviously as I didn't try it on I don't know what the bracelet/clasp is like, but I'm betting it's one of those cheap looking things that's been on every auto F1 I've tried on in the last couple of years. Actually I'm slightly surprised they haven't made this available on a NATO or some other alternative strap since that would presumably bring the price down even more.

Like the Aquaracer, this one is 43mm too, so slightly smaller than my own CAU2012 Formula One. I think if it was down to me I would spend the extra £1000 and get the Aquaracer, I think it will probably hold it's value better and it gets you some of that Rolex Pepsi kudos at a much more affordable price.

*Having looked at this again, it looks plenty rich enough actually!

VIDEO: Autavia Chronograph Review by Watchuseek

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Formula One Quartz Max Verstappen Chronograph

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Last year TAG celebrated the occasion of Max Verstappen's surprising first Grand Prix victory with his very own Formula One quartz limited edition chronograph. It was surprising for two reasons, firstly he became the youngest ever driver to win a Grand Prix and secondly it was his first race for the Red Bull team having been moved up from the Toro Rosso team mid season to replace the off-form Daniil Kyvat.

The race itself was perhaps more famous because title contenders Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton managed to collide at the first corner and both cars were out of the race, leaving a rare opportunity for someone else to stand on the top step of the podium. To some extent, Max rather lucked into the win as teammate Daniel Ricciardo looked certain to take victory until a late puncture spoiled his challenge. Still, anyone who wins a Grand Prix deserves respect (even Pastor Maldonado!) and even more so if you win in a car that isn't a dominant force.

For Max's first watch TAG chose to include an orange section on the chapter ring which ran from the twelve to just past eighteen minutes, to signify Max's age at the time of his first victory. The watch was also fitted with a matching orange rubber strap, mainly because Max is Dutch and orange is a big thing in the Netherlands, and clearly this piece was always going to find a strong market in Max's home country.

As far as I know the entire run of the first watch was sold out without it every making it to a store, I've certainly never seen one for sale anywhere and I would imagine that some of the people that did buy them are probably sitting on it because it's pretty clear that Max is destined for great things and as such the chances are the original watch may well become something of a collectors item.

So this time, TAG have slightly grasped at straws and decided to utilise Max's race number '33' as the chapter ring hook and emphasized the point by adding the number 33 on the dial. In addition, and to greater differentiate the new model from the old TAG have abandoned the orange colouring in favour of a rather violent red, which does rather clash with the rest of the colour scheme and seems to be garnering mixed reactions on the Calibre 11 forum.

I guess it would be nice to see it in the flesh to really form a proper opinion, but I'm not sure whether this one is another limited edition or whether it's likely to appear in my local Goldsmiths. I'm assuming the watch is largely unchanged except for the detailing and colour switch, so it should still be the same 43mm case as before. It's probably about the right size for a watch like this, it's a loud piece so no point in being shy and retiring on the size front and 43mm should wear reasonably well on most wrists.

On the whole I'm not a great fan of the Formula One range, with some notable exceptions, but this one seems to work quite well, taking the basic Red Bull model and giving it some va-va-voom with the coloured chapter ring and the red rubber strap, I shouldn't be at all surprised if this one doesn't grow on me over time.

VIDEO: Formula One Grand Date Long Term Review by Just One More Watch

VIDEO: Autavia Review by Watches on You

FEATURE: Another Trip to London in Search of Watches!

My first stop on the watch tour today in London was at Selfridges 'Wonder Room', lot's of desirable stuff in here... including an Audemars Piguet Ceramic Concept watch (about £190,000 I think), plus some nice Roger Dubuis tourbillons, lots of Hublots, Corums (not so sure about these), and of course TAG Heuers.

I was pretty surprised by some things I saw in there to be honest, including a diamond bezel Connected of all things, and the camouflage Aquaracer, which I am kind of intrigued by and decided to try on.

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Selfridges / London 8th July 2017

This was my first chance to try on the new camouflage Aquaracer 300M and I must say it does have a certain something about it. Albeit, the strap is horrible. I get the idea, tying into the dial pattern, but it really doesn't look that good and the strap (despite the thin material) seems oddly bulky with the awful chrome strap retainers sticking out all over the place.

One good thing about the dial design is that the cyclops seems less noticeable on this watch than most others, in fact I like the dial design quite a lot and I think this would look great with a plain black rubber strap (as would most Aquaracers, obviously). I like the finishing on the case too, very smart indeed. But one thing that was a little disappointing perhaps was the 'brightness' of the dial, it seemed a bit muted, I was hoping it would be a bit more in your face if I'm honest, but then I guess it is supposed to be camouflage after all.

So leaving aside the issue of the cyclops... yet again I'm faced with the prospect of buying a watch and then having to fork out for a replacement strap. And this one isn't a cheap watch either, it's £2200 for a three hander with a Calibre 5 movement. And, crucially, one which I think will not hold it's value terribly well. I think this is one to stalk on the second hand market for sure, along with the 'sand' coloured 2016 Aquaracer perhaps.

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Speaking of other Aquaracers... over the road in Goldsmiths they had one of the three hand Aquaracer phantom limited editions on offer for about £1750. It doesn't appear on the Goldsmiths website so I'm assuming it's an offer unique to that particular store.

Back to Selfridges, and there were some interesting new TAG Heuers on display. This was my first chance to catch sight of the new Autavia, which actually looks better than the pictures, albeit not my taste. I really can't see what all the fuss is about with this watch, the size looks absolutely fine, it doesn't look overly big at all. With it's old school aesthetic, it really does stick out in the display actually and doesn't look like anything else on offer, so perhaps it's as well it has got the Heuer name on the dial!

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Also in the cabinet, were a pair of Carrera tourbillons, one of which had a diamond bezel. The standard version looks pretty cool and comes on a very nice leather on rubber strap (I presume) and costs a very reasonable £12,600 or thereabouts. Not sure on the price of the diamond bezel version, but it looked pretty ridiculous anyway to be honest, although not as completely silly as the Connected with the diamond bezel, I mean really!

After Selfridges I took a wander down Bond Street, where I came across a pretty incredible shop window containing a pretty wild selection of watches. I'm not sure what the place was called, but in the window they had Richard Milles, Hublots, Ressences, several Urwerk models (including a diamond encrusted ladies model), quite a few Greubel Forseys and a couple of different versions of the MB&F Horological Machine. Pretty exclusive stuff!

The highlight of Bond Street for me though was Charbonel et Walker, if you haven't had a Milk Sea Salt Billionaires Shortbread Truffle then your life is incomplete (although be warned, the price tag is as high end as the location suggests - cheaper in John Lewis actually £12.50 for a box of 8).

But leaving that aside, the watch highlight of Bond Street for me was the Breitling boutique, and more specifically trying on the new black dial Avenger Hurricane 45mm, easily my favourite Breitling ever.

When the original Avenger Hurricane came out it was 50mm and featured a 24hr dial. I think a lot of people looked at it and thought 'I'd prefer a 12hr dial, but the 24hr dial is a novelty so I can live with that... what I can't live with is the size', and so, inevitably one might suggest, Breitling have seen sense and released the watch in a smaller 45mm size with a 12hr dial in a choice of yellow or black faces.

When you see the 45mm and the 50mm together in the case it is hilarious how different 5mm can look, it's like night and day. In all honesty I can't help but think those 50mm versions are going to be sitting there for a long time, because very few people are going to choose the bigger version now that there's a sensible size option on offer. For me the black dial is the definite winner here, I like yellow touches on a dial and a yellow dial can work on a 'cheaper' watch, but for me, looking at these two the black dial definitely gives the impression of being more expensive. And this is an expensive watch, there are strap options which drops the price about £100 (basic strap without the yellow rubber back) but both these watches are basically £7,000.

The strap is very cool, the only bad thing is that you have to cut it to fit, but it does have a slider system in the clasp to allow quite a good bit of movement, more than sufficient to cope with all but the most exuberant of weight gains (in which case you might want to think about the 50mm). As with most Breitlings there's an engraved solid caseback, but it does contain the new in-house Breitling 01 movement.

The Avenger Hurricane certainly didn't disappoint on the wrist, it's made of something called Breitlight, which even the staff in the shop couldn't completely explain, but it's a lightweight compound of some sort. I was a little worried it would be too light and feel plasticy, but it doesn't at all. It's not unduly light, it feels like a smaller steel watch would I thought, and also (perhaps crucially) it doesn't wear like a 45mm either.

My TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 is 45mm and that's a big watch on the wrist, my limit really, so I was a bit dubious about the Avenger and suspected that even in a 45mm version it would look and feel too big. Sadly, not at all. In fact to me it felt more like a 44mm, which means instead of being able to dismiss it out of hand I now have to live with the fact that I really want one, which is a bit annoying as I don't have £7,000 lying around.

Well as I've always said, there's always a 'BUT' with a Breitling, usually it's the dial, or the case, or the silly wonky strap links... but in this case the only 'BUT' is the price, so... the question is can I live with an Aquaracer with a cyclops, or not?

After lunch I headed over to the Design Museum to see 'Cartier in Motion' which is not only a bloody good exhibition, but it's FREE as well. The exhibition is about Cartier's interaction with people like Alberto Santos-Dumont and Gustave Eiffel, and features a considerable quantity of Cartier watches and clocks. If you are in the Kensington area before the end of July I thoroughly recommend a visit.

VIDEO: Exploring the Senna Collection (Time and Tide)

FEATURE: Window Shopping & A Missed Opportunity

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A couple of days ago I decided to do some window shopping. The TAG warchest currently stands at just over £900, so not enough for anything new or significantly extravagant, but enough to snag a pre-owned gem or possibly a TAG outlet special (the yellow Aquaracer Calibre S I was looking at a while back was about £949 at Bicester Village for example).

Well to be honest I didn't get any further than looking at the Watchfinder website, partly because my laptop seems to have developed a distinct disliking for eBay (taking forever to load pages and pictures) and partly because the first few pages threw up some interesting pieces, which I thought I would share here.

First off was the CK1116-0 you see above. This was for sale for £675 and was very tempting indeed. Condition looks great, albeit I'm always wary of older bracelets because the two old style ones I've bought previously have proved very uncomfortable. However, this one looks like it has a slightly newer clasp, more like the one on my wife's Aquaracer (which she says is super comfortable), so that assuaged my fears slightly.

Actually I have posted about this watch before (HERE) where I talked about the set of five 'Grand Prix' location watches (Hockenheim, Silverstone, Monaco, USA and Monza) that were available singly or in a set (limited overall to 800 pieces), as far as I remember this is the first time I've come across one for sale. Of course I have no way of knowing how long the watch was on the site before I saw it, but I perhaps should have known that it wouldn't hang around for long, and of course within 36 hours of me seeing it it had sold.

Well, I can't say I'm surprised really, and I'm kind of kicking myself a little bit because not only was this watch in great condition, but at 42mm it was also an ideal size for my wrist (unlike so many of the older TAGs which are just too small for me). Maybe if I'd bought from Watchfinder before I would have been a little less hesitant, so while I was faffing about checking out the terms and conditions someone else was snagging themselves a bit of a bargain.

On the other hand... nice as it is, this is still a sixteen year old quartz watch, and for another say £500, a whole world of opportunities opens up, so I can't be too upset about it. But somewhere out there, I'm sure someone is opening the box and reaping the rewards of my hesitancy! Ah well...

The CK1116-0 was the only watch I seriously considered purchasing, but that's not to say my search didn't throw up a few other interesting nuggets. How about a choice of not one but two 6000 Series Mika Hakkinen watches! 

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Limited to 2000 pieces, both were offered at £850, again this piece is an 18 year old quartz piece and for me I cannot really fathom how it can be worth more than an F1 Kirium, but market forces I suppose. Perhaps the limited edition is worth significantly more than the normal 6000, I didn't notice any non Mika versions to make a comparison. The 6000 series, while not unattractive, does look a little dated now and I'm still not quite sure if I like that logo stamped into the case where the bracelet joins the main body of the watch. It looks almost like it's trying a little too hard to look 'expensive' if you know what I mean. But then I've never seen one in the metal, and I was quite surprised when I saw a 4000 series that it looked better than I thought it might.

Fortunately for me, any decisions that needed to be made evaporated when I noticed the 37mm case size, which is way too small for me, and so I moved on...

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Admittedly, the rest of the watches featured in this post exceed the £1000 mark (some more than others) but this 'Searacer' caught my eye, and that's quite unusual for me because I don't usually go for the Link range much at all. This one looks like it's got a 1/10 of a second chronograph and again is obviously quartz, albeit slightly younger at a sprightly 14 years old. 

Sized at a very wearable 40mm, £1,150 seems a relatively fair price and... I've just noticed the chapter ring, I wonder how that works - obviously a ten minute countdown timer (Searacer = Regatta watch). Interesting... and possible useful for boiling eggs (for those of us without a yacht).

To me, this is definitely one of the smarter looking Links that I've seen, but there's something about them that rubs me up the wrong way and I can't quite put my finger on it. I don't know if it's the bezel, but somehow they look a bit - I was going to say cheap but that's not it, a bit insubstantial perhaps..  and to be honest if I was going to go for this I might spring a little more and go for this instead.

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For another measly £100 you could instead secure this 42mm limited edition (4000 pcs) West McLaren Mercedes S/EL on a steel bracelet. Again I'm not sure if I've ever seen an S/EL face to face, and usually the ones I've seen on eBay tend to be in the smaller size ranges (34-36mm usually), so at 42mm this is a definite possibility. Not 100% sure about the dial, or the polished bezel, sometimes I look at it and think yes, and sometimes no... I'm also slightly concerned about the date, but I assume either it has a very long changeover period or it's something that was fixed after the photo was taken.

I'm definitely on the fence with this one. I think if I could see it and try it on I would probably go for it, but do I love it enough to go through the hassle of sending it back if I change my mind again - probably not, and let's not forget again that this is another quartz piece that is pushing twenty years old.

Last, but by no means least, I came across something a little more exotic and interesting...

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Obviously the Autavia is a hot ticket item right now with the new version just about hitting the stores and the original 'Heuer' versions going up in price faster than houses in London... but little mention is made of the 2006 re-issue. And perhaps it's not surprising... after all the re-issue wasn't a glorious success by any means and seemingly disappeared from the range within a year or two. Two obvious reasons spring to mind, firstly the case - which while it may be authentically 60s/70s looking is probably a bit marmite (in the same way that the Omega Speedmaster II is a bit marmite) and second, ridiculous as it is, is the simple fact that the dial features the 'TAG Heuer' rather than 'Heuer' logo.

But, if you can live with that then this automatic 40mm Autavia can be yours for £2215, which seems like a fair price really. In fact while I can't see this being an 'investment' as such, I can imagine that it will probably maintain it's value fairly decently what with so few having been sold and the cost of the original Heuer's becoming prohibitive.

So there you are, still slightly miffed about that lost 2000 series Monaco GP limited edition, but what can you do, some you win some you lose.

THIS POST WAS NOT SPONSORED BY WATCHFINDER, BUT IF THEY WANT TO SEND ME MONEY, WATCHES AND STUFF, THEN BY ALL MEANS GO AHEAD.

VIDEO: Heuer Skipper Review by Theo and Harris

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Hodinkee TAG Heuer Skipper (Limited Edition)

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Pretty much anyone who is heavily into watches will be aware of Hodinkee, they inhabit a particular place in the market which, I have to confess, doesn't appeal to me much. Their aesthetic seems to be exactly that illustrated by this watch, so I suppose it's only fitting that this particular model is a collaboration between TAG Heuer and Hodinkee.

Limited to 125 pieces (and sold out in a few hours, despite a hefty $5,900 price tag) this piece is actually something of a mish-mash, using old cases already engraved with 'Carrera' despite this actually not being a Carrera (although somebody should tell Hodinkee because they they clearly advertised it as the 'Carrera Skipper'. Hmm).

I must admit, I don't hate this as much as I did when I first saw it... although, to me the dial looks horribly unbalanced. The original had two sub-dials which obviously gave it a better symmetry, perhaps it's because of the solid bright colours on the sub-dial, if the dial was the same colour as the main dial, either textured of simply printed on, it would probably have looked less in your face and helped the balance of the piece.

The Hodinkee Carrera Skipper (left) and the original Skipper

Looking at the picture above you might be forgiven for thinking the obvious answer would be to pick up the original Heuer Skipper, but as there are thought to be only 20 pieces in the world (and we can safely assume that the issue of this Hodinkee model is only going to increase interest) it's safe to assume that $6000 is going to get you anywhere near one of those.

One thing that does confuse me slightly, is the lack of an obvious running seconds. The sub-dial at 9 is apparently a 30m chrono counter, and I'm not sure about the original version as it seems to have two dials marked 10-20-30, unless one of those is a 30sec running counter... which would be a bit strange in itself.

Another thing which seems to be causing some rumblings on the Calibre 11 forum is the 'glass box' style sapphire crystal. A lot of people find the distortion it causes annoying, but to be fair if they were trying to replicate the 'general look' of the original then it isn't out of place. 

I was quite excited when I heard that TAG were announcing a new watch, but significantly less so when I learned it was a tie-in with Hodinkee. Hodinkee have an air of smugness about them that irritates, they are the sort of company that would send out watches in boxes with rough string tied around them and a hand written label, as if it was a quarter pound of hand made fudge. I'm surprised they don't send you a complimentary pair of deck shoes with your purchase as well!

Sorry, I tried to hold that in, but it just had to come out... 

I'm all for the idea of producing very limited edition watches, and even though this one doesn't appeal to me I am surprised at the negative reaction on the Calibre 11 forum, I would have thought anything retro looking with a 'Heuer' logo would have gone down a storm, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Still, all 125 were sold within the day, so Hodinkee have obviously smashed it out of the park with their audience. I assume at least some of those watches have been purchased as an investment, though it remains to be seen whether that will pay off, I've seen enough limited edition TAGs in the outlet at knock down prices to know that a limited run is no guarantee of anything. However, I guess with such a limited amount of original pieces, there will always be a certain level of interest and that should at least mean these watches don't plummet like a stone.

VIDEO: Carrera Calibre 6 Watch Review by Govberg Watches

FEATURE: Carrera Turbina LSR Carbon Fibre Chronograph

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An eagle eyed Calibre 11 forum member spotted this one in a Bonhams auction which was due to take place yesterday. This very rare TAG Heuer Carrera Turbina LSR is number two of a limited edition of just ten pieces, made to celebrate the Mad Max Bike Racing team and their land speed records.

This watch actually belonged to the guy who actually rides the bike, a multi-millionaire called Zef Eisenberg (you may know him as the man who sold his 'Maximuscle' company to Glaxo for £162m), so it has great providence, and the estimate was set at £8,000 - £12,000.

Bearing in mind some of the ridiculous prices paid in recent times for things like 'one of' the Monaco's used by Steve McQueen for filming ($800,000) this seems like an absolute steal. If I had that kind of money I might be tempted myself, because I wouldn't be surprised if this sold for £8,000 or failed to sell, such is the apathy towards TAG Heuer models vs Heuer branded pieces. 

I'm unsure if this model was ever sold to anyone, but I'm willing to bet the price would have been in that range anyway, when you look at what you're actually getting. A carbon fibre watch with a Calibre 1887 movement, box and papers, a glass back and only ten pieces made, 

I will try and find out the result of the auction and update this post when I do.

UPDATE (3rd July 2017): It appears the watch failed to sell at auction.

UPDATE (2018): The watch was sold by Bonhams for 5000 Euros. 

VIDEO: Monaco Calibre II Review by Govberg Watches

SPOTLIGHT ON: Aquaracer Chronotimer Quartz

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I've just watched the video review by Breitling Source (see lower down the page) and I thought I would write a little bit about this particular watch.

This model obviously comes from the same family as the yellow dial Calibre S model that I was nearly tempted by not so long ago, with the same split bezel (which I think I like, but I'm not quite sure). This is the sort of watch I can imagine turning up in the TAG outlet's like Bicester Village, it's about the right age and would probably be a great bargain for someone.

Failing that a little research shows that you can pick one like this up from Watchfinder for just under £1000. That sounds a little steep to me, I wouldn't imagine this cost as much as the Calibre S models originally, though I could be wrong. I think £900 second hand would probably be a bit more realistic, but then again I suppose you're paying for Watchfinder's guarantees etc.

Having said that, a quick look at eBay shows a range of £750 to £3500! Would anybody seriously pay £3500 for one of these? That's a chunk of money, I didn't pay that for my Heuer 01.

This watch was available on either a bracelet or a black rubber strap, and while I think the yellow dial version looks much better on the rubber, this one probably looks better on the bracelet. One thing I would say if you do plump for the rubber, is that if and when you need to replace it, expect it to be a little more than your standard F1 straps, since in my experience the straps with ends designed to fit snuggly into (and fill) the space between the lugs are unexpectedly pricey (the strap for my 2000 series was over £100 for example, whereas the strap for my F1 was £45).

Having watched the video I get the impression that the internals of this watch might not be too dissimilar to the workings of the Formula One Kirium, given the layout of the digital elements on the dial. While I'm not usually a massive fan of analog-digi watches, this one is okay. My one complaint would be that the watch has been designed (like the F1 Kirium) so that you can turn off the digital elements, leaving the dial black, except of course here they've framed the lower display with a slightly tacky silver bead. I think this was a mistake. It doesn't look that great and if it wasn't there the watch would so much cooler when the digital was turned off. 

The more I look at the watch and think about that the more it annoys me. This watch could have been so much better, just with that silver bead omitted. And that's the sort of detail failure that perhaps explains why TAG watches from this era (2008) aren't especially well loved. Indeed, even though I kind of liked the yellow dial Calibre S, there was something about it that wasn't quite right and I ultimately passed it over for a different watch.

Honestly if this watch came up at a good price I might have been tempted, but now that I've noticed that frame it's really put me off. I think it makes the dial look rather crowded as well, especially as it comes so close to the date. It's a bit of a shame really.

That aside the dial is quite nice, I like the contrast of the white markings on the black dial, and if you've watched the video you will know that they are lumed and the watch also has a back light. The white TAG logo also looks great (as on the F1 Kirium) and was definitely a good choice.

All in all it's a bit of a workaday TAG Heuer, that you could probably pick up easy enough if you wanted one, personally I don't think I've ever used the chrono on my F1 Kirium, and while the chronograph on an automatic is a nice looking thing to have even if you don't use it, the intrusive nature of this one begs the question will you actually use it? If not, then maybe this isn't the watch for you.

VIDEO: Carrera Heuer 01 Review by WatchesOnYou

VIDEO: Carrera Heuer 01 Review by Govberg Jewellers

ON THE WRIST: Red Bull Edition Carrera Heuer 01 Chronograph

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Goldsmiths / Milton Keynes 15th June 2017

Another surprise for me today, was seeing the brand new Red Bull edition Heuer 01 Carreras in Goldsmiths. The salesman in the shop told me they were the second place in the country to get them, don't know if that's true or not but I haven't seen them anywhere else yet and I noticed they also had the Tudor Pelagos LHD in the window which is as rare as rocking horse poo (my friend Rich has one) so Goldsmiths at the MK must be the place to be!

I tried on both the leather/rubber strap version and the bracelet and I would say that my initial impression from the original photographs holds up, the leather strap is definitely my choice, and it looks even nicer than I thought it would. Indeed, I thought it could go either way in the flesh, but it's a lovely looking strap and the blue much better compliments the bezel whereas the bracelet comes off a little bland to my eyes.

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As with all bracelet versions of the Heuer 01 Carrera, there's that clunky 'step' transition to deal with as well, and it doesn't look any better here than on any of the others. The leather strap follows the contoured approach of the original rubber and blends in to the case in a much more aesthetically pleasing manner, I can't see why anyone would choose the bracelet personally.

The dial looks great, the white numerals really give the watch a completely different look to the original skeleton, but I have to say the lack of a border around the date is perplexing. Compare with my (original) Heuer 01 and the date is much less clear at a glance. Such a simple thing, it's almost as if they 'forgot' to put one on - surely not?

It's easy to think that these two watches are the same piece on two different straps, but clearly they are not. The leather strap version is titanium and features the same black coated case and red line as on the original skeleton watch. The bracelet version is steel all over and I have to say I don't think the silver case does it any favours either, it just seems rather dull in comparison. Also the pushers on the titanium version look better to me as well, but that could just be because it looks more like my watch.

Both watches are 45mm and the bracelet version retails at £4550, while the leather version is offered at £4400. I would take the leather version even if those prices were reversed to be honest, it just seems by far the more exciting watch and the blue bezel just works so much better with the black case and leather strap.

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I spent a good half an hour in Goldsmiths chatting to the salesman, who for once actually knew what he was talking about. I mean he didn't know that the black case meant it was titanium - but he knew the difference between a Grand Carrera and Microtimer, He also owns a Kirium so he can't be all bad! He also told me never to buy a Monaco Sixty Nine because they are impossible to service without scratching them and the rubber on the back case leaves marks on the glass... so now you know!

Out of the blue he asked if I had a Grand Carrera, and then produced a pre-owned CAV511A on a bracelet, the very watch I've been bleating on about these last few months (the one that's in my local jewellers) which was being sold for £2850 or thereabouts. And do you know what, I tried it on and I really didn't like it at all. How bizarre. Completely gone off it, which leaves me wondering what my next purchase will be because I had pretty much sold myself on that watch and now I don't know what it might be...

Or even if it will be a TAG Heuer. I'm flirting with Breitling, and while I haven't settled on a piece that is to my taste and price bracket as yet, I did leave Milton Keynes with two Breitling catalogues courtesy of a nice lady in Leslie Davies. Not sure the Breitling for Bentleys are for me though.

VIDEO: Aquaracer Chronotimer Quartz Review by Breitling Source

ON THE WRIST: Aquaracer Calibre 5 Automatic Watch

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Beaverbrooks / Milton Keynes 15th June 2017

I was surprised to see this one in the MK Centre today, seeing as it's only just been released! But I thought I should give it a go, and I must say for the money it's a nice little watch. Well I say little, it's not that little, in fact in the window it looked rather large. However, on the wrist it was a very comfortable size (it measures 43mm), looking neither too large nor too small on my 7" wrist.

The bracelet seems a step up from the Formula One range although the clasp is still not brilliant looking. It does have double button deployment though, and you have to take into account that this watch is still fairly 'entry level', indeed for a £300 premium (the watch retails at £1600) this is a Calibre 5 automatic not a quartz model.

The most striking thing about the watch of course, is the white dial, and no doubt there are echoes of the Rolex Explorer II about it. I have a bit of a love/hate thing with white dials, I find they usually look cheap. However, this one seems to work, and the stark contrast with the black edging to the hands and the hour markers sets it off nicely. The black around the markers is quite matt, and in fact it looks a lot like rubber. I don't know if it is or not but it certainly gives that impression. 

And then of course, this is set of with the orange second hand, which gives the otherwise two-tone dial a shock of colour. This really works, in much the same way as my own Formula One except in reverse and with an orange hand rather than the red on mine. The slatted effect on the dial provides some nice texture as well and I found myself rather liking this one.

But then there's that cyclops, and this cyclops is particularly nasty. Strangely, it seems too small and seems to make reading the date harder rather than easier, which is not good. I really wish TAG would offer all the Aquaracers with and without the cyclops, there are so many that I would consider buying but for that bloody bubble!

I know you're just waiting for me to say it, but this one would look REALLY good with a black rubber strap. The black outlines on the dial are just screaming out for one, and maybe a nice touch would be to make a pin and buckle strap with the holes outlined in orange, like the one that came with the Kimi Raikkonen Formula One.

Would I buy it? Possibly... it seems I'm going to have to get over the cyclops thing if I'm ever going to own a modern Aquaracer, and this one seems like good value for money and it doesn't look like anything else I currently own. Not sure if they'll hold their value well or not, perhaps I'll wait and see what the second hand market can offer.