VIDEO: Disassembling a Heuer 01 Chronograph Movement by Time and Tide

NEW: TAG Heuer Flagship Store Opens on Oxford Street

TAG opened their new store at 449 Oxford Street, London today (right next door to an Omega boutique by the look of things). Apparently the store holds 300 watches including a wide range of Connected models and is the largest collection of TAG Heuer models in the UK. Looking forward to paying this a visit!

VIDEO: Carrera Calibre 16 Review by Watches on You

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Link Calibre 5 Watch Review by A Blog to Watch

FEATURE: Sniffing Out TAG's on Ebay

As before, I have no connection or interest in these sales, nor can I vouch for their authenticity, I'm just pointing out a few interesting things I've picked up on...

1. TAG Heuer Messenger Bag.

I posted some picks of this the other day, however, the listing seems to have disappeared. I assume it was sold as it was actually quite reasonable compared to some TAG bags on Ebay.

CLICK THE PIC TO SEE THE AUCTION

2. TAG Heuer Ladies Alter Ego

I'm sure this will go up, but at the moment the bidding stands at just £49.99 for this 2002 Alter Ego with a blue mother of pearl face. Seems to be in very good condition and with it's full compliment of bracelet links, I'd buy this myself if I thought I could get away with it. Sadly at 26mm it would look ridiculous, and as yet the wife remains unconvinced. Expect this one to go to the mid-hundreds, if not then it looks a bargain with full box and papers.

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

3. Kirium 'SAPPHIRE'

Standing out for all the wrong reasons, this fake Kirium has a ludicrously oversized logo and although on first glance the bracelet seems credible, closer inspection reveals very poor fit and gaps. It could be that the bracelet has had a hard life, but I suspect it's more likely just a crappy fake. Also, why does it say 'Sapphire' on the dial? Somebody has bid over £100 for this garbage, why would you do that when you could get an F1 Kirium for less than £400? Needless to say I have reported to Ebay, but we'll see if it gets taken down or not...

UPDATE: Ebay didn't do anything and this sold to some poor schmuck for £215.

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

4. TAG Heuer 4000 Series 

A bit of a risky one here, this watch has supposedly been in storage for ten years and is offered 'in need of a new battery'... which is all well and good, but a) who knows if it actually works, and b) who knows if the battery has leaked and destroyed the movement? Bidding stands at £150, and I wouldn't fancy going much higher than that to be honest...

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

5. TAG Heuer Formula One Chronograph

You won't get any bargains from 'watchlinks' but this seller does seem to offer some excellent pieces and this gorgeous Formula One Chronograph from the early 2000s is no exception. The asking price is £799, which is the high end of acceptable, but the watch looks fantastic and has probably been polished to some extent, and has definitely had a new bezel. I must admit I'm sorely tempted myself!

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

6. TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT

Rather surprised to see this here, not even two months old and it's already up for grabs. With 5 days left bidding stands at just under £1000, and with grey market prices for new at £1700 I'd be reluctant to go higher than £1500, but assuming the paperwork is all in order it's still likely a substantial saving over RRP.

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

7. TAG Heuer Monaco 69

Oh now this is more like it! With 5 days to go bidding currently stands at £880 for this piece of TAG Heuer history, I wonder how much higher it will go? I do like the idea of this and it kind of appeals to me in the same way that the Monaco 24 does, it's a Monaco, but it's something more...

The Monaco Sixty Nine is one of those watches that tends to fade from memory and it's only when one turns up that you think to appreciate it all over again. This watch features a revolving case with the classic Monaco dial on one side and (effectively) a Microtimer digital on the back. The case is very thick though, so it's definitely not going to be for everyone, but like I said yesterday about the 'Executive' model, if money was no object I would definitely have one in my cabinet.

Apparently though, the rubber protection plates fixed to the back case leave marks on the glass, so I was told by a man in Goldsmiths earlier this year...

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

8. TAG Heuer S/EL West McLaren Mercedes Limited Edition

It does seem a little fishy just how often 'New' pieces of the West McLaren Mercedes S/ELs appear on Ebay, but 'premier_brands_boutique' appear to have solid feedback and claim to have sourced this directly from TAG themselves. Quite why TAG would have NOS pieces of a nineteen year old watch knocking about is anybody's guess, but still...

There's no denying the watch looks pretty special and comes complete with all it's various bits and bobs, and perhaps tellingly the packaging looks correct for the period, so that's a good sign. This currently stands at £580 with just under six days to go, I'm sure it will go will over the £1000 mark and possibly a fair bit higher.

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

9. TAG Heuer Multigraph

I can't tell you how tempting this is, at just £495 and in superb condition it's all I can do to keep myself from buying this... I mean look at it, isn't it beautiful? It is a tiny, weeny bit on the small side though at just 38.5mm, but that's probably something I could live with, but only because it's stunning!

But, being sensible about it, it is a bit too much like my F1 Kirium perhaps, and it's yet another black faced watch. What a watch though, this one really does make me want to throw caution to the wind...

CLICK THE PIC TO VIEW THE AUCTION

10. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Chronotimer

Ever since I missed out (well, passed over more like...) the yellow dial Calibre S Aquaracer earlier in the year, I've kind of hoped one might turn up again, and in the meantime this little beauty has also come to my attention. Sadly this one lives in the USA and as such would be liable to import duties (which I do not intend to get involved with!), which is a shame as it is on offer for just over £800.

These yellow dial Aquaracers pop up now and again, but they seem to fall into two categories, the nice ones that are a tad overpriced, or ones which have been worn every day and are covered in bumps and bruises. I think I'll keep my money and hope that Bicester Village can furnish me with one sooner or later...

SPOTLIGHT ON: Executive Quartz Watch 915.813

Browsing eBay yesterday I came across this little nugget, and I have to say, those unfamiliar with TAG Heuer's of the past might well take one look at this, point, laugh and declare it fake as fake can be. But, while the logo on the bottom part of the dial does raise a question mark, the watch as a whole is perfectly plausible.

As you can see on this picture the standard version of this watch featured the model name 'Executive' across the lower part of the dial along with two more lines of text, whereas the model I found on eBay has that pesky logo. But this is not at all unusual for TAG after all, a company who loves making limited runs with all manner of badges and logos on the dial. 

As with most models in the 80s, TAG made this model in three sizes, 36mm, 34mm and 30mm - commonly referred to as 'Mens', 'Midsize/Unisex' and 'Womens'. The model pictured above is actually the 30mm version, which rather surprisingly has a 19mm wide bracelet.

The 'Executive' range isn't one that's exactly fondly remembered, it's no Monaco or Carrera and I can't imagine anything would entice Mr Biver to put it back into production as it's very much a watch that's 'of it's time'. This watch was made in 1986, at a time when most of the TAG range was made up of re-branded Heuers (the 'Formula One' series being a notable exception, and despite looking larger it measures a fairly small 36mm across the face (38mm inc crown).

As you would expect from such an elegant design, the watch seems quite thin and features a quartz movement but befitting it's 'Regatta' style it's water resistant to 200m, so quite safe to take on the yacht! 

I'm sure a lot of people don't, but I kind of like a lot these old TAG designs and if I had unlimited funds I would buy this just to have it. I dare say it would never trouble my wrist, but it would look lovely in a display cabinet. It's not even as if this was a 'lot' of money, it seems to have disappeared now but I'm sure it was on there for £300-400. But for £400 I could get quite a lot of half decent watches that I would wear, or half way to something properly worth while. Ah well, maybe when I win the lottery I'll collect one of everything...

More pics and info available in this advert here
https://www.instantluxe.co.uk/watches/wrist-watch/tag-heuer/silver-gold-plated-unisex-executive-A89093

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Messenger Bag

Amazing the things you find on eBay... this messenger bag appears to be genuine and is currently offered for a Buy It Now price of £175. Not sure I'd pay that for it, but it looks pretty neat all the same...

FEATURE: Autavia Heuer02 UAE Limited Edition

CBE2113.FC8226

Hot on the heels of the Jack Heuer 85th Anniversary Autavia, comes news of this new Limited Edition watch(limited to just 150 pieces), which was apparently developed in partnership with retailer Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons and costs AED21,200 (£4350) and is only available in the UAE.

Now, while I've not really succumbed to the Autavia's charms... I must admit the lighter dial versions of this watch do seem nicer than the black dial. I definitely appreciated the smaller text on the bezel of the Jack Heuer, as it seemed to solve one of the major design flaws of the original - but strangely, even here with the original text size the problem seems less of an issue.

But even so, a brown bezel (still aluminium by the way) watch is never going to be one to add to my collection, especially not on a brown leather strap (perish the thought). And yet somehow, I kind of like this... but I still think the best Autavia limited edition would be the Jo Siffert style panda dial with the blue hands, I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

The watch is to be launched at Dubai Watch Week, albeit only 9 will be available. A further 90 will be released in December with the final 91 ready for sale in the New Year. Somehow I don't think they will struggle to find buyers...

FEATURE: Paul Newman's 'Paul Newman' Rolex Daytona...

As I'm sure most of you are aware, Paul Newman's 'Paul Newman' Rolex Daytona recently sold at auction for a frankly astonishing $17.8M. By comparison, Steve McQueen's Heuer Monaco (used during the filming of the film 'Le Mans') sold a while back for a much more reasonable $800,000, albeit there was a major difference. In Newman's case it was 'his' watch, personalised with an engraving on the back by his wife who gave the watch to him as a gift. By contrast the Monaco was supposedly one of three watches used during the filming, although quite what's happened to the other two I don't know.

The previous record was held by the Patek Philippe 1518 (which sold for $11.1M in 2016) which was a stainless steel version and one of only four in that material ever made, and before that came the 5016A blue enamel dial grand complication made for the Only Watch charity auction in 2015.

It's hard to say quite why the Paul Newman sold for such an incredible sum, in the case of the two Pateks there are literally only 4 and 1 in existence, so it's a case of genuine rarity, but as I understand it there are something in the order of 2000 made with what is known as the 'Paul Newman' dial.

I have not been able to verify this number, but I'm sure I heard it somewhere... but in any case, the rarity is nowhere near the league of the Patek watches (and lets not even get into horological value), so why is this watch worth so much money? Sure this watch was expected to fetch some big money, but nobody expected it to open with a bid of $10M, indeed it's estimate was a mere $1M!

To be honest I can't help but think that this is a watch that is heading for a fall. It might take a while, but since there's nothing 'special' about this watch per se, it's 'value' comes from the fact that it was owned by Paul Newman and that the dial configuration has become known as 'the Paul Newman'. Is that really enough to justify it becoming the most expensive watch ever sold?

In 1999 the Patek Philippe Supercomplication was sold for $11M, and then again in 2014 for $23M. However, this was a pocket watch, not only that but at the time it was the most complicated watch in the world. It was recently offered again and failed to sell, partly because the title of most complicated watch has now been taken by the Vacheron Constantin 57260.

Personally I feel that these watches have more inherent 'value'. But the problem is that once the watch is no longer the most complicated watch in the world then the value falls. When it comes to values, you either need something 'unique' or you need something to be 'the first', someone else can always make something 'more' but they can't take away being 'first', but is simply being 'Paul Newman's' Paul Newman really enough to sustain the value long term?

I guess that will very much depend on the lasting fame of Paul Newman himself. To me, here in the UK, that doesn't seem a particularly good bet, but I think he was perhaps more famous in the USA?

Then, there's the popularity of the Rolex Daytona itself, is that going to last indefinitely? It wasn't that long ago you could buy them for reasonable prices, it's only recently that they've gone through the roof. Is that going to change?

If you're buying a rare Patek Philippe, it's not something that's driven by a surge in desirability in the wider market place, you're buying a special and rare watch and that's never going to change. I can't help but think that this is something of a 'pop-culture' aberration that in time may be seen as something of an expensive blip in the market, and potentially one that costs someone a lot of money in the long run...

Since this is a TAG Heuer blog, I couldn't end without pointing out that Watchfnder are currently selling a 'Steve McQueen Monaco' made in 1969 with the box but no papers for £14,200. Which seems a lot, but also a lot more reasonable!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Review by Watchfinder

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Review by Watch On

VIDEO: Aquaracer Calibre 5 Review by Spartans Watch Reviews

ON THE WRIST: Carrera Heuer 01 Ayrton Senna Special Edition

CAR2A1L.BA0688

TAG Heuer Boutique, Sheffield / 6th November 2017

After the relative disappointment of the new quartz Monaco, it was nice to get my hands on something else which restored the faith a little. This all-black, Heuer01 Carrera is perhaps even nicer than the Red Bull Drive Timer I tried on earlier in the year, and although the watch is branded with the Senna S logo on the 9 o'clock subdial and also on the bezel, it's quite subtle and it takes a moment or two to notice it. I kind of like that, I mean I'd prefer it if all the 'branding' was on the back (like the Red Bull watches), but I get that a lot of people would want the 'Senna' name where people can see it.

The watch is surprisingly heavy, not that it is particularly heavy, but my Heuer01 is titanium with a rubber strap whereas this is all PVD coated steel (save for the clasp which is titanium and the bezel which is ceramic). You certainly know you've got it on, but I don't think it's anywhere near as heavy as my Aquagraph. I do wonder though how the bracelet is going to stand up to wear and tear, the bezel's going to be fine of course (save for the endless fingermark wiping), but a PVD coated steel bracelet... I'm not so sure.

Still at £4900 I would hope the buyer would be taking good care of his watch and not wearing it 24/7 like a beater, but you know how susceptible to scratches bracelets and clasps are.

I really, really liked this watch. I think the numerals on the face make the watch look different enough from my original Heuer01 that I wouldn't mind owning both and I think the bracelet is much cooler than the standard steel bracelet on the Red Bull version. I don't even mind (too much) the £750 premium for this over the standard 45mm Heuer01, but at this price the same problem arises... if I had £4900 to buy this watch, I would save a bit more and get the Monaco 24.

But that's by the by really, this is a very nice piece and easily one of best watches in the current line-up.

VIDEO: Heuer Autavia: A Week on the Wrist by Hodinkee

ON THE WRIST: Monaco Quartz Watch

WAW131A.FC6177

TAG Heuer Boutique, Sheffield / 6th November 2017

The obvious missing piece from my watch collection is of course a Monaco of some description, but as of yet I just haven't been able to find the one I like enough at a price that I'm willing to pay. All the ones I seem to like are Special Editions and the one I really like is just too expensive (even with a 40% discount in the outlet). So I was rather excited about the launch of the new Monaco Quartz timepiece, as it seemed to present an affordable way to add a Monaco to my collection... but sadly having come face to face with it today, I can safely say that is not going to happen.

I must admit I was a little concerned when I read that the watch was 37mm, and even more concerned when I realised that the brown and white versions (which are sold as ladies watches) were the same size. But, I kept an open mind, after all square watches wear larger than round watches so it was likely to be more like 39-40mm on the wrist, which puts it in the same realm as my F1 Kirium.

The problem is, well... the first problem is the size, because it does look a little dainty on my 7" wrist. I mean it's okay, but it's right at the limit of what I would feel comfortable wearing. Now I know a lot of people don't like the bigger watches and so this may be fine for you, indeed my friend with the small wrist (who bought my old 2000 series) would be fine with this watch, but for me it's just not quite big enough.

It's also rather slender for a Monaco, and rather shiny... indeed, it looks strangely feminine somehow. I know the pictures don't really convey this, but I promise you that on the wrist it really does give the impression of being a ladies watch. It's not just a matter of the size, it just doesn't feel in any way 'manly' at all, the case is closer to the design of the Monaco 24 than the standard Monaco, with beveled edges and while this works with the Monaco 24's bulk, here it gives the watch a more delicate appearance and to me this is not helping.

So what you basically have here is a 'black dial' unisex 'Monaco' which will mostly appeal to women and to guys who find the standard Monacos too big and bulky, indeed, if you are in the market for an elegant dress watch then this may very well be an ideal timepiece, but to me, this isn't a Monaco.

(I'm pretty sure this picture is a woman's wrist.)

It may be a square watch with Monaco written on the dial, but it doesn't give me the feeling a Monaco should, and it's nothing to do with the movement or the lack of of a chronograph. To me a Monaco should not be 'dainty' on the wrist, and that's exactly how this feels, and I'm genuinely disappointed because I really thought that this might be what I was looking for and it really isn't.

Strangely I've always found the standard Monacos to be somewhat un-ergonomic, the square shape at odds with the curvature of the wrist, but having sampled the alternative I find that I definitely prefer the proper square Monaco and I think that unless I can somehow scrape together the funds for the black dial Monaco 24 (and get it past the missus!) it's going to be a pre-owned Monaco for me...

VIDEO: Heuer Carrera Calibre 6 Review by Watches on You

VIDEO: Carrera 1887 Honest Review After 4 Years by Lovejesusplz

VIDEO: Monza 40th Anniversary Review by Watchuwant

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Carrera Heuer 01 Air-K 2017 Limited Edition

Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori has been a TAG ambassador for quite a while now and he's amassed quite a few signature models along the way. First in 2013 came the 500M Aquaracer CAJ2113 which was limited to 300 pieces.

CAJ2113.FT6023

Then in 2014 came the 500M Aquaracer WAK2112, which again was limited to 300 pieces...

WAK2112.BA0830

In 2015 TAG released another 500M Aquaracer available on either a bracelet or a strap and this time limited to 400 pieces.

WAY2115.FC6368                                        WAY2115.BA0910

2016 saw a major change, after three Aquaracers it was time for a model switch and so we got the rather dashing looking Calibre 5 Carrera (which I previously wrote about HERE). This one was once again limited to 400 pieces, and to me was the standout special edition so far.

WAR201F.BA0728

Now in 2017 TAG Heuer have released the latest Kei Nishikori watch and it is by far my favourite, indeed I think it's rather a shame that this is a limited edition piece made for the Japanese market because I think this is the best looking solid dial Heuer01 Carrera by a mile.

CAR201N.XXXXXX

I absolutely love the square detailing on the dial, I think it gives this watch a certain something that I have found lacking on all the non-skeleton Heuer01s which usually have an unfortunately blank looking dial. I suppose this is 'tennis themed' but I think it's rather a shame this won't become a more regular feature of the TAG range, because it looks fantastic!

Maybe some AP purists might scoff at the similarity to the Royal Oak, and it can't be denied that there is a visual connection between the two dials, but that aside, this is a spectacular choice of finish.

There are a fair few flashes of colour on the dial (including a red five minute marker and a green hand on the running seconds sub-dial) not to mention a red 'K' in place of the number '1' on the date wheel, which is a nice and unusual touch. The watch also comes with a yellow strap in addition to the standard black, which looks great and would turn this all-year rounder into a perfect summer watch.

Really, I can't think of a single thing to criticise here, some may not like the seemingly random mish-mash of colours used across the dial, but this has been a feature of the Nishikori watches and I think it looks a lot of fun. Like the CAU2012 I posted about the other day, I don't think this would be an 'only' watch, but as a piece for days when you want to have a little fun with your wrist time, I can't think of anything better.

You can read more about this watch and see some fantastic pictures on Calibre 11.

https://www.calibre11.com/tag-heuer-carrera-heuer-01-air-k5-nishikori-edition-car201n/

FEATURE: Common or Garden TAGs at Hilarious eBay Prices!

Like many people I suspect, usually when I look on eBay for watches I filter the results to see the cheapest watches first. After all, there's only so much I'm prepared to spend buying watches from Ebay, and generally speaking I see it more as a place to find bargains than somewhere to buy a tourbillon!

But for some reason yesterday I decided to search the dearest first, and I was surprised at some of the ludicrous prices some people have the balls to ask.

One that caught my eye immediately is a watch that I've looked at before, and that is the Formula One Calibre-S.

CAH7011.BA0860

You'll be deliriously happy to find out that 'InfiniteShopping' have two of these available for the frankly astonishing price of just £4375. Compare that with Joma Shop who show a list price of $1750 and were selling them for $1275...

Now admittedly, Joma Shop is out of stock, but come on. £4375 is a joke. Not to mention that if you buy in the UK you will have to pay import taxes! Thankfully 'InfiniteShopping' do offer 'free' shipping on this watch, perhaps even they didn't have the brass monkeys to push it any further?

I think this is a pretty cool model, but I'm sure if you really wanted one and you looked hard enough you could find one for a much fairer price than that.

Next up we have a women's Aquaracer with ten diamonds on the dial. No diamonds on the bezel mind, just the hour markers (excluding 12 and 3 where the date lives). At a guess I would imagine this would cost somewhere between £1700-1800, and indeed you can buy this very watch on Amazon.co.uk (via Chronostore) for just over £1000 (although admittedly you might want to read the reviews first!)

WAF1415.BA0824

But if that sounds a little cheap for you, then why not buy the exact same watch on eBay from '1771cohen' for a much more luxurious £4585.19?

Where are they getting these prices from? Is anybody actually paying them? Surely the quickest of searches would show up the fact that these people are severely taking the Michael...

Another one that stood out to me was this 500m Aquaracer, which 'Gioielleriacampus' are offering for £5211.64.

CAJ2180.FT6023

I think the reason this one stood out is because I've seen this many times in the outlets for less than £2200 (and as low as £1750 once in Cheshire Oaks), as it is 'Montredo' are offering this same watch for £2999 and pre-owned dealer Watchfinder are out of stock at present but they still show the full list price as £3450. It's not like this is some super-rare watch that demands a £1700 premium, so who is willing to pay this I just don't know.

Finally, our friends at 'InfiniteShopping' have another 'bargain' available... (2 available in fact!), that being the TAG Heuer Connected for the incredible price of only £4480.

SAR8A80.FT6045

Brown's Family Jewellers (based in Yorkshire) are offering this same piece for £1050, which is £50 lower than the full retail price of £1100.

I mean seriously, common sense tells me they can't be selling, and yet... you have to wonder? Maybe people who aren't familiar with watches and their values might just see an item and think 'I love it - I'm going to buy it', and maybe if they are so easily parted with their money then they deserve to be ripped off?

As for me I think I'll go back to searching 'cheapest first'...

OWNED: CAU2012 Formula One Calibre 16 Chronograph

 

CAU2012.FT6038

It took me about two years to track down one of these, and when it finally fell into my lap it was completely unexpected. I went to Bicester Village one Saturday with my wife, and while we were there she had been looking at an Ice Cream tub shaped handbag in Kate Spade. I think it was coming up to her birthday so I contrived to visit Bicester on the Monday during the day so I could pick one up for her without her knowing. 

At the same time, I wanted to go back to Bicester because on that Saturday I had seen the yellow dial Calibre S Aquaracer and despite trying it on, I had failed to purchase it and I was kicking myself a little, or I at least needed another look just to confirm my decision (or maybe not). Before I left work I was joking with my friend that I was going to come back with the Calibre S 'unless by some miracle that Orange F1 has arrived since Saturday'... You can imagine my utter astonishment when I walked in to find the CAU2012 sitting in the cabinet right next to the Calibre S!

CAF7013.FT8011

The Aquaracer was a staggering affordable £960 or thereabouts, which considering I've seen them on eBay pre-owned for £1400+ was a VERY good deal. But of course, once I clapped eyes on the Calibre 16 the Aquaracer went out of the window - which I must say is a bit of a shame, because of course thus far I've never seen it again... (and now I'd like to).

Initially I was super happy with my purchase, but it quickly became apparent that the clasp on the FT6038 rubber strap that comes (only) with this particular watch was going to be a problem. Just like the one on my everyday F1 the clasp irritated the hell out of my wrist and I had to look for an alternative.

Unfortunately it wasn't possible to source a different clasp for that strap, so in the end I had to go to a basic 22mm rubber strap, in this case the BT0717 was pretty much my only option if I wanted a TAG branded strap.

BT0717

I have to say I'm not crazy about the BT0717 strap. On the face of it it's the same design as the BT0714, just a couple of mm wider, but in reality it's so much thicker and more chunky. It's so much harder to put on and getting the tail of the strap into the retainers is a pain in the ass. I mean once it's on, it's solid... but it's a little bit too solid really and lacks any sort of finesse.

But as I say, there wasn't really a whole lot of options available to me, just lately I've been considering changing the strap to an aftermarket model, either a carbon-fibre effect one or a perforated leather type, but I'm still mulling that over at present.... we'll see.

I've had a bit of a funny relationship with this watch to be honest. I've had it just over six months and more than any of my other watches this is the one that I've blown hot and cold with. At one point I even investigated trying to sell it, but I changed my mind in the end. Without a doubt the whole strap thing has tainted my purchase slightly and the one other thing that I find a massive disappointment is the lume. There just isn't enough of it. Literally the only lume on the watch is the hands. No markers, no 12 O'Clock pip, absolutely nothing at all. If it's sitting on a bedside table then good luck telling the time, because you got nothing to go on.

To be honest it never even occurred to me to ask about the lume, in the store I was just so excited to finally see one of these I wasn't thinking quite straight, it wasn't until I got it home that I realised just how stingy the lume was. I get that it's a Formula One and not an Aquaracer, but this watch retails for £2500 which is a considerable chunk of money, for that I think it should be properly lumed up. I think I was especially disappointed because I was expecting the hour markers to be orange lume as well.

For some reason if I haven't worn this for a while I get a distorted memory of what this watch looks like and then the doubts start creeping in and I start thinking should I cash it in, but then I take it out of the box and it impresses me all over again. The picture at the top of this post is a very good representation of the watch, much better than any 'full frontal' picture I've seen. Some might find the orange stripes on the pushers a bit OTT, especially with the orange crown line as well, but I must admit I kinda like it. For sure this is the absolute maximum amount of colour I ever want to see on a watch, and I could easily live with a little less, but even so, this is a fun piece.

I must admit I find the crown a little bit fiddly to screw down and the movement itself feels quite 'agricultural' when winding, but having spoken to other people about the Calibre 16 movement it seems that it's not unusual. The back is a solid black with some nice detailing, which looks so much better than a steel back on a black case. But then the clasp on the original strap was silver. Why would you do that? You make a bespoke strap which only goes on this watch and then you cheap-out on the clasp - I don't get it. 

I don't mind the silver buckle on an old fashioned buckle/pin-style strap, but if you're going for the deployment route, then for Heaven's sake do it properly. I just think it looks cheap as hell...

Despite my issues with the lume and the clasp, I still like this watch a lot. I don't understand why I always get these negative feelings towards it when I don't wear it, and of all my watches this is probably the one I would most likely sell first (aside from my everyday F1), which is not to say that I'm likely to sell, just that I'm really un-likely to sell any of the other four.

This is definitely a fun watch and it surprises me how badly it seems to hold it's value, I was lucky to pick this up brand new for £1750 or so, and it's probably worth around £1500-1600 considering it's condition (strap is basically unworn) so I'm not losing a whole heap, but if you paid list then you're not doing so well. I guess some people will love the orange and some people will really hate it, personally I really like it but I wouldn't choose this as an 'only' watch. I consider this a watch I wear out in the day at the weekends mostly, a summer-fun kinda watch.

I guess the fact that I was looking for this for so long put a lot of expectation on it, and the lume thing definitely bugs me a lot, but I'm hopeful that a change of strap might give it a new lease of life. I'm certainly going to be looking into that soon.

FEATURE: To Buy or Not to Buy: That is the Question (The Tale of the WAY208C)

WAY208C.FC6383

Ever had that situation where you really want something, but it's hard to get and even then there's something about it that you wish was different and then it turns up at a decent price and even the thing that you didn't really like has been resolved... and yet you still can't quite commit to buy?

Well probably not, but that's exactly my experience today. I've been banging on about the WAY208C Calibre 5 Aquaracer ever since 'A Blog to Watch' did their review of it and took it off it's light brown nylon strap and put it on a black rubber Isofrane strap.

Doesn't that look great?

So a while back I managed to track one down to a jewellers in Derby and I was toying with the idea of going up there to see it. But in the end for some reason I didn't, I think partly because I wasn't sure what sort of rubber strap I could get for it (I'd prefer a TAG Heuer strap ideally), the new Aquaracers I could think of that were on rubber had a yellow back and I don't think that would go with the colour scheme. Of course there may be another non-yellow backed strap that will fit, but there's still that wretched cyclops magnifier to contend with.

So imagine my surprise when I came across a WAY208C on eBay today, seemingly in very good condition and one which has had the cyclops removed!

Looks so much better doesn't it?

So it seems like a slam dunk right? £1350 for a watch that's barely a year old and in good condition and with the cyclops already removed... it should be a no brainer. But for some reason, I'm still hesitant to commit to it.

Incidentally, the watch pictured comes with an extra strap, although why you'd buy a strap that looks a lot like the one it came on I'm not really sure. The picture shows the watch on the aftermarket strap, but there are pics of the original strap as well which looks pretty perfect.

I just can't quite work out what's holding me back. The guy has good feedback and the watch is apparently running at +6 secs a day in a watch winder which doesn't sound too bad. Maybe I'm just so tired of buying watches and then having to buy a separate strap because I either don't like or can't wear the strap it comes on. I mean, I've bought three watches now that I've had to change out and I'd really love to just get one as it is. And I'm struggling to understand why TAG haven't issued this watch with the choice of a rubber strap, it's an Aquaracer after all, a dive watch above all else, it seems like they've missed an obvious configuration.

On the one hand I'm thrilled that the cyclops has been removed but on the other it worries me. How was it done? Will it affect the warranty? What about resale? Hmm...

Also, I've started looking at some yellow dial Aquaracers again, you may remember I very nearly bought a yellow dial Aquaracer Calibre S, indeed I went to the Bicester outlet to buy that watch when I found the long sought after Formula One CAU2012 Calibre 16... and bought that instead.

CAF7013.FT8011

I still like that one, but I've also started to like the Chronotimer Aquaracer as well, which is also available in yellow.

CF1011.FT8011

These are both available on bracelets as well, and actually I'm open to that. I do think the black rubber goes well with the yellow dial, but at the same time I do have a lot of watches with rubber straps and only two bracelets.

The other sticking point, is that when I was in Cheshire Oaks the other day I clapped eyes on the black dial Monaco 24 again... now, I thought this was gone and believing that I very nearly bought the orange and grey version when it dipped below £5000 for a brief period (in the Bicester outlet anyway). I'm so glad I didn't because if I had and then I saw the black dial available again I would have been seriously pissed.

The problem is... my TAG fund currently stands at £1300, and while I could use other savings to secure it, I don't really want to do that (not to mention my wife thinks £5000 is too much to spend on a watch... she doesn't particularly like!) and while I am eBaying hard, it's going to take a while to get the required cash together and there's no guarantee at all that the black dial version will still be available.

The crazy thing is the Monaco 24 is a ridiculous deal in the outlets, it's a thousand pounds cheaper than Watchfinder are selling them for used! But still, you have to cut your cloth according to your means and this would be the most expensive watch I've bought by a HUGE margin, so I really can't just cast caution to the wind and jump in...

Well I could. I guess... but I'm not going to. Besides, I'm off to Bicester at the weekend, so who knows what goodies I might find?