VIDEO: TAG Heuer S/EL Quartz Chronograph by Birth Year Watches

 

DUEL: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton Chronograph v Carrera Calibre 16 Titanium Chronograph

CAR2A1Z.FT6044                       CV2A80.FC6256

Hello readers, hard to believe I know for one so soft of skin and lithe of body🤣, but today is in fact my 55th birthday! Yay. Cake!!! And so I thought perhaps I would take a break from all these incessant new release posts and instead do what I really like doing. So today I will be writing about two of my most luxurious watches; my original 2016 Heuer 01 Skeleton and the titanium cased Calibre 16 day date Carrera I got from the Bicester Village outlet for my 50th birthday.

Now this post has in fact been in the works since late 2021, I even had some text written and pictures taken... but as three years have passed (!) I decided it would be much better to just start from scratch. I even briefly pondered the idea of switching out the Calibre 16 Carrera for my recently purchased Grand Carrera Calibre 36 for a true 'Clash of the Titans' post... but on reflection I decided that perhaps comparing my long time 'favourite' watch with the watch I am currently 'infatuated' with was a bit unfair. I mean maybe in time the GC Caliper will emerge as my 'favourite' watch, but it's far too soon to be throwing claims like that around.

CAV5115.FT6019

So let's stick with the plan. Thus far in my watch collecting journey I've only owned two (regular, non-Grand) Carreras, and I still own them. So that's a good start, especially when you think how many watches I've bought and sold over the last few years! And oddly, unlike my three Grand Carreras neither have exactly enjoyed a vast amount of wrist time. 

I think this is a symptom of having bought them both brand new and in pristine condition, and wanting to keep their PVD coated steel bezel and case, polished steel lugs and blasted titanium cases looking that way. Not that I'm careless with my Grand Carreras, far from it, but all three of them are steel and polishable - something I would take into account before buying any more expensive watches. 

He says, while casually eyeing up a nice PVD coated Grand Carrera on H&T! 🤣

So let's start with the CV2A80. I came across this one at Bicester Village in mid 2019, it hadn't previously been on my list, but I was instantly impressed with its extra-sporty and modern take on the day/date Carrera and the price was reduced from £4500 to £2835 (after VIP discount). With my birthday just a few months away I talked to my wife and we decided I should go for it.

Oddly I haven't written a single post about it since my 'Buying Experience' and searching the CV2A80 label just brings up that post and six photos... which just goes to show how 'under the radar' it has flown. Indeed there have been occasions when I seriously thought about selling - obviously not ideal for a 'birthday' watch, but then again not a good enough reason on its own to keep a watch of this value IMHO. 

But then every time I do put it on I'm transported back to the outlet and how I felt when I first bought it and wonder how I could ever even contemplate selling it! I don't think I've ever had another watch quite so Jekyll and Hyde on and off the wrist. I love the carbon patterned dial, the lumed numerals, the red highlights, the bold white lumed hands (massively legible) and I don't even mind the day/date function, which is a novelty for me as it's the only one I've ever had.

The strap is nice too, with a similar carbon-esque texture to it, but I don't think it's particularly hard wearing. When I bought mine I noticed there was an odd lump in the strap and they got me a replacement, but whenever I notice this watch coming up for sale pre-owned it always seems to be on a different strap, which suggests to me that the FC6256 is perhaps a bit delicate (kinda like the Monza 40th Anniversary, which also rarely seems to resell on its original strap).

The clasp, like the case is titanium, and has a nice TAG Heuer badge on it. This is another one that tends to dig in my wrist at first, and needs a little bit of adjusting to get it just right so that it doesn't. I could live without that honestly, but it does look damned cool, and the red stitching on the strap is perfect for this model.

Funnily enough, for some reason this watch seems to come up pre-owned quite a lot, and usually for around £2500. I don't know whether TAG Heuer just dumped tons of them into the market through the outlets or what, but I reckon I've seen more titanium models than steel models over the last few years - which seems kind of strange doesn't it?

Still, even if it wasn't quite the bargain it seemed at the time, it remains a very nice watch. My only gripe with it really is that the lugs are a bit on the long side for a 43mm watch. No doubt many readers will scoff at that and proclaim the watch too big for the lugs... but I don't have a problem with the size of the watch, just the lugs. It's supposed to be loud and sporty, it just needed a couple of millimeters shaving off each lug. 

This is the only watch I actually hand wind when I come to wear it, mainly because my watch winder doesn't seem to wind it. I'm sure it could if I could work out how to programme it, but I really can't be bothered. It feels pretty nice to wind, though I hate doing it (Calibre 5 PTSD, you understand) and it seems to work well enough, though I rarely wear it for more than one day at a time so the accuracy is anyone's guess.

Okay, so moving on to the Heuer 01... well this is a completely different kettle of fish. I didn't buy this one on impulse, not at all. From the minute I saw the prototype (released at Bazelworld in 2015 by the legendary Jean Claude Biver of course) in Q.P. magazine I knew I wanted it - just like when I saw the F1 Kirium that first time, but I wasn't sure I could wear a 45mm watch and I tried it on several times at jewellery stores while I saved up the money to purchase it. 

I know this was a big turn off for a lot of people, and a big reason why TAG Heuer eventually brought out the 43mm versions, but they were never the same, and the 43mm version of this one lacks the black PVD case and the cool red ring that encircles it. And it doesn't wear as big as you probably think, because the lugs are shorter and the wide rubber strap is so well designed it really helps with the size - whereas the same watches on the bracelets look big and clumsy unfortunately. But yeah, it's not a shy, retiring kind of watch and I'm okay with that. 

One of the main criticisms thrown at the H01 Skeleton is that it isn't 'legible' like a proper Carrera should be. Well, to that I say 'Pfft.'. Look at these gloomily-lit pictures and tell me you can't read the time at a glance. Absolute poppycock! The hands are big and bold, and well filled with lume and easily readable (thus avoiding another pitfall of most Carreras, poor night time readability). I've honestly never, ever struggled to read the time on this watch, the bold hands and hour markers make it a doddle in any light.

And truth be told, they call this a skeleton watch, but is it really? I mean yes it doesn't have a traditional dial, but it's not like you are staring into a maelstrom of cogs, wheels, pinions and whatever else it is that makes these things work. Basically you can sort of see a couple of cogs, kinda... but mostly what you can really see it the date wheel around the edge of the dial...

Unlike the CV2A80, the clasp on this one is wonderful... with the spare rubber tucking in behind and shielding your inner wrist from the tail of the deployant mechanism. Honestly, this is just so comfortable on the wrist. Sure you can always feel it's there, but the wide strap spreads the weight nicely and does a fantastic job of keeping the watch secure and in place on the wrist. I really love it.

Like the CV2A80, this one has come down quite a bit since it launched at £4000 on the dot. During it's run it did rise to £4300 and by the time it fell off the TH website it had peaked at £4900, but these days you can find really good ones for under £3000 and beaters for around £2000. Speaking of beaters I recently posted a video from someone giving their Heuer 01 a six year review, and if anything that made me so glad I never wore mine day in day out. Some watches look okay with a bit of wear and tear, but this definitely isn't one of them! 

The lume is good enough for a non-dive watch, not spectacular, but a lot more impressive than the lume on my Grand Carreras for example, and works well even in dim light to provide extra legibility.  

While I have hand wound this one in the past, these days I tend to wear it and then set it or put it in the winder (if I remember in time), I recall it was very quiet and smooth though - if you are interested in the Heuer 01 and the history of it I did post an interview with Peter Roberts talking about the work that went into redesigning it (as the Calibre 1887) after TAG Heuer bought the basic movement from Seiko and I will post a link at the bottom of the page. Again I haven't noticed any issues, but like with the CV2A80 this is generally only worn one day at a time so...

I don't think it will come as any great surprise to anyone that while I like the CV2A80 a lot, it really doesn't stand a chance against the awesome CAR2A1Z. It's been my favourite watch ever since I clapped eyes on it and even if the CAV5115 Grand Carrera does one day usurp its position as my absolute 'favourite' watch, it will still be an extremely special part of my collection and one that will NEVER be sold. 

As a matter of fact, I've recently ordered a new strap for it which I am picking up soon from the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield. I've been mulling over the idea for quite a long time and finally decided to take the plunge when I bought myself some new white framed Oakley shades. Should be an interesting experiment if nothing else! 

 

FURTHER READING:

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton Chronograph Launch Specials

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Carrera CV2A80 Calibre 16 Day Date Chronograph

FEATURE: Why My Favourite Watch Isn't my Best Watch 

OWNED: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 CAR2A1Z.FT6044

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton Chronograph

FEATURE: All in the Movement - TAG Heuer Calibre 1887

DUEL: TAG Heuer 3000 Quartz Watches

DUEL: Aquaracer Chronotimer Vs Aquaracer Calibre S

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph Calibre TH50-00 Watch by A Blog to Watch

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph 'Green Dial' Quartz Watch

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / 28th September 2024, Meadowhall, Sheffield

When the green Solargraph was announced I must admit I was a teeny bit concerned that maybe I had rushed into buying the Calibre 5 version. I've always said that given the choice of two identical watches one quartz, one automatic, I would probably choose the quartz... and a solar powered quartz appeals even more. 

But generally speaking there never really is a choice of identical looking watches is there? So the question that required answering here was primarily how do the two dials compare, and secondly was the light blue second hand a deal breaker?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronograph by Random Rob

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquracer 'Sprite' Calibre TH31-03 GMT Watch

 

28th September 2024 / TAG Heuer Boutique, Meadowhall, Sheffield

It's funny, I've been waiting a while to see this one, because as seems to be the norm now when TAG Heuer release a bunch of watches together, there's always one that lags behind. Last time I got to visit the excellent Meadowhall boutique I saw all of the new three hand Aquaracers and also the 'Batman' GMT, but I was really pinning my hopes on this all new colour scheme being the one that really got me interested. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports Chrongraph by Hourstriker

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Ice Blue' Calibre TH20-09 Limited Edition Tourbillon

By my reckoning this is TAG Heuer's eighth different tourbillon this year, and while technically this one is another 'limited edition'... at 250pcs it rather begs the question 'just how many £20,000 tourbillons can TAG Heuer actually hope to shift?' I mean, TAG Heuer's bread and butter business is commonly accepted to be in the £1500-6000 region, so it's surprising that the brand feel comfortable making so many pieces in this price bracket.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Sprite' GMT by Brent Miller Time

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Heuer Monaco 'Racing Green' Calibre 11 Limited Edition

When I first clapped eyes on this new 1000 piece limited edition 'Racing Green' Monaco Calibre 11 I was quite impressed, thinking it an improvement over last year's blue version. However, the more I've looked at it the more I feel like I need to see it in person to make a proper judgement.

Because to me it looks like the strap and the subdials aren't quite the same hue of green, and if that's true I would find that rather annoying... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Special Editions by Swiss Watch Expo

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Green Dial' Solargraph

 

I guess we should have seen this coming, shouldn't we? Given the ever expanding Solargraph range and TAG Heuer's current obsession with the colour green, it was surely only a matter of time until the two were put together and voila... I give you the green dial Solargraph! Must have been a long day at work thinking that one up, eh?

Still, that doesn't really matter if the finished product works and on the face of it this one looks quite successful. I'm not entirely sure about the combination of green and pale blue, I honestly think the black and blue dials provide a better colour base for the usual 'Solargraph' highlight colour. Perhaps, as we've seen with some of the ladies 34mm Aquaracers, a polished steel hand would have been a better fit?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper by Hobby of Hours

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Red Bull World Champions Edition' Quartz Chronograph

 

CAZ101AY.FC6591

You may remember back in March I wrote about a visit to the Red Bull Formula 1 factory in Milton Keynes that my wife treated me to for Valentine's Day. In it I mentioned that I had attempted and failed miserably to get hands on with one of these 'team only' watches, being told that no one actually wears them in the factory and that everyone had them safely locked away at home.

With little information and only a couple of not so great pictures available I decided to wait a while before writing about the watch and I'm glad I did because now not only do I have the part number for said watch but also some decent photographs to go with it.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Quartz Chronograph by Birth Year Watches

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by Jemagloh

Once again it's time to mull over the last twenty years of Aquaracers and pull ten magnificent examples out for inspection. This time our guest judge is C.O.C.O. and THF Forum member Jemagloh (otherwise known as Matt). Unfortunately Matt literally works 27 hours a day so commentary was never on the cards, so once again it falls on my to provide the same. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 - 6 Year Review by Time & Crown

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports Chronographs & Tourbillon Chronographs

Six new 'skeleton*' dial Carreras for you today, which follow on from the 'Porsche 963' limited edition of a couple of months ago. These new Carrera Extreme Sports (as they are called) don't carry the exact same dial as that one, but there's definitely a similar design philosophy at play and these also carry the same 'integrated' straps. 

I say 'integrated' because while these look the part, the centre piece between the 'air scoop' V is actually part of the strap and not part of the case. This unfortunately leads to my first head scratching moment, because why go to all the effort to create this well constructed illusion, if only half of the watches actually carry it though? 

*These aren't really very skeletonized at all, you can barely see anything of the movement (especially the tourbillons which don't have a date wheel) but they certainly don't have what you would call a solid dial either. Perhaps 'sculpted' or 'architectural' dial would be a better description?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 - Which Colour? by Brent Miller Watches

 

OWNED: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Green Dial

It's been a few months over a year since I picked up my WBP2115 from the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield and in typical fashion it's been a journey of mixed emotions. When I found out there was going to be a new green dial Aquaracer I was right on it, desperate to avoid a repeat of the WAY2015 debacle. Actually there was no need to rush as even now it's perfectly possible to walk into an AD and pick up a WBP2115, but I didn't know that at the time.

Truth be told, when I went to buy it I was less than sure about it. It certainly wasn't love at first sight... but I'd made such a fuss about getting it, badgering Maxine at TH Sheffield regularly until it arrived that I felt rather obligated to buy it. Not that I actively disliked it, but it certainly wasn't a Chronotimer or Grand Carrera Caliper situation where I gazed lovingly at it all the way home... maybe it was just that I'd wanted the WAY2015 for so long and this didn't look quite the same - because, well it isn't!

VIDEO: Which New TAG Heuer Aquaracer Was Your Favourite? by Brent Miller Watches

 

FEATURE: The Best of the Best of the Last Four Years...

 

2020 - 2023*

As the summer slowly starts to turn to autumn and we start sporadically thinking about the big end of year vote, I thought it might be interesting to cast our eyes over the last four years of results and remind ourselves of the best of the best of the main four TAG Heuer product lines. 

For these purposes I am using the compiled list of final scores which can be found HERE and for the purposes of splitting ties on points I will use the WOTY votes themselves. I did briefly consider using the WOTY votes as the main indicator but quickly came to realise that this would not give a very accurate result overall, especially in years where one watch crushes the competition (plus there's only been two Formula 1s that have received a vote, so that won't work).

VIDEO: How to Use the TAG Heuer Warranty Checker by The Watch Village

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Pink' Calibre 7 Watch

 

I think it goes without saying that this Carrera was never going to receive the same warm welcome as the very recent 'Ice Blue' version of the same watch from the decidedly male-dominated Council of Considered Opinion. I mean not only does it have a pink second hand, outer dial ring and strap, but it also has every girl's worst nightmare - a Mother of Pearl dial and a diamond inner bezel! 

The horror.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's New Aquaracer by Chisolm Hunter

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by Rich T

As you surely know by now, each month in this 20th Anniversary year of the Aquaracer we're inviting a special guest to pick their 'Top 10 Aquaracers'. This month it's the turn of my friend, colleague and fellow COCO member 'Rich T'. Rich has long admired the Aquaracer and very nearly bought one a few years ago (he eventually bought a Tudor Pelagos LHD instead, but we don't hold that against him - 🤣) and he's accompanied me to Bicester Village and London's watch stores a few times too. Not to mention of course, he's exposed to my watch collection on a daily basis, which probably explains a few of his choices here... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sport Chronographs by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Ice Blue' Calibre 7 Watch

The 36mm Carrera seems to be the chosen range for TAG Heuer to experiment with bright colours and finishes and while this kinda makes sense given it appeals to women and also men with smaller wrists I can't help feeling that us men with larger wrists are being somewhat left out in the cold.

Sure, we've had the pale blue / lilac / call it what you will Aquaracer chronograph... a model with a life slightly longer than a butterfly it seems, but aside from that there's not much in the way of unusual colours floating around in the larger sizes.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre TH31-03 COSC GMT by Random Rob

 

FEATURE: My Top Five 3000 Series

 

I've always had a soft spot for the 3000 Series, but it wasn't until I saw the watch above in the TAG Heuer Museum in 2018 that I really fell in love with it. Subsequently I collected three models, all of which have made my 'Top 5' as it happens, albeit I only currently own one of them. 

Truth be told there aren't that many 3000s, so these five cover a lot of what's available... 

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

 

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Carrera Part Seven - Other Watches (1996-)

 

As promised here is the final part of the 'HISTORY OF THE CARRERA' (albeit Part 8 will begin on the 1st of January 2025, since the history is never really finished...). This one wraps up the remaining three handers which again could not be pinned down to specific years.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT Calibre TH31-03 COSC by Brent Miller Time

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Carrera 'Seafarer' Calibre TH20-13 Limited Edition

I've never been much of a gambler, probably cos I'm too tight to risk losing my money... but if I was going to place a bet on which watch was likely to be the 2024 COCO 'Watch of the Year' then this would be the obvious choice. 

FACT - The COCO loves Heuer watches first and foremost. 

FACT - The COCO loves Carreras above Monacos. 

FACT - There's no 'Heuer' branded Carrera this year (as far as I know).

FACT - There isn't really another credible contender at this point in time. 

All of which leads me to the inevitable conclusion that this will indeed secure enough votes to take the crown.... which is kind of a shame honestly, because I was rather looking forward to an unpredictable battle between several other competitors. Oh well, I guess that's why we vote for second and third these days...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Chronograph by The 1916 Company Watch Reviews

 

FEATURE: Come & Join Us at the THF Forums!

When I first got seriously into watches back in 2016, I fairly quickly stumbled across the fantastic 'Calibre 11' website and forum run by the incomparable David Chalmers. David was very welcoming and friendly and never pretentious or snooty about the 'lower end' of the brand and also produced the best TAG Heuer / Heuer articles the internet has ever seen. David also arranged for me to visit the TAG Heuer manufacture in La Chaux-De-Fonds back in 2018 and so I am eternally in his debt for that!

Sadly a couple of years ago Calibre 11 was forced to shut it's doors, with TAG Heuer themselves taking over the content (some of which has since appeared in truncated form on their website) but it is a major loss to enthusiasts that the bulk of David's detailed articles are no longer available to view - even on the 'Wayback Machine' which promises thousands of pages but actually just gives you an error message. 😠

For a time we thought the Calibre 11 forum would also close, but thankfully that particular tragedy was averted and the 'THF Forum' was born, hosted on Omega Forums and now recently upgraded (thank you Trev & Dsio for all your hard work) there's never been a better time to visit and join in the fun.

 

The stats show that at any time there could be 300 people viewing the site, but there's nowhere near that many regular posting members. So don't be a lurker; I get that it's a little intimidating joining an existing group with knowledgeable people, but remember opinions are just opinions and yours is just as valid as everyone else's. Especially if you are a fan of modern TAG Heuer, because frankly the forum is heavily biased to those with both feet firmly in the past and we could very much use a bit of balance.

You can also get help with checking future purchases for authenticity* and tons of useful information and advice, so what are you waiting for?

https://tagheuerforums.com/

If you have any trouble signing up, let me know in the comments below and I will pass the info on to the admins. 

*The forum cannot categorically authenticate a watch, only TAG Heuer can do that and they will need the watch to do it (don't take it in to a boutique expecting an answer as they are not trained nor have the equipment required), but we can potentially spot a fake if you post pictures of the watch you are looking at buying.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera x Hodinkee Seafarer by Hodinkee

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Watches of Switzerland' Limited Edition Tourbillon Chronograph

 

Hot on the heels of the recent 'Swiss Alps' limited edition tourbillon we have this 'Watches of Switzerland' edition, which is rather harder to come by, limited as it is to just 10 pieces. With these two being released so close together it's hard not to compare them, and while the 'Swiss Alps' version brought to mind the TAG Heuer 'Pilot' this one definitely has a CH80 vibe to it. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre TH31-00 COSC by Brent Miller Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-09 'Swiss Alps' Limited Edition Tourbillon Chronograph

As the proud owner of a TAG Heuer Pilot and a (frankly) jealous observer of the stunning Carrera 160th Anniversary Dato (which I will own one day, mark my words), both of which share a blue/white colour scheme with red highlights... this was always going to score higher with me than the blue or teal version of the same watch. Indeed such is the impact of the tri-colour combo that it deftly turns quite an ugly watch into quite a looker. Of course it still has that accursed tourbillon messing up the dial, but at least it's a step in the right direction...