FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 Limited Edition

For a long. long time I've been meaning to write a post about all the 'Indy 500' watches that TAG Heuer have released over the years, but I've still never quite gotten around to it... and here we are again with the latest addition to that particular collection. 

So, the obvious question is where does this one sit in the pantheon of TAG Heuer Indy 500 watches? I'd say it's one of the better ones, but there have been some real mingers over the years so let's not get too excited just yet. The overriding problem any Indy 500 watch has to overcome is the distinctive (but distinctly awkward) shape of the Indy 500 logo itself. Over the years it's been squashed into various subdials with limited success, so it's nice to see it here with plenty of space to breath and printed at a size where it's easy to see the details. 

The 2026 Indy 500 Solargraph is limited to 1100 pieces

Oddly enough there were some 'Indy 500' F1s back in the 90s which looked similar (albeit with the logo printed even bigger - perhaps a bit too big actually), which is perhaps why this one recalls the classic Formula 1s of old more than most of these solargraphs; even more so when you see the watch presented on a black rubber strap (how this is not an option I do not know... why not charge a bit more and add the rubber strap as a bonus?).

Picture courtesy of Mspeedster

On release this one caused quite a bit of excitement on the THF forum, with several members putting their hands in their pockets to acquire one of the 1100 made. Personally I have zero attachment to the Brickyard or the Indy 500, so it's pretty meaningless to me. But viewing it objectively I think this is one of the best looking Indy 500 watches TAG Heuer have made, but my favourite is still the Heuer 01 Carrera made for the 101st running back in 2017. 

That said, I haven't seen it in person and the gold markings often look unappealingly brown in some pictures (which I definitely don't like) and again I have to question issuing this on a bracelet without the option of a black rubber strap. As we can see above, it really improves the overall aesthetic and makes it feel much more authentic to the originals. Still, I guess you should be able to order the black rubber strap... or can you?

Okay, let's see what the Council have to say about this one.

8.5/10: "I like this one, it's the first Solargraph I'd actually seriously consider buying.They nailed the retro feel and colourway, I expect these will sell out fairly quickly."

2/10: "One of the nastiest, cheapest looking TAG Heuers ever made. This is a 150 dolla watch priced at like 2k?"

8/10: "Not bad, if I needed something in this size or style it’d be in the running, colours great."

9/10: "I love it! It’s a 9/10 for me, and I would rate it even 0.5 points higher if it came on the black rubber strap (FT8084) from the Miami GP LE."

7/10: "Great colours. I like it, but I don’t £2000 like it..."

9/10: "This one kind of snuck up on me. I wasn't instantly wowed by the release pictures, but it made quite the impact in person. I love the clean look of the dial and placement of the Indy 500 logo, it's not overly busy like some previous Indy's. The polished silver indices and hands bring the dial to life, making it very easy to read. As I bought one, I obviously think it's great."

6.5/10: "Difficult. It's an attractive watch, but the Indy 500 logo bothers me too much. Too bad."

3/10: "Not keen on the logo or the colours."

5/10: "I think it's OK but the Indy logo itself is a bit crap. The steel case and bracelet are a good choice for any F1.".

7.5/10: "As with all Solargraphs, the price is too high. However, I love the cohesive look of this watch and the winged wheel Indy 500 logo."

7/10: "Would look better with a rubber strap."

6/10: "I’m going to give it a 6/10 but I bet it looks better in person."

7/10: "Definitely interesting compared to the others in the same series. But I still prefer it if it has s steel bezel."

5/10: "Not very F1 for me, too dull."

9/10: "I dig it. I like the colours and would order a black rubber strap if picking one up. I edited my score after seeing the live posts by owners. A great release."

6/10: "This had so much potential, but the "gold" markings on the bezel and dial just look like dull brown, really diminishing the appearance."

5.5/10: "When I first saw it, I did not like it at all! Having looked at it a few time it has grown on me a bit. Still think it looks dirty brown and not gold but understand its the logo colour. The logo itself actually looks good on this model and works well."

7/10: "Saw this in Geneva and it’s pretty nice, the Indy 500 doesn’t sell that well in Europe though."

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph by Brent Miller Time

FEATURE: TAG Heuer Carrera Miami Grand Prix 2026 Limited Edition Tourbillon

Trying to find out information about new models, especially limited edition / regionally released models can be a real pain. But now with access to AI it should be a doddle right? Well I couldn't find out much about the limited edition Carrera that was released for the Miami Grand Prix, so I asked Meta AI and it told me it couldn't find any reference to it from official channels. It didn't tell me it didn't exist, it just told me it couldn't find it, which is a fair answer. Google AI on the other hand had a complete meltdown, which was just too good not to share...

TLDR: Google AI tells me the watch doesn't exist, then it does, then it doesn't and it made it up, then tells me my photograph is an AI fake, then backtracks on that. Then it tells me I shouldn't pay to use AI because it's useless and that SpaceX is overvalued (I guess it got that right). Then it backtracks and tells me the IPO hasn't happened yet, and that it's hallucinating it's own hallucinations and finally that yes the Carrera CBU5088 does exist in a limited edition of 30 pieces that was only sold to VIPs in the paddock at the race. F.F.S.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Pastels' Limited Edtiion Solargraphs by Brent Miller Time

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph

In the real world, by which I mean not in the 'luxury' world, if someone came up with a way to revolutionise and simplify a complex, expensive machine one might presume that it would turn out 'cheaper'. Otherwise... what's the point? I mean, yeah, okay you might save a few quid on servicing, but why would I pay more than twice as much in the first place? Well, if that's your thought process then the luxury watch world probably isn't for you...

Don't get me wrong, I've marvelled at the ingenuity of the V4 Monaco of old, with it's tiny rubber belts and linear 'rotor', I can see that it must have taken hours and hours of painstaking work to perfect (well, kinda - I gather it was still not exactly 100% even when they stopped making it) and for something like that I'd probably gladly drop £50k on one (if I had £50k to spend) but for some reason this new Evergraph movement just doesn't give me the same sense of awe and wonder.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Indy 500' Limited Edition Solargraph by Brent Miller Time

 

My Top 10 Formula 1s by Jim Dollare$

We are blessed with an abundance of guests here at the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blogspot of course, but only one contributor gets his own LABEL! I speak of course about our absolute favourite (some might even say 'special') Swedish person, Mr Jim Dollare$. 

JIM: What up bromigos? What a lovely thing that Rob is acknowledging and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Formula 1. This is yet another example of why the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blog is the one and only site where honest opinions and true watch journalism happens. 

As all TAG Heuer fans know, the Formula 1 started out as a tiny, colourful children's watch in a plastic like material making it look like it was sold for $35 at the local petrol station. Luckily it has matured and developed a lot since then and transformed into a proper watch but still super affordable with attractive designs, often becoming the first TAG Heuer for new collectors. 

My first TAG was my Red Bull chrono, a mega sexy watch with excellent design but on a thick, sharp super-cheap bracelet and lousy clasp reminding you that this is a 'cheap' TAG. Anyway, lets get into the ultimate number one most perfect top ten Formula 1 list I have personally ever seen.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 by Casual Dude Reviews

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 Series Quartz

You know, I kinda thought my days of buying cheap, quartz powered eBay bargains were over, especially since I'd gone to the trouble of cleansing my collection in order to raise to funds to buy bigger and better things. But, sometimes you just want to buy something new, and after the massive disappointment of the 'grey' dial Link Calibre S I turned to eBay for a quick fix of silver dial perfection.

Y'see, a few weeks back I caught sight of (what I'm 99% sure was) a WK1112 in the window of my local H&T and it looked jolly nice. I don't really remember the finer details, but I think it was one of the later ones with the polished '12' rather than the lumed '12', but mostly I remember the silver dial sparkling in the sunlight. In fact my first port of call was the H&T website, but the watch in question had been sold, and so I turned to eBay.

Now as we all know, Ebay buying is fraught with problems, especially if you want something newer and especially if it costs less than £1500. That price point is the threshold where eBay's authenticity service kicks in. Now whether you trust it or not is another matter, but the fact that it exists at all is enough to deter some fakers and it's funny how many £3000+ watches you can buy on eBay for under £1500.... but I wasn't anticipating spending anything like that and since older fake 2000s are pretty terrible I wasn't too worried.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300 Professional by Casual Watch Reviews

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver

 

Back in 2022 TAG Heuer relaunched their hard-core dive watch in the guise of the 'Superdiver', a 45mm Aquaracer with a grade 5 titanium case, 1000M of water resistance, an integrated helium escape valve and a fancy crown mechanism. On top of all that it came complete with a Kenissi manufactured (sort of) in-house movement (the TH30-00, which is carried over into these models incidentally).

It looked pretty cool, but at 45mm it was absolutely HUGE on the wrist and also very expensive (only those short lived solid gold Aquaracers cost more IIRC) both of which negatively impacted its sales potential. First they tried giving away an orange rubber strap to stimulate interest and then it started falling in price (something practically unheard of in the Swiss watch world), but seemingly to no avail, and after a few short years in the catalogue it was sent to Bicester and deleted from the website.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Link Quartz by Birth Year Watches

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 & Pastel Formula 1 Solargraphs

TAG Heuer Boutique / Leicester, 4th May 2026

It's been a while since I'd visited the Leicester TAG Heuer boutique, and if I remember correctly last time it felt like a bit of a waste of time (compared to Sheffield and Milton Keynes) as it's quite small and generally doesn't seem to get the new watches very quickly. So I was quite surprised to find they had all five of the new limited edition 'pastel' Formula 1 Solargraphs and the new left-hand crown, titanium cased Monacos in stock (two out of three anyway), even if the watches I really wanted to try on (the latest versions of the Super Diver) were nowhere to be seen.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer Review by Casual Dude Review

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by Albert AMG

Today we are joined by another 'Council of Considered Opinion' member, Albert AMG (who is currently on a high as his beloved Mercedes F1 team are crushing the WCC with Kimi Antonelli also leading the driver's championship). Albert is a moderator at the excellent THF Forum, has a splendid assemblage of TAG Heuer watches and is just one tourbillon module away from completing the entire Connected MKII collection! I'm sure he'll get there one day, but in the meantime here's Albert's TOP 10 Formula 1s...

ALBERT: Hi Rob, thanks for inviting me to take part. It was really difficult to choose just 10 models, others that I also really like didn't make the cut. Since Ayrton Senna is my all-time favourite driver, and the reason my passion for TAG Heuer started (because of his S/el), it's perhaps not surprising that the top 4 on the list are Senna Special Editions!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Random Rob

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 'Pastel' Limited Editions

Some time last year I was talking to a sales rep in the Milton Keynes TAG Heuer boutique and he told me (in that way that you can pretty much tell that what he was saying is 'the official company line') that the brand just make watches in different sizes and anyone can wear them regardless of sex. That's fine, of course. But these new pastel 38mm Formula 1s are quite 'feminine' looking and historically TAG Heuer mostly made their pastel Formula 1s in the 28mm 'ladies' size... so the temptation to brand these new Formula 1s 'ladies' watches is strong.

But with a diameter of 38mm, they are rather large for a lot of ladies and, by the bye, I can't help think that the fact that they've released this collection in these colours now rather puts the kybosh on any hope that maybe TAG Heuer were planning to release a smaller version of the F1 Solargraph any time soon... because if they were, you'd think they would have kept these colourways back for that wouldn't you?

  

So it's quite difficult to look at these objectively, because I'm not sure if they are supposed to appeal to me or if I should look at them as 'ladies' pieces? I mean I've covered plenty of 'ladies' pieces before and my wife has lots of beautiful watches that I can admire while knowing that they wouldn't suit me. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph by Birth Year Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 Chronographs

And so Watches & Wonders 2026 came around and to literally no one's great surprise it turned out that those Monaco wall clocks that we'd seen in the F1 paddocks were indeed 'leaks in plain sight' just as expected! But how would the Heueristas react to this? A new 'Calibre 11' style (read - left hand crown) movement and reshaped case but now wearing a TAG Heuer badge. 

Sacre bleu indeed! 

Not that it bothered me of course, in fact I'd always preferred the Calibre 12 Monaco because of the TAG Heuer branding and the right hand crown (yes, really), but I always wished it had the horizontal hour markers from the Calibre 11 instead of the weird (radial) batons. So now I've got two out of three, but the crown is still on the wrong side of the case. Hey ho.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 1000 Series Quartz by Birth Year Watches

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Japanese Cherry Blossom' Limited Editions

I've always rather liked black mother of pearl dials, indeed I recall seeing a Calibre 16 Carrera with a black MOP dial at Bicester Village many years ago and being rather taken with it. But it always struck me as a dial for someone with a decent sized watch collection, because I don't think I'd want one if I only had a few watches. But each to their own of course, if you only have one watch and it's got a black MOP dial and you love it then more power to you! I do remember not that long ago a lovely black MOP dial Carrera appearing on the Watchfinder website, I must admit I was rather tempted but at the time I was saving for my Carrera 160 and I think the Carrera was 39mm not 41mm too, so I let it go.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Night Diver' by The 1916 Watch Co Reviews

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'Harrods' Limited Edition Chronograph

  

TAG Heuer Boutique / Harrods, London 19th March 2026

The TAG Heuer 'boutique' in the Harrods department store is like no other that I've ever been in. In fact it doesn't really feel like you're in a TAG Heuer boutique at all because it lacks most of the usual stylings of other TH boutiques: the Monaco wall clock, the Steve McQueen pictures, the racing helmets and books, etc. Additionally, unlike the flashy AP, Rolex, Vacheron and Hublot boutiques found nearby it shares a small room with other brands such as Zenith, Tudor and (gasp) Bremont! And oddly, even though it was redone recently, it still feels kind of temporary somehow. Which is weird; like a store cupboard that's been turned into additional retail space or something... 

Anyway, I hadn't actually planned to go to Harrods today, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill between appointments and decided to head there as it was near where I had lunch (The Scarsdale Tavern in Edwardes Square, not bad at all and ideally situated if you happen to be visiting the Design Museum). At first I didn't really see anything very interesting, certainly nothing like the array of treats you generally find in the 'flagship' Oxford Street store, but then I caught sight of the new 'beige' Seafarer (not for me, that one) and much more interestingly the Harrods Limited Edition Carrera that I wrote about last year.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox 41mm by Bruce Williams

 

FEATURE: My Top 10 Formula 1s by Mspeedster

Today we have a visual treat in store as we once again invite a guest to share their 'TOP 10' Formula 1s. Mspeedster is a regular over at THF Forums and the fourth person to share their picks so far and we're certainly seeing some variety! Which is great, though it might make it a bit tricky to assemble an ultimate top ten (though it's early days yet, I will worry about that nearer to Christmas). 

Don't forget, if you'd like to see the other posts in this series honouring the 40th anniversary of the Formula 1 you can do so simply by clicking on the banner at the bottom of this page.

Over to you, Mspeedster:

VIDEO: Heuer Monza '40th Anniversary' Chronograph by The 1916 Watch Co Reviews

FIRST QUARTER ROUND UP: New Pieces (Jan/Mar)

 

By this time next week we'll be knee deep in Watches & Wonders and presumably we'll know for sure whether or not those slightly odd looking, left hand crown, TAG Heuer branded Monaco clocks they keep putting up in the Grand Prix paddocks were a massive (hiding in plain sight) leak or just a weird way of advertising a watch that doesn't actually exist. My feeling is (and has been for some time) that it is the former, because why on Earth would you do that otherwise?

Well, soon the truth will be known and doubtless there will be tons of other new models released that need looking at too. But as I have said many times before I simply cannot keep spending all my time looking at new watches and ignoring the rich and varied history of the brand, so I will be very selective about which ones are featured and given C.O.C.O. 'First Impressions' scores... otherwise we'll be reading about nothing else until June!

But obviously I still want to make sure everything is covered, so to combat this overload of 'new release' posts I've decided to do quarterly round ups (rather than just one 'half-year' one) to keep you up to speed. So with that said, let's start by looking at the watches that we haven't previously spoken about...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 'Mastering Time' Book... Hard Pass by Hobby of Hours

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Wempe' Limited Edition Chronograph

One of the nicer Carreras of recent times has to have been the 'Swiss Alps' tourbillon that came out in a limited run of fifty pieces back in 2024. Despite being hampered by being a 'glassbox' this one fared rather well with the 'Council of Considered Opinion', scoring a creditable 6.5 on release (falling slightly to a 6.3 at the end of the year) and to me it was a no brainer that the blue/silver 'panda' would return at some point... and hopefully without the dirty great hole in the dial needed for the tourbillon. 

And sure enough, here it is (kind of), albeit once again in a limited run of fifty for the German luxury watch retailer 'Wempe'. Which seems a little odd to me, because surely it's easier to sell 50x 39mm chronographs than 50x tourbillons, no?*

*And no, it's not just 50x watches in Germany because I am reliably informed that Wempe operates in the US too.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Skipper' by Random Rob

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Glassbox' Rattrapante Chronograph

I guess this was inevitable wasn't it? Having engineered a new Rattrapante movement for the Monaco a couple of years ago it was an obvious move to slide it into a Carrera case at some point and here it is. Are you excited? Does it make your balls tingle? What if I tell you that it costs in excess of £100,000? No, I don't understand why either... but we'll gloss over that, because what's the point of moaning about it. It wouldn't make any difference if it was half that, I still couldn't afford to buy it and given there's no real reason a split seconds chronograph should cost this kind of money given that you can get them for a fraction of the cost from other manufacturers, we have to kind of treat these watches as TAG Heuer's 'Richard Mille' models. Strategically overpriced to appeal to the kind of people that will only buy a watch if they know other people can't afford them...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 6000 Series Quartz Watch by Birth Year Watches

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 Searacer Velcro Strap

 

Years ago I managed to get hold of a leaflet for the 2000 Searacer, which showed that the watch could be purchased either on a bracelet or on a black sailcloth strap, but also that there was a red velcro strap available which came in a pouch with a strap changing tool. I remember a long time ago I enquired about the black sailcloth strap and being told that it had been discontinued. I don't think I ever asked about the red velcro strap as I thought that there was zero chance of that still being available...

But then a few weeks ago a new forum member at TH Forums contacted me and told me that she had ordered a 2000 Searacer from Japan and that she had already got hold of the red velcro strap for it directly from TAG Heuer. Interesting!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Ladies Link by Birth Year Watches

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by Daniel Lo

Welcome to the latest in our series celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the TAG Heuer Formula 1. Last year Daniel interviewed me for his website 'grandprixwatches.com', so when I came up with the idea of doing this 'Top Ten Formula 1s' thing, and seeing that Daniel is a rabid Formula 1 fan, who better to ask to join in than him? 

So without further ado, it's over to you Daniel... and don't forget you can find all the 'Formula1@40' posts by clicking on the banner at the foot of this post. 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2011/2012

 

NOT BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Link Calibre S Chronograph

Considering how many watches I've owned over the last ten years (70+ all of which have been TAG Heuers) it's perhaps somewhat remarkable that I've only ever owned one Link. I mean, that's one more than the number of Autavias I've owned... or Monacos... or Monzas, Silverstones, Airlines, Titaniums, 1000 Series or indeed Connecteds. But given how freely available affordable quartz Links are (and have been) on eBay since I got into the hobby it still feels a little odd that I've only owned one. 

That was a Link Searacer that I searched high and low for and eventually found for a bargain price on the H&T website, having dropped from £995 to £750 and finally to £495 (IIRC) when I finally snapped it up. It was an odd watch, which is probably what I liked about it, but for some reason I never really 'loved' it. It was rather bulky somehow and the lack of micro adjustment bothered me as the bracelet was always too tight or too lose and while sometimes I liked its dial, sometimes the weird layout looked kinda ugly. I eventually parted with it for around the same price as I paid for it... so perhaps it wasn't that great of a bargain after all!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 1500 Series Quartz by Birth Year Watches

 

INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer 2000 CK111R Searacer

Recently I was talking to someone about the CK111R they had just bought and offered to send them a scan of my booklet, only to find when I dug it out that it was only printed in Japanese! This made some sense as I imported the watch from Japan a few years ago and since I had already owned the Link Searacer I didn't need to use the manual myself. So while I'm sure I would have looked at it when I opened it, I never needed to refer to it so I forgot all about it.

I tried looking for a copy online, but to no avail (though I did at least find out that the movement is a modified version of the ETA 251.262 called the 251.262R). 

Using my booklet for another watch which contains the normal 251.262 and my knowledge of using the Link and 2000 Series Searacers, I have compiled these notes which I hope will prove helpful to someone in the future, since this another one of those watches which must be very confusing if you don't have a manual!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'David Guetta' Special Edition Quartz GMT by The 1916 Watch Company Reviews