SPOTLIGHT ON: Formula One Quartz Watch (Variations on a Theme)

WAH1113.FT6025     WAH1116.FT6024     WAH1110.FT6024

Buying a watch on price could be a recipe for disaster, but that's exactly what I did when I bought my WAH1110.FT6024. I wanted a TAG Heuer I could wear every day, a watch I liked but didn't covet enough to be too afraid to wear it to work. And so I looked around and spotted a Formula One quartz for just £450, and (strap aside) I couldn't have been happier with it. Indeed there was a brief moment in time where I wanted to put it in the cabinet with the others, because it was in such good condition when it arrived (better than anticipated). But I was strong, and I've worn it everyday for months now and it still looks just as good as the day it arrived.

It was only after I bought my watch that I found out there were two other versions of (essentially) the same watch, the WAH1113 which has a khaki dial and strap, and the WAH1116 which is the same as mine but with orange numerals and hands rather than white (and red).

Mine is definitely the most 'regular' looking of the three, but given the choice would I swap? Well the first thing to mention is that they all have the same rubber strap with the same crappy clasp, and while the WAH1110 and the WAH1116 strap could be swapped out for the BT0714 buckle-type strap, doing that on the WAH1113 is a bit pointless as the BT0714 strap isn't available in khaki.

But for the purposes of this post we'll ignore that (I think there is a different clasp available to fit the FT6024/FT6025 strap anyway, so it's not a completely unsurmountable problem) and focus on the aesthetics of each watch.

WAH1113.FT6025

Starting with the WAH1113, I'm still undecided as to how I feel about this one. On first look it was kinda 'Oh wow, that's cool', but the more I look at it the more I'm unsure. It's almost as though I'm looking for the 'Action Man' logo on the dial, which isn't really what you want in a watch that costs nigh on £1000. The colour makes it look a little 'plasticy' somehow, like a toy, not a luxury watch. So while I like it as a novelty, I certainly wouldn't swap my WAH1110 for it.

That said the white looks really good against the khaki dial, and if you were a military type, or if you favour a military aesthetic, then this could be just the watch for you. It's just not me somehow.

WAH1116.FT6024

I must admit, on first sight I did have a pang of disappointment that there was a watch just like mine but with a more colourful dial. I mean that's a pretty unusual dial right there, how many TAG Heuer's can you name that look anything like that? I'm a sucker for colours on a watch (the yellow hands sold me on the Aquagraph for heaven's sake) and this looks really cool. But is it too much orange? Seeing the way the (small amount of) white and orange works together on the dial, I would like to see this watch but with a more equal colour combination, perhaps the minute track in white, or maybe a white second hand? Just something to tone it down a touch, without killing the impact completely.

WAH1110.FT6024

In the end, I have to say, though I do really like the orange version, I think of the three I would choose the one I've actually got. Indeed, though I bought it on price initially, I don't think of this as a 'beater' watch, I think of this as an equal part of my collection and even though I do wear it everyday, if it got damaged I would definitely be on the lookout for a direct replacement. The red text and second hand are the perfect splash of colour on an otherwise monochrome dial, and though the numerals look slightly odd at first (placed inside the minute track), once you get used to them this watch looks pretty damn good, and the lume is killer.

ON THE WRIST: Aquaracer Quartz 1/10 Second Chronograph

CAY111B.BA0927

Beaverbrooks / Leicester 27th December 2016

Looking in Beaverbrooks window yesterday it was actually quite hard to summon the enthusiasm to try anything on. A sea of steel bracelets with black/grey faces, with nary a coloured dial in sight. Take away the Heuer01 skeleton and things I've tried on before (a sole blue dialed Monaco) and there wasn't a lot to get excited about. 

So I picked this quartz Aquaracer, mainly because it was blue and found it nice enough, but not nice enough to get my money out. The first thing I noticed was how light it felt, it's a good sized watch but it doesn't have the heft you'd imagine. The second thing I noticed was the bracelet pulling the hairs out of my arms (an immediate red flag), but of course there is always a rubber strap version to fall back on if needs be (or if not then one can always purchase a rubber strap).

As it was quartz, the watch was going and I tried the pushers. I'm not sure what was going on with it, to be honest. It only seemed to count the 1/10ths of a second for the first minute and then it stopped. Also the pushers didn't function in the way I expected, with the subdial hands moving to random positions on each push. In the end I managed to reset it, if I'd been more serious about buying the watch I would have asked the salesgirl to explain the function.... it was almost as if it kept going when you stopped it and then jumped to the next time when you pressed the bottom pusher again.

The blue bezel is enamel rather than ceramic (so they told me) and it looks very nice with the steel case and bracelet, it certainly looks a bit more exciting than the black version which sat next to it in the window, that one looks too much like my Aquagraph. The clasp was okay, with a diving extension and not much in the way of micro adjustment. I asked if the holes were for adjustment and she said yes, but I'm not 100% sure they are, they may be the retaining holes for the diving extension like on the Aquagraph. Speaking of the Aquagraph, this is also 43mm but looks bigger than the Aquagraph, I think that watch has a smaller glass and is definitely a good bit thicker (which gives the illusion of being smaller).

I don't know whether I am a partucularly thuggish looking type, but I noticed that when the salesgirl fetched the watch out of the window she was talking to this tall guy who kept casting suspicious glances my way. Eventually he made his way to where I was sitting and when he noticed I was holding the Heuer 01 I had just taken off, his whole demeanour changed and he flipped into sales mode. It doesn't really bother me, I just find it rather hilarious. I suppose they do have to be careful, and on the whole I find Beaverbrooks staff to be agreeable and much better than those in Goldsmiths (or the Leicester Goldsmiths anyway!)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Carrera Heuer01 Chronograph Full Black Matt Ceramic

CAR2A91.BH0742

Another day, another variation on the Heuer 01 skeleton theme, but this one is pretty cool. To me it looks so much nicer than it's 'steel' counterpart, the transition from bracelet to case looks less clunky (although the rubber bracelet is still streets ahead in this particular area) and the full black treatment really works here. 

While essentially a ceramic watch, this is actually built around a steel core to allow for precision fixing of parts and threads (I wonder if the Omega Dark Side of the Moon is full ceramic then?), the bracelet is ceramic though and gives this model a unique look. After all, you can count the number of black bracelet TAG Heuer's available on the fingers of one hand, it would be nice if they keep it that way though and don't start making everything with a black bracelet.

Cost is CHF7,000 which equates to about £5500 ($6800) and there is a rubber strap version available which is a fair bit cheaper, this retails for CHF5,000 (£4000 / $4900) which in effect means the strap costs £1500! Wow, that is one expensive bracelet. 

Obviously, this isn't for me as I own the original Heuer 01 skeleton and I wouldn't want two similar watches in such a small collection as mine, but I do like it a lot and if I didn't own the one I do I think I would consider this a possibility for purchase. It would certainly be interesting to see it on the wrist, and I think if you're going to go for this then you might as well go the whole hog and get the bracelet as well.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Formula One 24 Calibre S

CAH7011.BA0850

I came across one of these for sale on Watch Finder the other day, four years old and offered at £905 (bit of an odd amount don't you think?) with a RRP of £1450, it seems like rather a good deal. Not only do you get the cool Calibre S hybrid movement (as seen in the yellow Aquaracer I posted about the other day), with this you also get a touch of the TAG 'Gulf' look as well.

Not too sure what the significance of the 24 is on the dial, maybe it's just an echo of the Monaco 24 styling? But whatever, it's just another little detail which is making me consider very carefully whether I should be adding this one to my collection. That is one very cool dial after all... so different and unique, with such a great combination of colours.

My only concern is the size, at 44mm I'm not sure how it will look on the wrist. It will probably be okay, the Heuer01 is 45mm after all, But I suspect this will be somewhat thinner which can make it look a bit 'dinner platey'. 

Inevitably, I'm already thinking about rubber straps for this, I would assume the lug width will most likely be 22mm on a 44mm case, so the strap from my WAH1110-0 won't fit. But I'm sure TAG make something very similar in a 22mm width.

Annoyingly, Watchfinder have recently sold a slightly newer model for £150 less, which if nothing else gives me pause for thought. Maybe I can find one a little cheaper elsewhere?

SPOTLIGHT ON: Autavia Chronograph (2003 Re-issue)

CY2111.BA0775

With the re-issue of the Autavia coming sometime in 2017, I was interested to find out that the model had been re-issued (briefly) once before. I only realised this when I was scouring through the old catalogues for my GALLERY BLOG, probably because it seems the Autavia was anything but a success and was withdrawn after only two years in production.

The watch was made in three versions, the black/orange version above, a white/blue version and a limited edition of 150 pieces made in gold with a white face. I don't know about you, but for me the dial of the gold version absolutely screams 'Rolex Daytona'.

CY5140.FC8158

Actually I rather like the dial, but I'm not really a gold watch kind of person, and then there's the thing which puts me off all three watches - the case. I guess if you are a fan of the Omega Speedmaster II then you might find this appealing, but for me it's too retro and cushiony. Which is a shame because the dials of all three watches are quite stylish and would look great in a round case. I think the white/blue version is my favourite of the three, and a quick Google suggests that you could pick one up for about £2600. Not sure what the retail price was in 2003, but they've probably been a fair investment.

CY2110.BA0775

Apparently, the new 2017 Autavia is going to be branded 'Heuer' rather than 'TAG Heuer', which makes total sense as this could have been one of the causes of the last re-issue failing. It will sit nicely alongside the 40th anniversary Monza and the 'Heuer' branded Monacos in the range and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's a huge success this time.

I believe the price is likely to be around the same price as the Monza as well (about £4000), which puts it well out of my comfort zone, even if I could get past the case. Who knows, maybe when I actually get to see a new one in the jewellers window it will change my mind. I doubt it, but you never know. 

Read about the original Heuer Autavia on Calibre 11

http://www.calibre11.com/ultimate-guide-to-the-vintage-heuer-autavia/

Read about the TAG Heuer Autavia on Calibre 11

http://www.calibre11.com/tag-heuer-autavia-reedition/

Owners review of the CY2110.BA0775 by 'Heuerville'
https://heuerville.wordpress.com/2011/08/13/tag-heuer-autavia-siffert-cy2110/

BUYING EXPERIENCE: Aquagraph 500M Watch

CN211A.BA0353

Back in 2014, I wasn't nearly as 'educated' about watches as I am now. Not that I'm any sort of expert now you understand, but back then it never even occurred to me that you could buy a watch with a mechanical movement... I know, sounds ridiculous doesn't it! Embarrassing as it is to admit, I thought it important to share this with you as it gives some context to my buying experience for this watch.

It all happened very quickly. I'd had my Formula One Kirium for about ten years at this point and still loved it, but also kind of wanted another one. Then one day my wife informed me that we had an insurance policy which was maturing and would give each of us a windfall of £1700. She suggested that we should do something with the money rather than just putting it into our savings, and quicker than you can say 'diamond spot' she was cruising the internet for watches, eventually settling on a Formula One Ceramic with diamonds for about £1400.

My original plan was to visit Bicester, buy a Formula One for about £900 and wear it every day (saving my Kirium as a dress watch), and pocketing the balance of about £600! Of course it didn't work out like that...

I did go to Bicester, but found the selection of Formula One watches on offer a bit underwhelming. But then, right at the far end of the case, was the Aquagraph. It was easily the coolest watch in the shop (that was a reasonable price anyway) and I absolutely loved it. I'd never heard of it before, never seen one, but it's presence was obvious. 

It was priced at £2100 (reduced from £3000) which meant that rather than pocketing a nice little wad of cash, if I wanted to buy it I needed to add a further £400 to my insurance money. That was a hard pill to swallow at the time, but once I'd seen that watch I had no interest in anything else available and I just knew that if I didn't buy it I'd regret it.

The F1 Kirium had been the same, once I'd seen it I knew it was 'the one' and I knew that compromising and buying a cheaper watch would be a mistake. That approach had stood me in good stead, and continues to do so. So I walked around Bicester Village for an hour mulling it over in my head before finally going back and purchasing my first dive watch.

It was only after they had sized the bracelet for me that they started talking to me about winding the watch... oh, er right, no battery then? Who spends £2100 on a watch because it looks nice? Me, that's who. :) It was only afterwards that I realised just what a cool and unique watch I had bought (admittedly by luck rather than by judgement!) and I still love it to this day.

Of course, I would never buy a watch like that nowadays. But even so, I can't think of anything that was available at the time for the money that would have been better. I suppose it really was a case of a 'fool' and his money being easily parted - but without a hint of regret and a very lucky outcome for me! 

Needless to say I didn't wear the Aquagraph every day, and it lived in the drawer with the Kirum. In fact it would be another eighteen months before I got my hands on an 'every day' TAG.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Goodwood Festival of Speed Carrera Collection

CV2A1J.FC6301   CV201AE.FC6233   CV201AD.FC6323

This collection was released in 2012 and features one day/date Carrera in 43mm, and two date only models with a diameter of 41mm. All three use the Calibre 16 movement, although the 43mm is the only one to say as much on the dial. 

As it happens, I've already written about the day/date version as I tried it on in October when I visited the TAG boutique in Cheshire Oaks. I wasn't terribly struck on it then, and to be honest I haven't changed my mind much. I don't know what it is about that orange stripe, but it just doesn't seem to work. With so many interruptions to it's outline and the confusing extra orange part around the left hand sub-dial, it ends up looking a bit of a mess. Perhaps a very thin white line along the edges would have defined it so much better, especially as the contrast between the orange and grey doesn't seem anything like as pronounced as you would expect.

CV2A1J.FC6301

Yes, I agree, this picture makes it look a lot better... but still, just losing the sub dial ring would have been a great improvement in my opinion. I won't say too much more about this one as I've already reviewed it (link at the bottom of the page).

Moving on, we come to the CV201AE.FC6233, which has the horizontal band, and to be honest I'm not terribly sure about this one either. I didn't notice until I looked at a closer picture, but that orange stripe just looks odd.

CV201AE.FC6233

Perhaps if it had been a narrower band of orange and it had been above and below the white it would have looked better, more balanced. As it is it's a nice idea that doesn't quite work for me. It's a shame because it's a nice layout with the Goodwood and TAG logos nicely centred on the white portion, but the very symmetrical design only serves to highlight the fact that the orange part looks odd. The white works really nicely with the two black subdials, but I think if they really wanted to have that orange at the bottom they should have treated the middle stripe as one element and centred it on the dial, as it is the white is central and the orange is closer to the 4 and 8 markers than the top of the white is to the 10 and 2 markers, which emphasizes the wrongness of it in my opinion. It's one of those things that would bug the hell out of me if I owned this watch I think.

CV201AD.FC6233

Lastly we come to least unusual looking of the three watches, and maybe it's no coincidence that it looks the best of the three. Strange really, because I'm usually all for something different! This one seems to have been better thought out than the other two, and the smaller 9 O'Clock subdial works well with the white stripe down the left side. Placing a stripe down a round face is a tricky thing, and it looks like it's slightly further to the left than would be ideal, but taking into account the placement of the subdials it's the best compromise available.

All three watches were made in a limited quantity of 250 pieces, and on balance I'd have to say the CV201AD is the one I would buy. It's just a shame because if the stripe was centred as I suggested I think the CV201AE would be by far the most interesting choice.

My 'On the Wrist' post about the CV2A1J.FC6301
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/on-wrist-carrera-calibre-16-chronograph.html

More on these three watches on Calibre 11
http://www.calibre11.com/goodwood-festival-of-speed-carrera/

SPOTLIGHT ON: Aquaracer Calibre S Chronograph

CAF7013.FT8011

I thought, for a change, I would talk about a watch that I really like just as it is, and one which I am seriously thinking about purchasing (although having said that I notice that Watch Finder have now sold the one they had the other week).

My big problem with most Aquaracers, or at least the steel ones, is that they look too much like the Aquagraph. But this one, having a yellow dial and and a split bezel, is distinct enough to make it a viable option. I don't have any watches with any significant amount of yellow on (the Aquagraph does have two yellow hands but that's all), and I don't any watches with the Calibre S movement either. 

The movement intrigues me. I'm not really looking to buy quartz watches, but this is a hybrid movement which is both mechanical and quartz. I love the idea that the stopwatch uses the main hands and resumes the correct time when not in use. One thing I really love about my F1 Kirium is when you wake it up from battery sleep it spins around to the correct time. Really, really cool.

I've kind of wanted a yellow dial watch for a long time, but every one I saw ended up looking a bit 'cheap'. Yellow can be a difficult colour to get right, and to be fair I haven't seeen this in the flesh either, but in the pictures it looks good. I guess we've all seen enough yellow dialed 'Ferrari' watches to make us think twice, right? The black outline around the hands and markers makes for a great contrast, much better than solid black would have been I think, and black is the perfect colour for the sub dials too.

I can't remember how much Watch Finder were selling the one they had for, but they give the list price as £1750, so I think £1300 would be about right. At that kind of money it's very tempting, and a quick Google tells me that the FT8011 strap is a straightforward buckle affair so nothing to worry about in that department either. Hmm.. I'm really wishing I'd bought it now. 

ON THE WRIST: Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph Nismo Special Edition

CV2A82.FC6237

TAG Boutique / Bicester 2nd April 2016

Obviously this was some time ago now, so my recollections will be less than completely vivid. I think the price for this was somewhere between £2600-2900, and the fact that I tried it on and was considering buying it suggests it was probably at the low end of that price range. This, of course, would have killed my chances of owning the Heuer 01 any time soon, so I'm glad I didn't buy it.

Having said that, a quick forage suggests the list price of this watch is (rather shockingly) £4000, which puts it in the same territory as the Heuer 01 and the Monza, and I know which one of those three I'd put last in a head to head!

I do like the 'minute' markers on the dial, but as I've said before, for some reason they never show up very well and the dial always ends up looking dark and hard to read. It's such a shame because the design is great, it's just the execution that lets it down a bit. The grey stripe is quite cool and the subtle red stripe to the side is a nice touch, although it could be said that this watch is a tad overloaded with red highlights. There's the Nismo logo on the bezel, the stitching on the strap, the back of the strap is completely red, the subdial hands a re red, the top pusher, the chrono hand... even the 'Calibre 16' text is red. I like red on watches (a lot), but this seems to be verging on overkill.

As you'd probably expect, this watch carries the Calibre 16 movement which is (sort of visible) through the glass caseback. Ah yes, the caseback. This is another one of those 'display' backs that doesn't really display very much at all. As you can see below, a large percentage of the glass is covered with the 'Nismo' logo which rather renders the whole exercise slightly pointless.

I've never really got on with these straps, they always seem a bit odd. Very smooth and 'synthetic' feeling, I know there's a Carrera with the tyre tread rubber strap and it seems a missed opportunity not to have put it on this watch, especially as Nismo is Nissan's racing arm. Actually, when you take a look at the car this watch was tied in with, it's amazing it manages to look as nice as it does, because boy is that thing UGLY!

NISSAN GT-4 LM NISMO

I know I'm getting to be a bit of a broken record, wanting the tyre tread strap on everything, but come on, this time I'm right aren't I? It's a watch to celebrate a racing car, so let's have the tyre tread strap please.

Leaving that aside, I can't help but wonder just how well this sells outside of Japan. I mean let's be honest, Nissan is not a 'luxury' brand and nor is it 'aspirational' in any sense whatsoever. As we can see above, even their racing cars are hideous. I'm not really grasping what TAG are getting out being a Nismo 'partner', I suppose it bolsters their standing in Asia (very important these days as we know), and thankfully they haven't taken any inspiration from the actual car (the way watch companies often like to say they have), but really...

As it happens the car was troublesome and while designed as a hybrid (using very narrow back wheel) it was debuted at Le Mans with the hybrid system disengaged. After Le Mans (where the car had a lot of technical problems) Nissan pulled out of the remaining five races in the WEC to concentrate on refining the car, before pulling out of the series altogether for 2016 as it wasn't confident it could get the car to perform adequately and in line with their expectations. In other words, they didn't want to embarrass themselves!

A bit of a damp squib then really, perhaps they should have waited to make the watch to see if the car was actually any good or not? Still hindsight is a wonderful thing I suppose...

ON THE WRIST: Carrera Chronograph Calibre 1887

CAR2110.FC6266

Goldsmiths / Leicester 17th Dec 2016

Ah, my 'favourite' watch retailers, Goldsmiths in Leicester. While I very much doubt I will ever buy a watch from them, I might as well use them to try watches on now and again, and the young lad in there did seem to know a bit more than Captain Clownshoes who served me last time. Compare and contrast with Tarrats in Market Street (sadly not a TAG Heuer agent) who were fantastic this morning when we went in there to enquire about purchasing a 'Tudor Clair de Rose'.

Anyway, enough bitching. This Carrera was one of the better items they had in their cabinet today and so I gave it a few minutes on the wrist. Priced at £3400, this watch is quite classy and understated (wot no orange ring on the crown - booo) which is more than can be said for me. At 41mm it actually feels a bit small, and it's rather thick with it. I do like the design but maybe a 43mm would be more 'me'. It wasn't as if I was wearing my Heuer 01 this morning either.

As you would expect, there is a clear display back which shows off the Calibre 1887 movement. I'm struck again by the 'silverness*' of this movement, I got the same impression in London when I tried on the pre-owned CAR2A10 in Watches of Switzerland (Oxford Street) last month. This particular CAR2110 comes on a leather strap (actually I just visited the wonderful new TAG website to get some more information but despite the picture clearly showing a leather strap, it claims it has a 'fine brushedl (sic) and polished steel) which is fitted with a polished metal deployment clasp. The clasp looked pretty marked actually and if I was to be one of these I would certainly be asking for a new one from out the back thank you very much!

If I was the kind of guy who wore a suit everyday, then this would be something I might consider, but would probably pass over in favour of something a little less 'bland'. It's definitely a bit on the small side for my 7" wrist and perhaps another couple of millimeters on the diameter would have helped when it came to the thickness of the case as well.

On balance, if I had to buy one of the two watches I tried on this morning, I think I would have to go with the pre-owned 4000 Series, as it would be a good everyday beater and it wouldn't empty my bank account. But this is still a nice watch, just not for me. At least not yet, maybe in another fifteen years...

*(Hard to explain, it all looks very silver, very uniform. Actually it looks a lot like aluminium)

ON THE WRIST: 4000 Series Quartz Watch

WF1120-0

Robinsons Jewellers / Leicester 17th Dec 2016

Happened to be walking down the street in Leicester and noticed a selection of pre-owned watches in this jewellers window. There was a nice Brietling Superocean for less than £2000 which caught my eye, and lots of Rolexes and a few TAGs, including an Aquaracer and right in the corner tucked away in one of those 'transit' cases that people are always trying to sell on eBay there was a decent looking quartz 4000 Series.

I've never seen one before, and in the window it's hard to judge, so I half expected to be handed another tiny little 90's TAG that would look silly on my wrist. Surprisingly, it was about the same size as the WAH1110-0 Formula One that I was wearing at the time (40mm) and not only that but the bracelet was a perfect fit too. 

Comdition was pretty good (the picture isn't the actual watch I looked at), with no major dings or damage and it doesn't really look it's age at all. Maybe the bracelet and the gold bezel age it a bit, but all things considered I wouldn't be embarrassed to wear it out. 

While the bracelet was a good fit it did pull my hairs almost straight away, which is not good, and it looked like someone had used some wrong pins to repair the clasp as there were two ends sticking out which shouldn't be there. The clasp was fairly scratch free as well, but not polished.

Overall the watch looks well cared for and in original condition. The lady in the shop said they haven't done anything to it at all. No box and papers, and an asking price of £400 seemed reasonable to me, although I see from Calibre 11's guide that you should expect to pay $3-500 for a good condition piece, so maybe this is a touch overpriced? They did say they would replace the battery for me though, so that's an immediate saving of £50 or so I suppose. 

It was interesting to try on, but I don't think I would buy this one. £400 is a good chunk to take out of my TAG fund, I think I'd rather keep it intact for better things next year.

Read: The Ultimate Guide to the 4000 Series on Calibre 11

http://www.calibre11.com/tag-heuer-4000-review/

SPOTLIGHT ON: Formula One Chronograph Singapore Grand Prix Limited Edition

CAU1118.FT6024

I've never been a huge fan of this particular style of Formula One, I don't know what it is about them but they always struck me as looking a bit 'cheap' somehow. Particularly the ones with red on them and especially the red bezel version. 

However, this one I rather like. I think black and green is a very cool colour combination and one that isn't used nearly enough in watch design. So when I came across this it rather piqued my interest. As ever though, this particular model was limited to 300 pieces and so the chances of finding one are somewhat slight.

Unusually on this watch (or have I just not been paying attention?) the bottom sub dial is larger than the other two, offering a good view of the 1/10 second counter. Well as good as it can be on what is essentially a phantom watch.

This watch comes on the FT6024 strap which assuming it's the same as my WA1110-0 has a horrible clasp, so that would be ripe for replacement if I could find one. 

I can't decide if the red/green logo looks right or not, or if they should have detailed it in the same green as the chapter ring. I usually like the red/green logo, and I think it looks okay here, but at the same time a colour coded logo would have been nice too. Maybe they could have done a subtle green line around the date window as well, or am I just being greedy now?

I would definitely like to get my hands on one of these and if it was the right price I could conceivably consider adding it to my collection. Definitely a cut above the rest of this range, it's rather a pity this wasn't one of the standard models really.

ON THE WRIST: Formula One Calibre 16 Chronograph

CAZ2012.BA0970

Goldsmiths / Sheffield 26th November 2016

I tried this on the same day as the black version mentioned in the last post. This was a case of trying something on for review, rather than for my own interest. This model costs a couple of hundred quid more than the CAZ2011.FT8024, which is a little bit confusing, yes it has a bracelet rather than a rubber strap, but the CAZ2011 has titanium carbide coating which usually adds £3-400, and it's a 'Special Edition' which again adds a few quid on... all of which makes this bracelet rather expensive - don't you think?

Anyway, leaving aside the questionable pricing, this is quite a nice watch, and I particular like the the touches of red on the second hand, crown, bezel and subdials. It's a bit too 'regular' to really get me excited, especially at this price point, but it does have a certain style about it.

The ceramic bezel is pretty neat and the ceramic inserts in the bracelet set it off nicely. The bracelet definitely gives this watch a kind of 'grown-up' feeling about it, and makes a sports watch rather dressy. Unfortunately my one big beef with this watch is the clasp on the bracelet, which is the worst clasp I've seen on any watch for a very long time.

It's a horrible folding thing, that appears to be made of tin, it really is that bad, and a right faff to fasten as well. No TAG, sorry but I'm definitely not impressed with that at all. Nasty and expensive, and would put me off owning this altogether.

ON THE WRIST: Formula One Calibre 16 Chronograph

CAZ2011.FT8024

Beaverbrooks / Sheffield 26th November 2016

Priced at £2300, this is one of the more expensive watches in the 'Formula One' range. I got to try it on in Beaverbrooks on my recent visit to Sheffield and surprisingly it's not as 'chunky' as it appears. I don't know what it is about this design but it looks like it's going to be heavy and thick, which I don't mind - I have an Aquagraph after all. But it doesn't really feel like that once it's on the wrist. I can't get a case thickness measurement, but the bezel is 44mm.

I was wearing my Heuer 01 when I tried this on so that probably helped, perhaps if I had been wearing my Kirium my impression would be slightly different. I have to say though, it didn't really hold my attention for very long and I soon got to asking the lady serving me if it was possible to order the CAU2012.FT6038 which is quite similar to this but with the orange chapter ring and subdials. Sadly not, it seems I have dithered to long on that one. I have found one for sale (new) but it's a long way away and I'm not convinced enough to buy it without trying it on first.

As for this one, it seems a little dull somehow. £2300 is a good chunk of cash for a watch, and this doesn't seem to warrant the outlay. One thing I do remember about it is that the strap is seriously thick, I mean it's the thickest TAG strap I've ever tried and it feels a bit cheap and clumsy if I'm honest. Maybe it would be okay on someone with a really thick wrist but to me it felt a bit too bulky. 

I'm glad I tried it, because I do rather like black watches, but I don't think I'll be adding this one to my collection.

SPOTLIGHT ON: Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph

CAW2114.FC6177

This one is similar to the one I tried on in London last month, but not quite the same. This one doesn't have the carbon fibre dial or the red stitching on the strap, but on the plus side it's a fair bit cheaper. The limited edition CAW2119.FC6289 was about £3600 second hand (I don't have the exact list price but I'm fairly sure it was high four thousands or maybe even low five thousands) whereas this one starts life at £3950.

Sure it doesn't have quite the pizzazz of the Limited Edition, but that's a big premium to pay for a funky dial and some stitching. This watch has the same Calibre 12 movement, the exact same dial layout and the same red touches on the hands. Second hand it's likely to sell for low three thousands, and probably a lot easier to come by.

I like it, I think the Monaco's which have a touch of colour on the dial really stand out, and this one is no exception. Is it as nice as the Singapor Grand Prix limited edition with the green hands though? Good question. That one is pretty smart...

SPOTLIGHT ON: Carrera Ringmaster Limited Editions

CV201V.BA0794

Released sometime between 2010-2012 this series of limited editions are stock CV2010 Carreras, personalized for three World Champion (now ex-) McLaren drivers: Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Alain Prost with coloured chapter rings. Hamilton's Carrera (pictured above) gets a yellow ring, Prost's gets a red ring and Button's a blue ring.

I don't know if the picture is doing Hamilton's model a dis-service, but I would have thought a yellow ring would have been a bit more vibrant, perhaps a bit more like his crash helmet colour. The yellow as pictured looks rather dull and beige. I've actually seen another photo of this watch and it looks very similar, which is rather disappointing.

Thankfully the red and blue versions are much better looking, although I'm a little surprised that quadruple WDC Prost gets a limited run of 350, where Button and Hamilton each get 500 pieces. True Hamilton and Button are current drivers, but Alain Prost is F1 royalty. For me the red watch is the best looking anyway, but the fact that it is the most limited of the three just makes it even more appealing.

Interestingly the yellow on the advert looks okay, so is it just that I've seen a couple of bad photos?

Sadly these three watches were (like so many other TAG Heuer limited editions) only available in Japan, so the chances of finding them on the second hand market are perhaps even more limited than usual.

OWNED: Catalogues

I currently have eight TAG Heuer catalogues, but I am waiting for three more to arrive in the post from eBay sellers. My first catalogue was the 2003/4 catalogue (recently spotted selling for £45 - rather optimistic I think), which I got from eBay. I can't actually remember whether I bought that before or after I got my F1 Kirium, I have a feeling I got it before and then saw the Kirium in there, before I realised how much it was going to be! But of course it was too late then... I was sold.

Most of my catalogues have come from eBay, except one which came from the TAG outlet at Cheshire Oaks, and the 2015 one which came from a Beaverbrooks in Leamington Spa. Of course you don't actually need to buy the catalogues because a lot of them are available as scans on Calibre 11, but as an enthusiast it's much nicer to have them and be able to flick through them rather than looking at them on a screen, they're just nice things to have.

What I'd really like is some way to display them. Unfortunately they come in an array of different shapes and sizes so they look a bloody mess next to each other. And worst of all is that the newer catalogues are really small compared to the previous editions, although to be fair they do have decent sized photos of the watches inside and they are hard backed.

I have recently acquired a couple of catalogues from other brands, the Tudor one from Watches of Switzerland in London, is a nice large format with some great pictures inside, and then there is the Breitling catalogue I got from Goldsmiths in Milton Keynes. This one knocks all the others for six, for a start it's about an inch thick, and it's a nice chunky size as well. I still haven't really found a Breitling I love enough to purchase, but their marketing is first class.

Recently I have noticed a few 2016 TAG Heuer catalogues for sale on eBay. As yet I don't have this one, but before I buy I will strap on my Heuer 01 and make some enquiries at a few local jewellers. In this instance it really is a case of 'you don't ask... you don't get'.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Carrera Calibre 16 Chronograph

CV2A1AB.BA0738

I rather like this new Carrera, I think the changes that have been made to the dial (versus the CAR2014) give it a more modern appearance and certainly make it more appealing to someone like me. But truthfully, I am never going to buy a watch of this style, so I'm not the target audience. I wonder if the 'traditionalist' type of person will appreciate the bolder, more contemporary numerals? Maybe not so much on the watch above, but on the white dial, brown leather strap version (CV2A1AC) shown below.

CV2A1AC.FC6180

This configuration of white dial and brown leather strap screams 'tradional' and those numbers don't look 'traditional' to me. I still think they look great, and it's clear that TAG Heuer are trying to 'modernise' the look of their range and I think that's a good thing. I mean TAG Heuer are supposed to be 'Avant Garde' after all and there's not much 'Avant Garde' about a traditional watch.

I think TAG would probably like to split their brand in two, with all the 'old school' watches branded as Heuer, I think it would make sense and I think that's exactly the logic JCB would use. TAG has become a little confused in its messages over the years, wanting to be modern and cutting edge, but at the same time tied to its very popular and long standing traditional ranges such as the Monaco.

But this would undoubtedly cause some problems, since where would a watch like this fit? It's neither modern nor traditional, which may be it's undoing, or is this potential negative actually a positive? Perhaps a more modern looking 'traditional' watch is something the market has been screaming out for? Perhaps this is exactly the sort of watch for someone who likes the traditional look but doesn't like to feel 'old fashioned'? Maybe this model allows them to have their cake and eat it!

Of the other changes TAG Heuer have made, the most obvious is moving the date from within the 6 O'Clock subdial to the 3 O'Clock position and adding a day function alongside it. Although I quite like when TAG hide the dates in the sub-dials (not so much on the Aquaracers) I do think this layout looks better and adding the day function obviously wasn't possible where it was. The old model did look a bit bare on the right hand side, with just the TAG logo there and a lot of empty space around it.

The whole dial looks a lot busier as well, with a lot more markings on the sub-dials. Which again, to me, looks better, but less 'traditional' at the same time.

Read more about this range of new TAG Heuers on Calibre 11:

http://www.calibre11.com/carrera-day-date-calibre-16-43mm-cv2a1ab-cv2a1ac/

2000 Series Grand Prix Circuit Collection in Display Box

While researching for my new gallery blog, I came across this set of watches in the 'Limited Editions' thread on the Calibre 11 Forum. The set consists of five 2000 Series quartz watches, each sporting the name of a different F1 Grand Prix on the dial:

USA (CK111A-0)

Monaco (CK1116-0)

Hockenheim (CK1118-0)

Monza (CK1119-0)

Silverstone (CK1117-0)

As ever with TAG Heuer, the available information isn't that er... available. But given these are 2000 Series we can assume they are from the 90s/early 2000s, and as the US Grand Prix was not held between 1992 and 1999, I think it's safe to assume they are from the early 2000s.

The set was issued in a rather stylish box, but there seems to be some disagreement as to whether there were 300 sets made or 800 sets made. It seems there were definitely 800 of each watch made, but whether 500 of each were sold separately is unclear. It's certainly a smashing looking set, with each watch having it's own capsule, with a diagram of the circuit marked on it (clearly the US one is Indianapolis, I should have looked at that earlier as it would have told me straight away 2000 onwards).

 

Who wouldn't want to find that under their Christmas tree? I certainly would, and if you are interested in securing one of these I did managed to find one for sale which was being offered for about $3,500. That seems quite reasonable really, especially when the Monaco watch is for sale on eBay priced at £1900. And if you think about it, $3500 divided by 5 is only $700, plus you've got the box and capsules... seems quite a good deal really.

The only thing is, do you actually want five pretty similar watches in your collection? I'm not sure I do, and I would probably rather spend £3500 on a Carrera or a Monaco or something similar. That said, the watches are quite nice, I think if I had to choose one it would probably be the Hockenheim model, as I've always liked the look of the black dial on the 2000 series. 

I must admit I do like that watch companies do these sets, even if I'm not sure I would actually buy one myself. I believe Omega made a set with a ridiculous number of Speedmasters in, which contained one watch which was only available in that set (I think it's the Apollo 14 watch). 

Maybe TAG could produce a nice box with say, all the Monaco 24 watches in...? Or maybe they could update the Grand Prix box set idea with a selection of watches like the Carrera (Monaco GP), the Monaco (Singapore GP,) etc...

TAG Heuer Enthusiast Gallery Blog is 'finished'

Well, okay it's not 'finished' as it will obviously be an ongoing project, with watches being added as they are released or as they come to my attention. It's been a crazy couple of weeks, in which I have gone from an idea to a blog with 1024 watches posted on it! Needless to say I have an acute case of carpal-tunnel coming on!

I feel like I have absorbed quite a bit of information, just through repetition and I bet if you gave me a part number I would be able to have a good guess at what it was. It's been a good experience in other ways as well, since scouring the internet I have discovered quite a few watches that I had never seen before and it's making me think long and hard about my next purchase.

I will add a banner somewhere here shortly, which will take you to the Gallery Blog, but in the meantime you can click the picture at the top of this post. I hope you all enjoy it, and let me know if you know of something that's missing.

Just a little update...

I have been working very hard trying to get the gallery blog finished (well, as near 'finished' as can be reasonably expected), so I really haven't had any spare time to work on this blog. I have uploaded about 700 pictures so far and I have about another 300 in hand. Believe me I had no idea what I was taking on when I decided to start a TAG gallery. Naively, I thought maybe I could get 'every' watch on there, but I soon realised that probably wasn't realistic. But still I pushed on trying to get as many numbers as I could, squinting at scans of the catalogues I don't have on Calibre 11... rather pointlessly as it turns out as there aren't nearly as many photos of old S/EL watches on the internet as you might think, and boy is there any number of the damned things.

I did come across a few things on my travels though, some old watches I'd never seen before like the 'Aviation' and I also wasn't aware that the Autavia had been re-issued before either. I think it was just in one catalogue, about 2005ish (maybe?), three versions including a gold one. Can't say that I liked the case shape much though...

Nice dial, very nice dial in fact, but that case reminds me far too much of the ugly Omega Speedmaster II. I also rather like the 'Speedracer', that's another one I hadn't come across before.

I should be finished uploading everything by the weekend, and then it will be a case of adding things as and when. I may even add additional photos so that when you click on the main photo they will become visible - maybe things like photos of the watch back, etc..

Where possible I will also try to find better photos were necessary, because some of the photos aren't the best, particularly of the old 80s models. Speaking of the old 80s models, I've tried to get one of each range (though I know I haven't), but there's no way I'm going to be able to get each and every individual model. I'm now reliably informed that there are something like 6000 TAG Heuer watches, which I find hard to believe (but I'm sure Calibre 11 knows what he's talking about) and really I'm not that bothered about the old models that I'm going to spend too much more time on them. I may be on my own here but to me a lot of the S/ELs (in particular) are pretty foul looking things, especially the ones with leather straps.

When I'm done I will add a more prominent link on the side bar here, and then I can get back to writing some blog posts again.

FEATURE: Pricing and the Carrera Heuer 01

First of all, apologies for the lack of posts this week. I've been spending a lot of time working on the 'Gallery' blog, which I hope you've had time to look at. If not you can find it HERE. I've already posted over 400 images of TAG Heuer models, including strap variations, but there's still a lot left to do and I haven't even finished scouring the catalogues yet! 

The gallery blog is viewable in several different ways (controlled at the top left of the page), but the best is either 'snapshot' or 'flipcard' depending on how many watches you want to be able to see at once. It's not immediately apparent but at the top right of the page there is a small black area. If you move your cursor onto it it will pop out and if you click on 'labels' you will see a complete list of all the part numbers and also the model ranges available. So if you want to see all the Carrera's you can click on 'Carrera' or if you know the number you want to look at you can find it that way as well. There is a search box, but it seems to be a bit hit and miss, far better to use the labels as a search function.

Now, I've been thinking about this blog and how to continue making it better and one of the things I'm thinking about is that it seems a bit daft writing 'First Impression' posts about watches which aren't new. So what I might do is change the heading of those watches which are older to 'Spotlight On' and keep the 'First Impressions' tag for watches which are new out. I'm also thinking that I would like to try and write more 'Features', and so here we are...

Today I want to talk about 'pricing', or rather the spanner in the works that is the Heuer 01.

I suppose before I get into this I should give a bit of perspective as to my viewpoint and where I'm coming from financially. Without being too blunt about it, realistically for me a luxury watch is something I can afford to buy every 1-2 years. I bought my Heuer 01 this year, but it involved a lot of eBaying and as my CD collection is a finite resource, it was something of a one off. So being realistic about it, I'm likely to buy a watch in the £2-3000 range every couple of years (although my fund is quite healthy at the moment as I have still been eBaying since my last purchase).

The problem I have is that I tend to like watches which are towards the higher end of the scale, it must be wonderful to be head over heels in love with a quartz Formula One (and I do love my everyday F1) but for me it's usually at least £2500 and up... sometimes way up (the only Monacos I really love are the ones that cost £10k). So pricing is a big issue for me, and many other people I'm sure.

When I started getting really interested in the TAG range, there was a clear pricing hierarchy which was logical and you felt you knew where you were. But then TAG launched the Heuer 01 and JCB told us that a few years ago this watch would have been priced at £7-8000. Which is great, obviously. We all want the prices to come down so we can buy more often, but it has caused something of a crease in the logic of the TAG Heuer pricing structure.

If the Heuer 01 had been priced at £7-8000 as JCB stated, it would have made a lot more sense. But of course TAG wanted to increase their market share and what better way than to offer a lot of watch for a comparatively small amount of money. I fell in love with it the moment I saw the prototype and there was never any question that I was going to buy one, it was just a question of getting the money together. I don't think I would have felt that way if it had been priced at £7-800, I think I would have just accepted it was out of my reach and moved on.

The thing is, that since I have bought my Heuer 01 I look at other models in the TAG range and even try them on and find myself thinking that I like the watch but it's too expensive. You may have noticed this creeping into my posts a bit as well, for example the review I did on the Carrera Calibre 16 Senna. It's a nice watch, I'm not crazy about the red on the top sub-dial but overall it's something I like and would have considered in the past, but in light of the Heuer 01 it seems somewhat over-priced. 

I guess it's something that TAG will have to address over the coming years, launching new products and discontinuing old products that are now overpriced in comparison. I guess it's difficult, they can't really slash the price of everything to balance the pricing overall, not only would the customers who've purchased previously be alienated (due to second hand values falling), but the stockists would be up in arms as well. 

Another example is the Grand Carreras, which can retail up to £8000+. I know they have been discontinued (or are in the process of being discontinued) but I've seen them in the TAG boutique recently offered at £5000ish (which is a bargain, relatively speaking) but they still seem overpriced compared to the Heuer 01 skeleton. Which on the one hand I suppose bears out JCB's claim that the Heuer 01 would in the past have been launched at around that price mark. 

(Mind you, having said that I am considering snapping one up before they disappear completely - depending on funds, but then of course there are some Monaco 24s in the boutiques which are even more of a bargain...  )

It will certainly be interesting to see how TAG intend to re-balance their product range and which watches will come down in price (or be relaunched in a new format with lower prices), it's a tricky thing to pull off without annoying some of your customers. I guess it might have been advisable to try to bring the prices down more gradually rather than chucking in a hand grenade, but I'm sure Mr Biver knows what he is doing.