FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Aquaracer Calibre 7 GMT

Again, this doesn't seem to have been 'officially' announced as yet, but this photo has appeared all the same...

I actually quite like this one, or at least when I first looked at it I did, now I'm not quite sure how I feel about the red and blue on the bezel. I've always had this thing about Pepsi bezels, I really dislike the part where the red and blue joins together. It's fine on the '18' but on the '6' the join is visible inside the lower circle of the six and that kinda bugs me. I don't know why, but it always does.

Somehow the mixture of colour really accentuates the disparity between the outer dodecagon shape of the bezel and the circular interior, and I'm not sure it works quite so well as on an Aquaracer with a single colour bezel. Maybe I'm just used to seeing circular Pepsi bezels so it looks a bit odd to me?

I think this is definitely one that needs to be seen in the flesh to fully gauge how well it works, a lot could depend on the exact shades of red and blue, and I know a lot of people prefer the 'Batman' (blue/black) look rather than this configuration. I must admit I quite liked the Formula One GMT myself. And it had the added bonus of no cyclops!

Overall though, I think this is a better looking watch, though if I decided to buy one it would purely for the aesthetics as I have zero use for a GMT time piece myself.

VIDEO: Jeff Stein on the TAG Heuer Flyback Carrera

FEATURE: Baselworld 2017

At some point last year I pondered going to Baselworld 2017, but having read what other people wrote about the experience and weighing up the costs involved I decided against it. Added to that, while I could probably spend all day looking at watches I think my wife would probably get bored after an hour or two!

So, like everyone else (well, not everyone else I'm sure) I'm spending this week glued to various internet sites trying to get the latest scoop on what's being announced and what might be in stores later in the year.

And of course when it comes to getting the inside scoop on the new releases from TAG Heuer, the best place to look is naturally Calibre 11, and David has provided some great photos and insight into the new releases on his website.

I must say the Calibre 11 forum has been pretty divided on the new releases, with several people bemoaning the lack of heritage pieces and pointing at the Omega Trilogy as an example of a company who are listening to their followers. Personally I find the Omega releases as dull as dishwater, and the new Autavia really does nothing for me. Mind you, the Autavia seems to have done a fairly good job of splitting opinion on the forum as well, with some of the target audience complaining about it's modern 42mm size and non-authentic appearance.

That said, there is a special edition 'JH85' version of the Autavia coming out which looks much nicer. This has a silver dial and the large numbers on the standard Autavia bezel have been replaced with an unusual two-tier arrangement which makes it look much more modern and technical.

I still don't like the bracelet, but the difference from the standard Autavia is so clear, I think this one will sell like hot cakes. And who would have thought my Baselworld piece would open with a positive story about a 'heritage' Heuer? Not me, that's for sure.

Moving on, one which caught my eye is something that was leaked a while back, but looks even better in the official pictures. This is the LE Red Bull Carrera Heuer 01, this is available with either a bracelet or a blue stitched strap which I believe has a rubber backing.

CAR2A1K.BA0703                                             CAR2A1N.FT6100

One of the best things about this model without a doubt is that unlike the recent Manchester United editions, TAG have resisted the temptation to plaster the Red Bull logo (which lets face it isn't the best of logos - but then Manchester United's isn't exactly 'art' either) on the dial. Indeed the only reference to the Formula One team is on the smoked glass back which neatly obscures the view of the Heuer 01 movement 'Nismo' style. Yes, that was sarcasm... sorry.

I think if I was going to buy another Heuer 01, this would probably be the most likely candidate. The blue bezel looks great and I really like the Arabic numerals, which critically differentiate it from the original skeleton which I own. The red touches on the dial add that extra little oomph that makes a nice watch a very nice watch, and the red stitching on the strap picks that up nicely.

The watch is available in two sizes 43mm and 45mm, and as with the other Heuer 01 Carreras the 43mm doesn't have the PVD case. With that in mind I think I would either take the strap version in the 45mm or the bracelet in the 43mm.

Last year TAG launched the colourful Aquaracers in the Sand, Blue and Red configurations, this year they've gone a bit mad and released a Khaki dial version and a Blue/White Camo version as well. The khaki looks okay, and for once I don't even mind the strap. Can't see the point of the chromed strap retainers, they should definitely be black, but the strap as a whole does fit the whole military/Action Man aesthetic. As ever, a good option would be putting it on a plain black, rubber strap and probably even more so when it comes to the camouflague version as well, sadly that's only available on a rather disgusting strap, which, well... doesn't cut it, frankly.

WAY208E.FC8222                                                    WAY208D.FC8221

Also unveiled at the show, TAG announced a new Ayrton Senna Carrera with a Link style bracelet (the first new style Carrera to feature one, and very cool it looks too), a brace of new Carreras with Blue and Anthracite faces (expected as replacements for the outgoing 1887 models), a new carbon composite Carrera 02T (which I can't really get that excited about if I'm honest) and a new range of Lady Carreras which seem to be garnering praise on the Calibre 11 Forum, but which leave me wondering how they'll go down with their actual intended audience.

Anyway, I don't want to say too much about these watches right now, but I really look forward to seeing them in the stores and getting a closer look and reporting my findings throughout the coming months.

BUYING EXPERIENCE: Formula One Calibre 16 Chronograph

CAU2012.FT6038

TAG Heuer Outlet / Bicester Village 21st March 2017

After my extremely stressful visit to Bicester on Saturday morning, I started to think about the yellow dial Aquaracer again. I found some good pictures of it on the internet and started reappraising my decision not to buy it. 

I came to the conclusion that I hadn't bought it because I was clinging to the idea of an expensive Grand Carrera or the Monaco 24 and I felt buying something more affordable would only delay that goal. But after Saturday, I felt like maybe I should rethink that aim, and so my thoughts returned to the Aquaracer again. After all, I had included it in my top ten TAGs list in January, so surely it was worth another look, just to make sure. Even if I didn't buy it, I felt I needed to give myself one more chance to make sure I didn't regret passing it up at £980, which is a huge saving on the list price of £2175 after all...

And so I found myself driving back to Bicester this morning, trying to clear my head and take a no nonsense approach to the whole thing. On the way in it occurred to me that it might already be too late, after all they only had one piece and it could easily have been sold since Saturday morning.

CAF7013.FT8011

But no, I arrived at the store and there it was, albeit it seemed to have gone down in price to an even more bargainous £947! I was excited it was still there and that would probably have been that... but then I looked around the cabinet to see if they still had the Formula One with the grey face and the blue second hand (nope, gone already!) and spied the CAU2012 which I've been looking for forever.

I couldn't actually believe it, I had been joking with my friend the day before that I was probably going to go back and buy the yellow Aquaracer, 'unless they had the black and orange F1 in stock', and damn me here it was!

Well, to be honest, any thoughts of buying the Aquaracer went right out of the window, because I can't remember how long I've been looking for this watch. Which, to be honest, kind of gives me my answer... maybe the Aquaracer would have been a mistake after all?

Well, maybe, but I still really like it, and if the opportunity to buy comes up again (once my fund is replenished) I might still give it serious consideration. After all the Calibre-S is a unique movement and I don't currently have an example in the collection...

But on this day there was no way I wasn't going to buy the CAU2012, because as soon as I saw it I fell in love with it. If anything it looked even better than I'd hoped and the orange which sometimes appears a bit wishy washy in photos is very bold and stronger than you might imagine. It's not overly 'bright', it's more of a very deep orange, which I think it needs to be to carry off the look. Often colourful watches can look a bit cheap (even Audemars Piguets) but this one certainly doesn't.

Today's outlet price was £1715, saving me £735 off the list price of £2450, so it says on my receipt.

Truth be told as far as a 'buying experience' goes it was okay, I was in a bit of a rush to get back to work really, so it wasn't as relaxed and enjoyable as it could have been. But to be honest I really didn't care, Obviously I can't fault the price, and I got my watch, my boxes, my booklets and my warranty card (scanned with a iPad and registered) and I was out of there.

Couldn't be happier really, except for one thing. As I fully expected, the clasp on this is just as terrible as my WAH1110-0 was. I can't wear it for more than about five minutes without my wrist turning red and so I've already been on to my local dealer about getting me a BT0717 22mm rubber strap with classic buckle and pin. The price is a very reasonable £48, albeit with a four week delivery. I guess I'll just have to wear a plaster on my wrist in the meantime.

Actually the lady at the jewellers took the details of my watch and she's checking with TAG what other options are available, which is brilliant. Hopefully I will be able to order something soon.

FEATURE: The Day I ALMOST Bought a Monaco 24...

I wouldn't normally visit Bicester Village twice in a week, I went with my friend Rich last Monday only to be informed by my wife that she wanted to go this Saturday. Not a problem, I certainly won't ever pass up the opportunity to look at expensive watches after all...

Seriously, it's a Handbag!!!

So we skipped through Swarovski and Kate Spade (awesome handbags, if I was a woman I would definitely shop here!), before heading down the main drag towards the 'good stuff'.

Nothing much had changed in L'Atelier since Monday, so I headed off to the TAG shop while my wife looked in some other shops. I'd seen a great photo of the Carrera Calibre 36 Racing Chrono on the Calibre 11 Forum and wanted to take another look to see if it appealed to me more than it had before. 

CAR2B11.BA0799

When I got to the window I saw the CAR2B11.BA0799 Carrera Calibre 36 Chrono Flyback which was priced at £3500. Which I thought odd, seeing as less than a week ago I was sure it was for sale for £3950. I went inside and headed straight for the cupboard where the Flyback Carreras live and sure enough the prices had been dropped. And the same goes for the Racing version, which was now £3800 instead of the £4500 it had been on Monday.

Oddly, not only had the sale prices fallen, but also the list prices. Whereas the list price on the racing version had been £7500, it was now shown as £6000*, and the list on the non racing version had also dropped to £5500*. I can't really see the logic for doing this, except perhaps it's a legal requirement if TAG themselves are still holding stock of these watches in 'non-outlet' stores?

CAR2B80.FC6325

Strangely, every time I go in the TAG store there seems to be completely different staff, and for once we had the 'A' team in the house. I was served by a very knowledgeable guy who was a pleasure to talk to, and I asked to see the two models above.

I must admit, as soon as I saw the watches I felt a mild tinge of disappointment. The face on the CAR2B10 (I picked the black faced version in the end) was nice, but the bracelet wasn't really to my liking, at least not on this watch. I picked up the racing chrono and it felt a bit insubstantial somehow. And as I remembered, when turning the watch the reflective numerals seem to disappear completely. It's such a shame because the pictures make it look gorgeous and sadly it doesn't live up to the promise in the flesh.

As I looked at the watches we talked and then the guy dropped a massive bombshell. We were discussing the El Primero movement and he said, "Did you notice that the Monaco 24's have been reduced as well?"

Suddenly, any lingering interest I had in the two Carreras in front of me went South. FAST.

The Monaco 24 is now £4900 in the TAG outlet, and it's list price has been reduced to £7000!

Suddenly the Monaco 24 wasn't an impossible, very long term goal anymore, it was a stretch, but not totally offensive to my wallet. They knocked £1200 off the price in a week. This was crazy. These are on Watchfinder second hand for £6500, making this a total no brainer, right?

CAL5111.FC6299

Two pieces were available, the CAL5111.FC6299 shown above, and the CAL5112.FC6298 shown below. 

CAL5112.FC6298

Truth be told I've never been totally sold on the blue version, not least because I really don't like the blue strap it comes on. The silvery grey is nice, especially with the orange shock absorbers, so inevitably I was gravitating towards that one. 

It was about now that my wife turned up to find me with the Monaco on my wrist, and we decided I needed to go away and have a think. There began a very stressful half an hour or so, as we walked around various other shops (including a new watch place I hadn't seen before with sells Ullysse Nardin and Girard Perregaux watches), while I tried to decide what to do.

Lest we forget, this may be a bargain, but it's still nearly five grand we're talking about here, and that's a lot of money for me to spend on a watch. My most expensive watch is my Carrera Heuer 01 and I only paid £3200 for that, and that was after six months of serious thinking it through.

But this was a special kind of situation. Clearly at these prices, the Monaco 24s are not going to be here next time we come, so this was probably my one chance to own a 24, and given the second hand prices... I eventually came to the conclusion that I should take the plunge.

We returned to the shop and found it empty of customers, my guy was obviously pleased to see me and brought the watch out again for me. But somehow, as soon as I put it on I began to lose confidence and then I noticed there was a couple of scratches on the high polish case.

I was then offered a further 5% discount on the watch bringing the price down to £4655, which made my decision even harder.

CAL5113.FC6329

Make no mistake, I was serious about buying this watch, but the price couldn't negate one small detail. This wasn't the CAL5113 that I've been wanting for so long. If they'd had the black version I have no doubt that I would have gone for it with no regrets, but as I stood there staring at the watch on my wrist I began to realise that it may be a fantastic deal, but it would always be a 'second choice', and as such I just couldn't justify the price.

I thought I would leave with serious regrets at turning down such an amazing opportunity, but after a few moments I felt fine and the thought of my savings remaining intact for another day gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. I thought I would get home kicking myself, but in the end I got home feeling like I dodged making a huge mistake. I do love the Monaco 24's and I would jump at the chance to own the CAL5113 or the fantastic CAL5110 for a sensible price.

CAL5110.FC6265

Unfortunately, I suspect the CAL5110 will never drop to what I would consider a sensible price, and the CAL5113 is probably going to be hard to come by for less than £6000 either. 

Indeed, I'm beginning to wonder if rather than adding one more higher end piece to my collection, perhaps I should consider adding (slowly) several more affordable pieces that I can alternate with my current Formula One for everyday use?

On thing I do know for sure, someone is going to get a phenomenal deal on those remaining two Monaco 24's, but it's not going to be me.

Oh, as an aside, there were also (smaller) reductions on the Grand Carreras they had in stock, but not on the caliper models as being seven years old they are no longer stocked anywhere else.

VIDEO: Aquaracer Calibre 5 Review by Watchuwant

SPOTLIGHT ON: Formula One Quartz Chronograph

CAU1119.FT6024

Here's a watch I probably should have tried on when I was in Bicester Village the other day. Unfortunately I can't remember the price they were selling it for, but if I do return there in the next couple of weeks and they still have it I will make a note and update this post.

I like this watch a lot, the blue detailing looks great although it doesn't stand out quite as much as it could against the silver/grey dial. This watch has a 42mm case, so it's a little bigger than my WAH1110. That wouldn't be too much of a bother for me as I can wear up to a 45mm quite happily. But I suspect this has the same (or a similar) strap to the one which my everyday F1 came with, and I had to replace that because the clasp was horrible and irritated my wrist like you wouldn't believe.

That aside, this is a great looking watch, the black edge to the bezel is a nice touch and the more I look at this one the more I really like it. It reminds me of the CAH7011 which I was mildly infatuated with for a while a few months ago, albeit that watch was a Calibre S rather than a standard quartz chrono.

CAH7011.BA0860

I still haven't come across one of those yet, and sadly I think it's only available on a bracelet. I think it would look rather good on a rubber strap myself, but I suppose that's something that could be achieved without too much difficulty. Despite the aesthetic similarities, the CAH7011 is actually a 44mm case, and that makes me wonder if that isn't a bit large for an F1?

But I'm getting off topic here, the CAU1119 is clearly a nice looking piece and if it's still there next time I will be having a closer look I think. I doubt I will buy it though, because I'm trying to add another automatic watch to my collection and buying another quartz will just deplete my fund. I know I bought my Microtimer recently but that was a special case, since it is so different to any other TAG out there. While this is nice, for me it would probably be an 'everyday' kind of watch and I don't really need another one of those just at the moment.

MORE WRIST TIME: TAG Outlet, Bicester Village

CAV518K.FC6268

I've already written about part of my visit to Bicester Village yesterday (you can read my thoughts about the Yellow Dial Calibre S Aquaracer HERE) and I thought I'd combine the rest of my visit into one post. 

For the third time I tried on the CAV518K Grand Carrera with the orange highlights and... I have to say, in light of the £4200 price tag, I found it wanting. It's still a nice watch, but at that price I'm not sure. I still have grave reservations about the strap. It looks so delicate and again even though this wasn't the same piece I tried on last time there is definite signs of wear to the strap. Indeed, where the strap ends meet the case there was some imperfection, as if the strap was bunched up and it looked like the top layer could peel away.

This wouldn't be quite so bad if spare straps were available, but I'm betting they aren't. At least not with the limited edition orange stitching, and as I've said before, replacing the strap with a plain black one (or worse, the wrong colour stitching) is going to seriously compromise the overall aesthetic.

The other thing that bothered me somewhat, was that when the watch was going the second hand wheel seemed rather juddery. I don't remember the steel version I tried on not that long ago having that issue, so maybe it's just that one watch?

CAV511A.BA0902

Speaking of which, also available was the steel CAV511A. Second hand this is selling for anywhere from £2100-2800, and here it was on offer for £3800. I didn't realise the list price was nigh on £5000! That makes the second hand prices look very attractive indeed. I do still rather like this watch, but I'm conscious that my next purchase will probably be my last 'major' acquisition for some time, so I'm hesitant to jump into buying one, especially when there are lots of these available.

CAJ2180.FT6023

God knows why, but I tried on the CAJ2180 again (previous review HERE), reading that again most of my opinions have remained constant. I do like the dial (except the horrible cyclops), I think the vertical lines look great as do the green lumed hands. The case and strap not so much. The case is very thick, which is not a deal breaker in itself, but the backplate is quite pronounced and makes the watch stand 'off' the wrist quite a bit. So not only is it thick, but it doesn't quite look as if it's sitting properly either. 

So all in all, the yellow Aquaracer aside, this was quite a disappointing visit. There were some other very nice pieces in the outlet, such as the Monaco 24 in both blue/white and grey/orange (but not the black version I really love) and the Flyback Carreras (great deals on those, but still a lot of money), but I have kind of accepted that the Monaco 24's in particular are probably a step too far money wise. Undoubtedly I 'could' save up the required cash, but whether I would feel comfortable dropping that amount on a single watch is thoroughly debatable.

One thing I will say about this particular visit to the outlet, I did feel kind of like I was being shepherded towards the 'cheap' watches. Admittedly I went from work with a colleague and we didn't look that smart in our branded polo shirts, but he was wearing his Tudor Pelagos LHD (a £3000 watch) and I did have my everyday TAG on (sadly not my skeleton). 

Usually the staff in there are fairly hands off, but the lady in there was offering a bit of a running commentary, which was a bit off-putting, especially as I'm pretty sure I know a lot more about the watches in her store than she does. Actually once I spoke to her a bit I think she realised and her attitude changed a little, then she was okay, but it's bad sales etiquette to make judgements about people's financial standing based on their appearance. 

Inevitably, today I was still mulling over my visit and wondering if maybe I should have gone for the yellow Calibre S Aquaracer (don't think so).... when I got an email from Watchfinder telling me about their SALE! (Incidentally, before you rush off to Watchfinder, the sale is only open to email subscribers and if you visit the site normally you will not see the sale prices.)

CAV518B.FC6237

Most interestingly, Watchfinder had dropped the price of a five year old Grand Carrera CAV518B.FC6237 from £3250 to a very attractive £2550. This gave me pause for thought, but within minutes of me seeing it the watch had been sold (hardly surprising really, that's a ridiculous price). There are three other examples on the site, albeit not as competitively priced, and bizarrely another piece is a lot older yet £500 more expensive. I will never understand Watchfinder's pricing structure.

So the upshot of all that is of course... my TAG fund remains intact, ready for another day and whatever comes my way. I've been informed by my wife that she wants to visit Bicester in the next few weeks so we'll see what opportunities present themselves I guess...

ON THE WRIST: Aquaracer Calibre S Chronograph

CAF7013.FT8011

TAG Outlet / Bicester Village 13th March 2017

I've been hoping for some time that this particular model would appear in the TAG Outlet, and finally one has appeared! Offered at a very decent £980, this is definitely the best looking of the yellow faced Aquaracers in my opinion. It's hard to see on the photo above, but if you stare hard enough you can just about make out that there is a darker yellow circle on the middle of the dial, I'm not sure I like it, and kind of wish the whole dial was a nice uniform yellow.

Speaking of yellow, there's no getting away from the fact that this is a yellow watch, and not everyone's cup of tea. For me, I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with yellow dials. I like colour on watches, but generally 'details' rather than blocks of colour. Yellow is a great detail colour (the chrono hand on my Aquagraph for instance), but on a whole dial it can be a bit much. I like it, but at the same time it doesn't really say 'luxury' somehow.

The black rubber strap is very nice and looks much better on this watch than the bracelet. The black obviously compliments the yellow and matches with the black ring around the edge of the dial. The black detailing around the hour markers is a nice touch and the lume on this watch looked excellent even in the shop. 

After my last run in with a Calibre S (on the Fernando Alonso model I tried on a few weeks ago) I was relieved to find this one worked perfectly. You push the crown in to set the hands to 12 O'Clock, and then you operate the chronograph as you would expect (press the top pusher to start and stop, bottom pusher to reset). When you stop the chronograph the sub dials indicate the tenths and hundredths of a second. I expected these to snap into place, but in actual fact they move at a rather leisurely pace.

While the Calibre S function is quite cool, I have to say I didn't get the same feeling of 'luxury' I get when I wake up my Formula One Kirium and the hands return to the correct time, but at least it worked properly this time. The watch also has a perpetual calendar function, which is apparently a bit of a faff to set up (this uses the sub dials to read the two figures of the date) but once set should provide a lifetime of accurate date reading (as long as the battery doesn't run out I presume?).

I must say the case is very nice, quite substantial with a lovely brushed finish. The black ring around the inner edge of the bezel really works with the yellow dial, and the black sub-dials are actually applied rather than being printed on as you might have thought from the picture.

So overall, I was quite impressed and the price is excellent (Watchfinder are selling a seven year old Calibre S Aquagraph for £995 today, albeit not this exact model), I've been waiting a while to see this as well so you have to wonder why I didn't get my wallet out...

Well, I'm still in two minds about that yellow dial to be honest, plus the watch wasn't 100% perfect, there was a small mark on the brushed bezel and another couple of fine scratches on the polished sides of the case. Nothing terrible admittedly, and when you consider the saving on offer certainly not a deal breaker.

I did seriously consider adding it to my collection, but in the end there were a few things holding me back. It didn't quite give me that 'got-to-have-it' feeling, the yellow dial (or rather the darker centre section) is something I'm still not entirely sure about and the other thing was (unfortunately) my previous experience with the Calibre S. Hmm...

Thinking about it, when you look at the Calibre S watches in the outlet (and there were quite a lot, including a nice looking Carrera), you have to wonder how old these watches are. For sure the Fernando Alonso special edition on sale is nigh on ten years old and essentially (warranty or not) this is a quartz watch. True there are some good discounts on offer, but still, it makes you think...

VIDEO: Carrera Calibre 5 Review by Watchuwant

ON THE WRIST: Carrera Calibre 16 Black Titanium Chrono

CV2A84.FC6394

Ernest Jones / Manchester 10th March 2017

I'd almost forgotten about this one, and then looking in the window of Ernest Jones in the Trafford Centre on Friday morning... there it was, standing out like a sore thumb with it's brown leather strap and striking dial. I must admit, if anything I was expecting to find the new Mancester United watches in the Trafford Centre, but I didn't see either of them, I'm guessing they haven't quite been released yet...

The most surprising thing for me with this one is that it looks smaller than I expected. This seems to be a thing with black watches, it seems to knock a millimetre or more of the perceived case size. It wasn't even like I was wearing a big watch when I went in, I was wearing my trusty Formula One WAH1110-0, which is only 40mm in diameter, but this still struck me as smaller than anticipated once it was on the wrist.

The sales-lady was keen to point out the 'vintage' aesthetic, but I'm afraid I really don't see it. To me, the only thing that is particularly 'vintage' about this is the brown leather strap, which is you know I abhor. I do really like this one as it is something 'different', but that strap would have to go. It would be interesting to know what options are available to switch out the strap and keep the black coated buckle (which is fine and looks just like a smaller version of the one on the Heuer 01 Carrera incidentally). Some kind of black leather would look good, but I'm really thinking tyre tread rubber all the way, definitely worth thinking about.

I'm not saying the brown strap doesn't work, it does - although it's actually quite an odd match. In this instance it's just personal taste. I have it and the person who put them together doesn't - HAHAHAHA!

But seriously, this is a nice watch. The dial is so striking and looks fantastic. Legibility is optimal over pretty much any other Carrera I can think of and the black treatment on the movement looks pretty cool too (although I'm not entirely sure why they did that really). I've always liked the Carreras with the 'minute' markings on the dial, but often they are mirrored finish and seem to reflect only dark surfaces and so disappear into the dial, but here the beige lume stands out well, and is probably a nicer option than a pure white would have been (for example check out the difference between a standard Tudor Pelagos and the LHD version).

I really like this one, and it makes me think that TAG have some good ideas for the future (something the Manchester United watches cast doubt upon), but at £3800 it seems a little steep for me to buy, especially when I know I'm going to want to spend another £150 or so on a replacement strap. Having said that, this could be a nice second hand purchase in a few years, or maybe one day in the distant future if it could turn up at the outlets with a hefty discount it may be worth a punt.

As a matter of interest, I just checked on Iconic Watches website (where I bought my Heuer 01) and they are only offering £200 discount on this one at the moment, which seems rather low considering I got my Carrera Skeleton for £3200.

ON THE WRIST: Carrera Heuer 01 Full Black Ceramic Chronograph

CAR2A91.BH0742

Beaverbrooks / Manchester 10th April 2017

While I have written about this particular model before (HERE), this was the first time I'd actually seen one and tried one on. To be honest, this one stood out in the window because it wasn't as black as you'd expect. It's actually a sort of charcoal grey colour, and I was intrigued to know which model it was as I didn't know they made one in that colour.

Of course it's not dissimilar to my own Heuer 01 skeleton, but the all black/grey dial gives it a slightly different feel. The bracelet was slightly too big for me as it was (it probably needed one link taking out) but it felt comfortable enough. Slightly strange wearing a black/grey bracelet, but I'm sure I'd get used to it. I don't think I've ever tried on a ceramic bracelet before, it didn't seem markedly different from a steel bracelet, save perhaps it felt a little smoother. My main problem with the bracelet is the clasp design, which is the type where you don't actually see a visible clasp. This looks good but it's a devil of a job to get on, in the end I laid my wrist on a table and that made it a lot easier to fold in each side of the bracelet. The bracelet is released by a pair of push buttons so should be nice and secure.

At £4800 this costs a considerable premium over the standard Heuer 01 (£4000) and the bracelet version (£4300). Personally I don't think I would choose it even if I didn't already own the rubber version.

VIDEO: Monza Chronograph Calibre 17 Review by Horology Middle East

FEATURE: Some thoughts on the Microtimer

So I've had my Microtimer a couple of weeks now and I've worn it a few times. One good thing to mention is that the catch seems to have sorted itself out now. You may remember when I first had it the catch was fine and then when I resized the band to fit me the catch started playing up and I had to press firmly to make sure the catch caught. Well it's settled down now and works absolutely perfectly again, which I'm obviously very pleased about. I guess it was probably what I thought, when you move the clasp the new bit of rubber is slightly thicker until it compresses and so it temporarily impedes the closing action.

The Microtimer fits easily under the cuff of a shirt, and because of it's curved shape seems very organic and comfortable that (for example) I haven't found the Monaco to be. There's no getting away from the fact that this watch is very noticeable on the wrist, the strap is very wide and if you are the kind of person who is self-conscious about wearing a 'flashy' watch then this definitely isn't the one for you. The strap tapers quite abruptly down to a (still fairly substantial) smaller width, mainly to facilitate a smaller clasp I imagine, and it does look quite unusual. I don't know if all the straps are the same (although from what I've seen in pictures they all seem to be) but it does seem to bend in on itself slightly which might be annoying for some people. I think the shape of strap creates the illusion that it's doing it more than it really is though, where the strap tapers it seems to create the illusion that the strap is straight and 'stiff' but in reality it is quite soft and pliable.

Unsurprisingly I haven't really used the functions of the watch much, and I didn't really expect to. That everything works how it's supposed to is enough for me really, and I checked it all when it came back from being polished and everything still works perfectly, even the light.

When the Microtimer arrived I really loved it, then I had a few moments of doubt, but now I'm really glad I bought it because it really is a very unique piece and definitely ticks the 'wild card' box in my collection. In his piece for Calibre 11, David remarked that he had bought and sold this watch a few times, and I can kind of see why that might happen. I think it's a very personal watch, one that you have to make your own mind up about and trust your own opinions. I can well imagine when I wear this out with friends that I will get some remarks that while not negative in a nasty way, they will probably say they prefer my other watches.

Clearly this is not a watch for everyone, and it boggles the mind that TAG Heuer launched a £2000 digital watch this side of the millennium. But part of why it appeals to me is that it is so utterly bonkers and so nothing like anything else I've ever seen. Sure this one's never going to garner lavish praise like the Carrera Heuer 01 from all and sundry, but I really don't care. I think for the money I paid (£680 + £100 polishing) I can't think of a TAG that offers such a unique look and owning experience. At that sort of money we're really only talking fairly run of the mill, good condition Formula One quartz or lower end Aquaracers (albeit I seem to have been quite lucky in securing mine for that price, I grant you).

It will be interesting to see how much wrist time this one can claim once the honeymoon period is over, maybe that's when the doubts will set in. David also mentioned the elephant in the room in his piece as well - scratches. There's no denying this case is a scratch magnet, and that's one thing that I would change about it. If it was in a brushed case it would be so much more practical, but then on the other hand the high polish look gives it a certain quality that would be otherwise missing. It's a tough one this... fortunately I have no intention of wearing this everyday, so I will hopefully keep the scratches to a minimum.

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FEATURE: The most expensive TAG Heuer?

A thought popped into my head the other day (I know, bit of a shock to me as well)... which was 'I wonder what the most expensive TAG is?'...

Some VERY frustrating research later, it's hard to say exactly. Seemingly the best auction price was for an 's/el' that once belonged to Ayrton Senna, this sold for $55,000. But of course TAG have made more expensive watches than this like the V4 Tourbillon and some other special haute horlogerie pieces that are hard to pin down when it comes to exact pricing, which rather leaves things up in the air and without a satisfactory conclusion.

My research did turn up some more satisfactory and quite interesting results though...

I found a page on Christie's website which displayed the results for several TAG Heuer's which were sold at auction. These included...

A white gold Monaco with skeletonised hands which sold for 5,000 Euros.

A white gold Carrera 360 which sold for HKD 52,500 (approx £5510)

A standard CAW2113 'Gulf' Monaco which sold for $5625

A pink gold Carrera 360 which sold for $6875

Two Monaco V4 Skeleton Watches in Platinum which sold for HKD 450,000 (£47,260) and HKD 437,500 (£45,949) in different sales (this could possibly be the same watch sold twice).

I found these results rather surprising to say the least. On the one hand you have a bog standard (albeit limited edition) CAW2113 selling for $5600, while an 18K white gold Monaco sells for just 5,000 Euros. Try Googling CW5141 and see what you get, not a lot. The 'Gulf' edition may be limited but the white gold version is rarer than rare.

Also the pink and white gold Carrera 360s looks an absolute steal at £6900 and £5500 respectively.

In a way though, I'm not so surprised that the Gulf Monaco is holding it's value well. The whole Steve McQueen / Gulf / Le Mans thing is synonymous with Heuer (and by extension TAG Heuer) and this brings us quite neatly onto my next item...

Truly, this article would be a whole lot shorter and a lot more conclusive if we ignored the distinction between Heuer and TAG Heuer (don't get me started on that again!), because plainly the most expensive Heuer ever sold was the Heuer Monaco that Steve McQueen wore during the filming of the famous 'Le Mans' movie. This was purchased for a staggering $799,000 (plus an eye watering $150,000 additional 'buyers premium').

Personally I don't really get it. As Ariel Adams writes HERE it's an astonishing sum for a watch that was used in a film that isn't exactly a cast iron classic, by an actor who (though undoubtedly cool and famous) isn't exactly Clint Eastwood or Cary Grant. Especially as it comfortably outsold his own personal Rolex Submariner, which achieved a not inconsiderable $234,000 (which itself was a surprise). Moreover, this wasn't even the ONLY watch used in the filming, merely the one in the best condition!

In comparison it looks as though the Ayrton Senna s/el went for small change.. neither watch is of itself unique, and comparable pieces could be picked up for much smaller amounts of money, it seems bizarre that Steve McQueen wearing the Monaco in a film makes it worth fourteen times more than a watch actually owned by one of (if not the most) legendary Formula One driver of all time!

Of course, it stands to reason that by and large Heuer watches are going to be more valuable than TAG Heuer pieces, because they oldest TAGs are only 32 years old and the early models, though fun, were not exactly the most desirable. Additionally of course, TAG make watches in larger quantities and the name change provides a convenient distinction which other major watch manufacturers aren't afflicted with.

I managed to find some more Heuers whcih were sold in December 2010 by Bonhams. These came from the personal collection of Arno Haslinger (author of the book 'Heuer Chronographs').

Lots included...

A black PVD Monaco from 1974 which sold for £48,000

A white dial Jo Siffert Autavia from 1969 which sold for £30,000

A gold Carrera from 1972 which sold for £22,800 

Annoyingly there is a link to a page showing the full results, but it comes up 'page not found'.

It should be noted however, that some of the lots were bought by TAG Heuer themselves for their museum in La Chaux de Fonds, and presumably in these cases the bids might have gone higher than expected (indeed most of the pieces achieved far in excess of their estimates). This is money well spent of course, since pushing up the prices of their own vintage pieces does their reputation no harm at all.

If this article leaves you a little depressed, take heart from this, a CV2013 Carrera which looks to be in good condition (albeit with a non-original strap) with an estimate of £1000-1500 sold at Sotheby's for a measly £500! Even though it has a brown bezel, it's still a bargain. So my advice would be to look out for the watch in the sale that nobody is going to be interested in. This watch was the only TAG sold amongst over a hundred other pieces, all of which were higher end pieces like Hublots, Rolexes and JLCs. This was never going to sell well in such company and predictably someone secured a nice Carrera for pocket money.

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