ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Link Watch

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Goldsmiths, Milton Keynes / 28th December 2017

It occurred to me yesterday that I had never tried on one of the new Link watches, and since I was heading to Milton Keynes today for some retail therapy (not really, I spent more on parking than I did in the shops) I thought I should make a point of getting one on my wrist, if only so I could blog about it.

Because, in all honesty, the vast majority of the 'Link' watches don't really appeal to me all that much. There is a 'Searacer' I see pop up on Watchfinder now and again, which is based on a Link, which is okay... but mostly they seem a little understated for my tastes. In fact I'm not sure that I'd seen many Links until this year when there was a sudden glut of them at Bicester Village prior to these new ones coming out, and to be honest... seeing them en-masse, they all looked a bit... um, cheap. Actually, there's a better looking one in my local jewellers pre-owned, but they want nearly £3500 for that... I think it's a Calibre 17 or 18, it's the one with the black 'striped' dial anyway.

TAG Heuer Searacer / Link

So anyway, as I always seem to in Milton Keynes, I found myself outside Goldsmiths and re-acquainted myself with the salesman (I think his name is Ian, but I could be wrong), who sat me down and fetched me the blue dial Link I'd asked to see. One of the reasons I wanted to try it on was because in the window I noticed it looked massive, very 'platey' (like a dinner plate, flat and round, obviously) and I was curious to see if it looked different on the wrist.

Actually, I don't know whether it's some kind of illusion but all the watches seem to look big to me in the windows, I don't if it's because they seem to mix the ladies' models in with the mens' and thus they appear larger than they really are, oddly it seems to affect the Aquaracers and Links more than the Carreras. While I'm on the subject of Carreras, there was a very nice blue dial model in Ernest Jones, which I think is technically a ladies, but at 41mm it's big enough for most men to wear.

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So on the wrist, the Link appears much smaller, at 41mm it's not small, but I was wearing my CAU2012 Formula 1, which is 44mm and chunky, so it felt quite dainty by comparison. Not as dainty as that new Monaco, granted, but with no chronograph module it's fairly thin as well.

I chose the blue dial simply because I rather liked that 1500 Series that's on eBay at the moment (see previous post), but it didn't stand out like I thought it might. The colour seems a little muted, indeed from a lot of angles it looked grey or even black, and when I did get the light on it, it wasn't the nice jewel-blue I'd hoped for. And worse still when you could see the blue, was when the light shone on the dial so that the time was the least readable. 

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The watch is also available in black (of course) and white dials, and I think perhaps the white is the one I'd go for. It's certainly the most legible, but on the other hand it maybe looks the 'cheapest' of the three... but I don't currently have a white dial watch, and rather too many black dialed ones. While we are here we may as well mention the price, all three come in at £2300, with a Calibre 5 movement, which I guess is okay, although I think I'd rather have the Aquaracer 'Explorer II' WAY2013 and £650 in the pocket if I'm honest. I guess it's slightly unfair to compare a dive watch and a dress watch, but both have steel bracelets and the same movement.

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The bracelet is very shiny and comfortable, but by golly is it fiddly to do up. It's a long while since I've had a watch with a clasp like this (folding from both sides into the middle and giving the appearance of a solid bracelet) and I'm sure it would get easier with practice, but on first go it seems a bit of a mare. The bracelet seems to taper quite a lot as well, and appears quite narrow on the backside, which I know some people like... I don't particularly, but it's not a major issue.

It was at this point that the salesman started flicking through his dealer catalogue trying to find more information on my CAU2012, which rather distracted me... since any TAG catalogue is like catnip to me, especially a big glossy one that I haven't got (incidentally, I passed through Fraser Hart today and noticed a TAG catalogue on a desk with the words 'Haute Horlogerie' down the spine. I don't know what it was but if it's got Monaco V4s and Mikrographs in it then I want one! Come on eBay, don't let me down. Incidentally, I've had notification that I've acquired the catalogue I was bidding on yesterday, so I'm looking forward to receiving that sometime next week. :)

So where was I, oh yes, the Link has a display caseback, through which you can see the Calibre 5 movement. It's not the most exciting movement I've ever seen, but it's nice that it can be seen all the same, most of the Calibre 5 watches I've looked at have had solid backs I think (probably because they are generally dive watches). 

So, in summary, I think it looks better on the wrist than in the window. The case also appears more rounded when it's on the wrist, you don't really notice the slightly 'cushion' shaped case so much, but I must admit I preferred it when the Link had a bezel. I'm not really that keen on watches without bezels, Carreras aside, and if I was going to buy a Link, I think I would opt for something like the Searacer chronograph pictured above.

That said, if you want a smart looking watch to go with a suit for daily wear, I guess this is a reasonable shout. It's just not really my cup of tea. Still I'm glad I tried it on all the same.

OWNED: 'Action' Catalogue/Magazine by TAG Heuer

Like I said, I've been on eBay a fair bit these last few days... and this was a nice find. A large scale catalogue with over 100 pages in excellent condition, mine for less than a tenner including postage!

It's a bit hard to photograph the pages since the book has barely been opened, but you get the idea...

All the great icons from TAG Heuer history.... Steve McQueen

Mr Jack Heuer...

And... art provocateur Alec Monopoly.

The seller packed the item extremely well, which I must admit I was concerned about. Some people seem to think sticking an item like this in a regular paper envelope is adequate, thankfully my guy wrapped the catalogue in paper, sandwiched it between two sheets of cardboard and put it in a padded bag. What a gent.

I've put in a bid for another catalogue, but as yet I've had no response. Hopefully they will see sense and realise my offer is fair, if not then we'll have to see how I feel about increasing it.

SPOTLIGHT ON: 1500 Series Blue Dial Two Tone Watch

Personally, I've never been one of those people who get extremely excited over blue dial watches. I know there's a lot of people out there who really, really love them and can eulogize for hours about how amazing they are, and occasionally I have seen a blue dial watch and thought 'Yeah, okay... that is actually quite nice'. One which immediately springs to mind is the Air-K Carrera with the PVD case and bracelet from a couple of years ago, but mostly I can take them or leave them.

This however, is rather stunning. Again, as I commented in my previous post, I'm not much of a fan of two-tone watches, but this combined with the blue dial looks magnificent on this particular example. Annoyingly, the seller (who seems to possess some outstanding photography chops) has obscured the model number from the back of the case, perhaps wrongly thinking it was the serial number.

The watch looks in fabulous condition, so good in fact that it almost looks 'too good'... I imagine it's been through a fair amount of polishing, not to mention any number of photographic filters to make it look that good. But then again, maybe the previous owner was someone like me who likes to keep their collection in tip-top condition?

Alas, the watch is a scant 36mm across the case, which is too small for me. But I couldn't resist sharing these wonderful pictures of a very nice looking piece indeed. I've always rather liked these 1500 series models and there are always examples with the 'granite' style dial popping up on eBay for not much money, but this one takes things to a whole other level.

I think the difference between this, and say an Omega Planet Ocean with a blue dial, is the kind of blue. This 'jewel' effect blue is a world away from the flat darker mid-blue you get on your bog standard Planet Oceans, and really steps it up and sets of the gold elements of the bracelet and case perfectly.

Currently the auction has another six days to run and bidding on this quartz watch has already reached £350, and with 39 bids already I can well imagine this watch is going to go way, way above that. Truth be told, even if this was a larger size, being that it's on offer from the USA I would have to be mindful of import taxes, but if you live on the other side of the Atlantic this could well be one for you?

Here's a link to the acution if you are interested - BLUE DIAL 1500 SERIES TAG HEUER
And of course as always I should point out that I have no connection to this auction, nor can I vouch for the seller in any way.

SPOTLIGHT ON: 3000 Series Chronograph and Two Tone Three Hander

 

Rifling through eBay, one can't help but be drawn to some of the TAGs of old, especially since the prices seem so thoroughly reasonable. These two watches 237.406 & 934.213 were up for just a couple of hundred quid each, which is so very tempting to a watch magpie like me.

The bezel is a tad faded and the gold is mottled and rubbed, but this watch must be thirty years old now and still looks rather striking. I can't quite make up my mind what I think about the ball bearings (?) sticking out of the side of the bezel... I mean I don't quite get why they are there. Do they have a purpose or are they merely ornamental? I'm not too sure...

Early TAG Heuers used leftover 'Heuer' branded parts as we can see here on this well worn clasp.

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I don't have any kind of gold watch, and I don't think the worn gold would bother me as much as PVD that had rubbed off (that seems to be a recurring stumbling block when it comes to looking at pre-owned Grand Carreras), and this one is the larger of these two, measuring 40mm (including the crown). Which is right on the edge of being 'acceptable' for me.

The chronograph looks considerably more chunky than the silver dial watch below as well, which might help matters, although it's a shame there's not more of a contrast between the dial and the subdials.

It's a shame the bezel is so scratched up, but I guess with gold being so soft there's bound to be some elements of wear on a watch this old that's been worn as intended.

Fans of slender watches rejoice, this looks far too delicate for a big lad like me... albeit probably a little too large for my wife. 

At 38mm including the crown this is definitely not something I would feel comfortable wearing, which is a shame because for once I actually don't mind the two-tone design. The unapologetic  dodecagon bezel is striking and reminiscent of the latest Aquaracer range, maybe it's a bit 'period' for some, but I rather like it. Such a shame it's too small for my wrist.

934.213

If you fancy a bid on the silver dial watch in the lower pictures, you can view the eBay auction HERE

OWNED: TAG Heuer Wallet

Like most men (I imagine), I know I am difficult to buy for at Christmas and birthdays. I don't really want much and what I actually do want is generally too expensive to expect as a present (Aquaracers, Carreras, Monaco 24s, etc...). So my wife was thrilled when I suggested to her that she could buy me a TAG Heuer wallet for Christmas this year, and I was equally thrilled to receive it. :)

 

I love how TAG package their products, this is typically top drawer with a lovely presentation box and protective pouch.

The wallet itself feels and looks fantastic, with just some very subtle branding here and there, but also some cool looking perforations in the outer skin.

The central 'card holder' piece is detachable, it fixes to the main wallet with a clip which you can then use to secure to a pocket or belt if you wanted to use that part on it's own.

Since JCB took over the brand all these kind of items have been discontinued, including the belts, passport holders and other wallet types, but we found this in the Bister Village outlet. Price was reduced from about £230 to about £185 if I remember correctly. Which is probably about eight times as much as any wallet I've ever had before!

Needless to say, I won't be using this every single day. Like the majority of my watches I'll be wanting to keep this looking it's best and so it will be a 'going out' wallet for sure. It's a win/win all round, because I don't think I could have brought myself to spend that kind of money on a wallet for myself (I'd rather keep it in the watch fund) and for my wife, it give her the pleasure of getting me something I really wanted. Though what we'll be looking at next year is anyone's guess, maybe if they still have some belts...?

OWNED: TAG Heuer Paraphernalia

It's a terrible affliction I know, but I can't resist scouring eBay for anything with the TAG logo on it. Whether it's display units that I don't have room for, 'Garage Signs' that are clearly printed to order, pens which may or may not be genuine, press kits, sunglasses, bags, hats, memory sticks, watch stands, display trays, coats, umbrellas, spare links for bracelets I don't own... or just things that are plainly 'a load of old tut' as Lord Alan of Sugar might say... I'm a sucker for anything with that red and green (or white or black) logo on it. I sometimes think it's a blessing that I live in such a small house, if I lived in my old house I think I would have TAG Heuer paraphernalia everywhere!

I think the first piece of TAG 'stuff' I bought, was a wall clock. This must have been 10-15 years ago when eBay was less discerning (*cough*) about what was sold on the site (though given the amount of times I've reported fake stuff and it doesn't get taken down, one might say that they aren't exactly as 'on the ball' as they'd like to think).

I think it cost me about £15, and is clearly a £2.99 wall clock from Argos with a TAG sticker stuck on the dial, but I must admit when I got it I loved it and it's still going. These days it lives in my garage, where it ticks merrily away, giving me BST all day long (I never seem to get around to changing it).

Obviously if there was a genuine TAG wall clock available, I'd be first in the queue (see also my post about eBay's trade in TAG Dealer clocks...)

I also bought some stickers, which were pretty good (in fact... cards on the table I bought some 'new' TAG logo stickers yesterday) and which I used to make my lap top look rather swish and F1-ish!

At about the same time I also bought some patches, which weren't quite as good and I've never actually used. I think perhaps the fact that they are so obviously 'cheap and nasty and just plain fake-looking' means they'll probably live in my cupboard until one day they get thrown out (probably when I shuffle off this mortal coil). Again, cheap as chips, and don't they look it...

(Actually, I can't find my patch, but this is pretty representative)

I guess overall I've not been too bad as far as actual 'buying' goes, but my 'watch list' is generally full of TAG-tut. This last item is actually sort of quite cool... although again it lives in the cupboard, because, well, what the hell are you actually supposed to do with it?

That's right, it's a block of wood with the TAG Heuer logo carved into it, or perhaps routed into it. I remember it was pretty cheap, less than a tenner, and was sold as a watch mat, or a place to lay your watch when you aren't wearing it. I can honestly say I have never laid any of my watches on it - because obviously they live in the boxes in the watch cupboard. But it's still kind of nice to have, even though it's somewhat pointless.

Of course these days you can get your own 'tut' printed, there are any number of companies quite willing to print you coasters, t-shirts, canvasses, or mugs as one-offs... and none of them seem particularly bothered about copyright. Which is dangerous for a TAG nut like me. I think the wife would let me away with a TAG mug, but she'd probably draw the line at table mats. :)

One thing I am surprised about though, is that in all my years of eBay scouring, I've never yet seen a proper dealer catalogue. Plenty of catalogues sure (and I own more than a few of those), but not the bigger ones with all the dealer info in. Maybe one will turn up eventually...

Christmas Greetings from TAG Heuer...

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OWNED: Aquagraph 500M Chronograph

Somewhat embarrassingly, when I bought my Aquagraph in 2013/4 I had even less idea about mechanical watches than I do now. Which is to say that I bought this thinking it would have a battery in it, and was slightly taken aback when the assistant started to explain to me how to wind it, etc...

But I've already written about my 'Buying Experience' so I won't retread all that ground again, but if you haven't read that post you can find it HERE

I can understand that this watch isn't for everyone, I mean there's no getting away from the fact that it is a big lump of a watch. It's 40mm, but it's thick and weighs a ton. You definitely know you've got it on, and I never really get used to the weight no matter how long I wear it, but then I kinda like that.

The Aquagraph is one of very few watches where it is possible to use the chronograph function underwater, and I don't think it gets anywhere near the respect it deserves for that. Now, I'm never going to use it underwater, I don't even wash-up with any of my watches on my wrist, but that's beside the point. The only minor issue there though is that the pusher covers are made of rubber, and while these still look perfect, rubber doesn't last forever. So, inevitably, one day I will have to replace them. But as I say, right now they look mint and I've had this watch for three or four years already, and I can't see me ever wearing this as a beater so it will continue to be treated carefully.

It's a very rugged watch, and to all intents and purposes looks like a watch with another watch stuck on top of it, but because the bezel is nicely angled it avoids that really chunky look you get with some of the 1000M divers from Seiko. I mean, those with a sub 7" wrist might wish to look elsewhere, because while the diameter isn't too extreme at 40mm*, the thickness and weight is going to look a little out of place on a dainty wrist.

The lume on this watch is fantastic, and there's a LOT of it. Not only on the hour markers and hands, but also all around the bezel (with an extra lume pip at the top), and even the running seconds has lume on the tip. Slightly oddly perhaps, the only hand that doesn't have lume is the chrono seconds (although the chrono minutes hand does), but really criticising this watch for not having enough lume is a bit of a joke!

The lume is super strong as well, mine is usually kept in a box and so when I take it out the lume is always flat as a pancake. Obviously I try to charge it manually, and initially it shines like a torch but fades quite quickly. I do notice though that when it is worn outside in the sun the charging effect is much more effective.

The bracelet is, as you might expect, a chunky piece... but then you couldn't really put this brick of a watch on a 'Jubilee' type bracelet could you? I love the bracelet and it's never occurred to me to take it off, but people do and there are some (mildly horrific) pictures of Aquagraphs on NATO straps.

Actually... it looks okay, from this angle... you can't see all the silly retaining pieces clanking about everywhere and the overlong strap tail flapping about or folding over... :)

My only issue with the bracelet is the lack of micro adjustment on the clasp, you do get a half link to make sizing easier, but still... my wrist can swell quite a bit in the summer and sometimes this watch is too tight to wear and sometimes (when I've lost a bit of weight) it can be flopping around all over the place. A few holes for adjustment could have made all the difference, but it's not a deal breaker.

As you'd expect the bracelet features a very well hidden diving extension which I didn't even realise was there until I'd had the watch a couple of years. Again, not something I'll ever use, but a basic requirement on a 500M dive watch like this no doubt.

Obviously, being a hardcore diving watch this watch was available with a rubber strap or in a boxed kit with both and a changing tool. Annoyingly, a while after I bought mine (from Bicester Village) they got in a kit and it was selling for the same price I paid for mine (£2100).. I must admit I was a bit miffed about that, but it was probably a couple of years later so I couldn't exactly take them to task!

I do like the look of the rubber strap, but I haven't investigated the costs beyond a quick glance at the notoriously expensive sellers on eBay. I suspect it may be expensive because it probably comes as a three part set, including the diving extension - which again I will never use.

The Aquagraph features a nicely decorated back, with a diving helmet heavily embossed onto the back plate. There is also a yellow (orange on some pieces) band around the crown stem which is intended to warn the user that it is not screwed down before being submerged.

Fitted with the Calibre 60 movement (with a Dubois Depraz module) containing a whopping 46 jewels, this is a fantastic watch that I don't believe I will ever part company with. A lot of these seem to be have been used as intended, rather than baby'd like mine... and I've read of them having problems with the crown threads, which strip and ruin the case. You wouldn't believe how careful I am when I screw down the crown!

Incredibly, this watch is easily attainable on the second hard market for around £1000-1300, which is quite poor really when you consider the original price was £3000. But this is something I've noticed, when a watch is discontinued it's value kind of freezes, whereas with my wife's Aquaracer, because it's still essentially unchanged and available, the second hand value somewhat reflects the newer, higher list price. So the £650 I paid for it about twelve years ago is probably what she could get for it today.

On the other hand, if I didn't have one I would be chuffed to bits to pick one of these up for that kind of money. As I said, this isn't a watch everyone's going to get on with... it's not the easiest thing to wear, and it's not the most 'comfortable' watch in the world, but I love it. I saw a video the other day which said that some people find the crown is annoying and that it digs into the back of your hand, I can't say that have noticed this at all, but it could be that people are wearing the watch too tight because of the lack of micro adjustment. Just a thought...

You can read more about the Aquagraph by visiting Calibre 11 (some great photos as well) by clicking HERE

*I need to get my measuring stick out, Watchfinder list this as a 40mm dia, whereas Calibre 11 say it's 43mm... I don't think it's as big as 43mm to be honest, but it's a little deceptive. The glass looks quite small, because the bezel is quite substantial and the case is larger than the bezel so that may be where the disparity arises.