In all honesty, these days I'm not a massive fan of the Formula 1 range... I don't have a problem with quartz pieces, so it's not that... and while I have to admit that the new Formula 1's are probably the best they've ever been, now that I've moved up to wearing my Aquaracer's on a daily basis I don't really have as much interest in them anymore.
Which is fair enough, because after all the quartz pieces are essentially TAG's entry level pieces and they are built to a budget. They also give the opportunity for some fun pieces which can be a little more colourful and creative while not breaking the bank. After all, you might think you like that orange dial now, but do you really want to invest £3000 in one? Probably not.
In the last few months I've sold both my Formula 1's, my WAH1110 went on eBay and my CAU2012 was traded at Watchfinder for my Grand Carrera GMT, and even though the decisions to sell were made pretty quickly I honestly don't have a hint of regret. The best thing about the WAH1110 was the fantastic lume, but it was a touch small and didn't have enough wrist presence for me. My rollercoaster of a relationship with the CAU2012 has been well documented on this blog, and considering how long it took me to track one down I am still rather shocked myself that I only kept it about 12 months...
But while I doubt I'll be adding any Formula 1's to my collection in the short term, there are some that I kinda like and potentially might fall catch my interest at some point, so let's have a look at what they are...
10. Formula 1 Chronotimer (CAC111D.BA0850)
As anyone who reads my blog regularly will know, I am a sucker for those quirky semi-digital TAGs, and so this one is a no brainer. I must say I don't like the black insert on the left and the crown guards are far too big, the dial also looks a bit small, but even so I've looked at these on eBay many a time and been very tempted for the £400 they seem to go for. Maybe one day...
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2018/04/spotlight-on-tag-heuer-formula-one.html
9. Singapore Grand Prix Limited Edition (CAU1118.FT6024)
I'm not too sure about this one, I have a feeling (hope) that this would look better in person than it does in pictures. It's got the same dreadful clasp as my WAH1110 no doubt so that would need changing out, but green/black watches are unusual and I think it perhaps suits the F1 range better than the Grand Carrera GMT. Never yet seen one for sale, probably because only 300 were made.
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2016/12/spotlight-on-formula-one-chronograph.html
8. Classic Formula 1Chronograph (CA1213)
I've picked the yellow model, but I could just as easily have picked the blue, red or white versions. These classic F1 chronographs are much loved and good condition pieces will cost you more than you might expect, particularly as the chrono versions are decent sizes for people with big wrists like me. Always nice ones available on eBay, and I'll probably pick one up on a bracelet at some point.
7. Calibre S (CAH7011.BA0860)
This one is all about the dial and movement for me, both of which I really like. However, the case is the same case as the CAU2012 I sold a few months ago, and having owned that I know I will almost certainly never own one of these* because the lumpy pushers/crown guard arrangement really bugs me. Which is a shame because otherwise I really like this. There was one of these on Watchfinder a while back for about £1000 I think, but it had some scratches on it so I passed. I'd like to see one and at least figure out if I can live with the pushers because it's a really cool looking watch in my opinion.
*I said the same about the Grand Carrera GMT and the 500M Aquaracer though, so make of that what you will!
6. Ayrton Senna Special Edition (WAZ1014.FT8027)
When the Manchester United Formula 1 watch came out, the only thing I really liked about it was the rubber strap, so it's cool that TAG have used it on the Aryton Senna Special Edition (some might wonder why it's on the Man Utd watch seeing as the design echoes the famous S/EL bracelet design, forever connected to the great Brazilian driver) for those of us who aren't into the supposed 'beautiful game' and/or Manchester United.
I much prefer the three handed version of this over the chronograph as it's much cleaner and there's more room on the dial for the stripes. The silver bezel looks great against the black case and even better with the black around the edge. My one gripe is the hands, in person that red does not look great, indeed the hands look like plastic. If this watch had silver hands I would probably buy one, even so I might still buy one... maybe.
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2017/08/first-impressions-formula-one-quartz.html
5. 'Black Bull' Chronograph (CAZ101E.BA0842)
It's not actually called the Black Bull at all, but I always think of it as the black 'Red Bull' so, fairly logical - to me at any rate. When this was announced I thought I might prefer it to the Red Bull Special Edition, but a try on in London told me otherwise. I still think it's a smart watch, but that blue version is just a better in my opinion. Would still make somebody a nice (only) watch they could be proud of and will probably come down in price quicker than the Red Bull I think... and easier to find on a bracelet too.
4. Aston Martin Special Edition (CAZ101P.FC8245)
As I said in my review a few days ago, this one really appealed to me and I do like it, but do I like it enough to splash the full cash? I don't think so, at least not at the moment. Things can change of course, but at the moment I'm in that 'saving' phase while I try to work out where I want to go next and this would be a pleasant distraction, but a fund killer, so for now I'll admire it from afar - plus the strap is too short for my wrist so I'd be wanting a steel bracelet to go with it, so - more expense!
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2018/06/on-wrist-tag-heuer-formula-1-aston.html
3. Formula 1 Classic (385.513/085)
This one could be controversial for some people, but for the real TAG Heuer enthusiast this is a collection must have really... this particular colour scheme wasn't one of the original selection, but was added into the 1989 catalogue, and I think it's by far the nicest of all. Unfortunately these are rather small and not really suitable for my 7.3/4" wrist, but I still want one and eventually I will hopefully add one to my collection.
There's a really interesting article on Calibre11 about one guy's quest to restore his beloved 385.513/085 and I thoroughly recommend giving it a read.
https://www.calibre11.com/mytag-tag-heuer-formula-1-1989/
2. Alec Monopoly Limited Edition (WAZ1117.FT8023)
It's fair to say that no one saw this one coming, and when it was announced it was rather a shock. Probably the most divisive TAG Heuer yet, and given more time to think about it I think I would have pulled the trigger on this one. But with only 200 pieces made they were all gone within a couple of days and the chance was missed. Within days of release they were appearing on eBay for multiples of their £1000 list price, which was as predictable as it was annoying - and makes me rue the missed opportunity to buy all the more. I mean, all credit to TAG, they put out a 200 piece limited edition with a special box for barely any more than the standard watch... I just wonder how many of these have ever actually seen any wrist time? I'm sure a lot of them are being sat on as investments, which is largely dependent on Alec Monopoly's career curve...
http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2018/01/feature-alec-monopoly-tag-heuer-formula.html
1. Red Bull Special Edition (CAZ1018.BA0842)
And so we come to my number one pick, and if you've been paying attention then this probably hasn't come as a complete surprise. Available on either a steel bracelet or a blue NATO, these pretty much flew out of the stores and I've only ever actually seen a bracelet version once (the NATO is much easier to find - probably because it's utter tut). Some say this is now discontinued, but it's still showing on TAG's website, so I don't know about that... but either way, they're definitely holding up value wise as I can't find one for sale for less than £1100 anywhere.
As I said earlier, the black version is nice enough, but this blue (with red accents) is something quite exceptional and I really, really love that there is no Red Bull logo on the dial. I genuinely think that would have ruined this watch, and for those of us who aren't completely on board the 'Red Bull' train having a tacky logo on the dial would have been a killer blow I think. I don't have anything against Red Bull (although Helmut Marko looks like a Bond villain) and I'm quite happy to have a branded back plate but that's as far as it goes. I must admit when it was announced that TAG were moving over to Red Bull after many, many years partnering with McLaren I did fear a terribly tacky watch coming out of it. How wrong I was. If I do take ownership of another F1 at some point, there's a very good chance it will be this one.
https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2016/10/first-impressions-formula-one-quartz.html
https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2016/10/on-wrist-formula-one-quartz-chronograph.html
So there you have it, my top ten Formula 1 TAG Heuers, and not a single automatic amongst them. To be honest, from my own experience I don't really see that buying an automatic F1 makes a lot of sense, especially since you can get a Carrera Calibre 16 for not much more. Personal taste of course, but for me, I was disappointed with my CAU2012 because it was a £2500 watch that didn't feel like a £2500 watch. I'd have much rather had the same watch in quartz for £1500, and if that was the case I probably wouldn't have sold it.
Leave me a comment and let me know what YOUR favourite F1 is...
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