BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 3000 Series Two Tone Quartz Watch

934.206

I've been fascinated by the 3000 series TAGs for a very long time, but when I finally got to see one close up in the TAG Heuer Museum in September, that really made my mind up that I definitely wanted to add one to my collection. The problem is, while there's no shortage of them on eBay, they are predominantly from Japan, which means a) you have to allow for customs charges, and b) they nearly all require extra links since the bracelets are almost always between 6.1/2" and 7" long. Given that there's no guarantee that these links will be readily available, and if they are how much they will cost, I took the view that it was better to hold on and see if one came up with a bracelet that would fit me without the need to hunt down extra pieces.

I've been watching for a while, a lot longer than two months certainly, and have seen almost nothing in that time. In fact I almost bit the bullet and bought that NOS steel 3000 from eBay that I posted about the other day, but in the end I just felt it was a touch too much. I know the condition was outstanding, but essentially it was still way more than any other 3000 I'd seen. And then there was the one that I eventually purchased...

It grabbed my attention straight away because a) it was being sold in the UK, b) it was the larger size model and c) it appeared to be complete with the full bracelet. However, the price was laughably high at £475 so I initially passed it by in favour of the Italian steel model. After some negotiation with the seller of the NOS model, he came down from £815 to £650, which although perhaps fair, given the exceptional condition, still seemed too much for me. So I went back to the UK one and thought about what I would be prepared to offer.

Internet trader 'My Tag' sold a 934.206 fairly recently (albeit with a slightly better condition bezel) for about £315, so despite the asking price I decided to offer £275 and assumed that that would be refused. I was rather surprised then to receive an email a few minutes later telling me that my offer had been accepted and I needed to visit Paypal to complete the deal. 

As per usual this was when the nerves kicked in, and I started wondering what the chances of getting a replacement bezel where, but on receiving the watch the next day I was pleasantly surprised by the overall condition and indeed the condition of the bezel. There is an element of wear to the bezel edges sure, but overall the photos used in the eBay listing did not flatter the watch at all and the gold plating is not as tarnished as it appears.

The bezel clicks perfectly, no complaints there, and the clasp is very, very good. Actually this piece is one of those watches that was assembled following the changeover from Heuer to TAG Heuer and as you can see in the photo above the clasp is stamped Heuer rather than TAG Heuer (the 3000 series was a watch carried over from the Heuer era and you can get watches similar to this with Heuer on the dial). 

As you can see, the watch looks great on my 7.3/4" wrist, despite the fact that the case is significantly larger than the rotating bezel. I'm sure not everyone would like the design of the bezel with the black ball bearing elements, but I really like it and it certainly looks 'different' to all my other watches. It's not an easy watch to measure due to it's slightly odd shape, but essentially the case measures about 37mm, and including the crown it's 40mm. The bezel itself (including the ball bearings) measures 36mm, all of which sounds small on paper, but somehow it doesn't look too small on my wrist at all. The watch is also very thin, 9mm at the absolute maximum, which is a novelty for me since most of my watches are on the thicker side. 

Overall, I'd have to say that I'm overjoyed with this purchase, and having wanted one of these for so long and having come so close to buying that NOS one from Italy, I feel like I absolutely made the right choice. I know two-tone isn't for everyone, but like my (90s) S/EL I think this being an 80s watch it works with the design and though the plain steel looks great, I don't have any reservations about this purchase.

The only thing I've got to decide now is whether to re-black the figures on the bezel. It would originally have been inked and I'm sure it will look better, as my Kirium chrono did once I'd completed it. But I'll give it a couple of days to check it over before I rush into doing anything like that.