SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer S/EL Chronometer Certified Automatic Watch

WG5111-PO

This S/EL has been kicking around eBay for quite a while now, and it seems like the seller got tired of waiting for someone to buy it and put it up for auction. I did place a cheeky bid early in the proceedings but I pretty much knew that I wasn't going to get it for the amount I bid. In the end it sold for £445, which when you think about it isn't bad at all for a chronometer certified automatic in what looks like pretty excellent condition.

As ever, hindsight is a wonderful thing and looking at it now I must admit to feeling just a tiny bit of regret at not bidding again, but at the same time I was also bidding on a 2000 Multigraph and I didn't want to go too far and end up winning both! In the event I didn't win the Multigraph either, and actually after I placed my bid I noticed a rather annoying mark on the bezel so I wasn't entirely unhappy about that! Also, there is another S/EL on eBay at the moment, albeit a quartz piece, with a green face and I find that a little more intriguing. The only problem with that particular watch is that the bracelet is a little short for me and I will have to source several links to fit my 7.3/4" wrist (which I'm not overly enthused about), I did think about making a low offer on that, but as yet I haven't been moved to.

I'm probably slightly over-cautious about these three-hander S/ELs at the moment, largely due to my recent experience with the one on the leather strap that turned out to be just 32mm in diameter. But also I tend to think the S/ELs with chronographs look a bit better somehow, and if I was going to buy another S/EL my first choice would probably be something like the CG1110 I tried to buy last year...

But that said, this is a nice looking watch too. It's interesting to see a photograph of the movement, though I'm struggling to see the point of the gold plated rotor when there's no display back...

As usual, the more I look at these photos the more I think, why didn't I get this? I guess it's the curse of the collector, but in reality I can't just buy everything regardless of price, much as I'd like to. £445 seems like a reasonable price, but how much further could it have gone if I'd also got involved?

As ever it completely defeats me how TAG took the S/EL, one of the most characterful watches they've ever made and rejigged it into the rather bland 'Link' series. Admittedly the new Links are a different kettle of fish, but even they seem to be something of an afterthought in the range. They are also rather pricey, albeit the bracelets are no doubt quite expensive to manufacture. Interestingly, when I visited the factory last year I was told that one of the reasons the Kirium was discontinued was the excessive cost of manufacturing the excellent bracelet, in which each link is curved to produce a very comfortable fit...

If there's one thing I would criticise on this particular model, it's that the Arabic markers on these do look slightly off. I guess it's something you'd get used to, but they always strike me as a little out of place for some reason, especially here where there's only a '6' and a '9'. I think it's the font they've chosen, it just doesn't seem quite right somehow. Maybe that's why I tend towards the chronograph models instead?

As ever with these things, one door closes and another one opens. No doubt something else will pop up soon enough, and it's not as if I even have a 'budget' at the moment, I'm still wiped out from my recent double purchase! Indeed, my next buying experience could well be second hand, since my wife is looking at a classic, Formula 1 on a bracelet on eBay right now... we'll see how that plays out.