ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Edition

CAZ1015.BA0883

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 11th March 2019

Before you get too excited, I should point out that this watch wasn't for sale in Bicester Village, it was actually on Tom the Manager's wrist! And what a splendid choice he's made with this, it really is stunning and to be honest it wasn't until I turned it over and saw the chequered flag back plate that I remembered that it was a Formula 1!

The dial is clear and concise with a very black background which conveys a level of quality and provides the perfect backdrop for everything else to stand out perfectly. The TAG Heuer logo itself is applied and really looks the business as well, but it's TAG's decision to fit the Link bracelet that really lifts this watch onto another level.

I really like the Link bracelet, but there's very few Links that I actually like. The Searacer is one, but though I like that model I've kind of come to the conclusion that it's a bit of a pointless complication for me and one that is a) expensive, and b) potentially troublesome! So here we have the perfect watch for people like me who would dearly like a Link bracelet in the collection, but who don't tend to like the watches they usually come attached to.

Let's face it, most of the Link range is quite dressy, and if you start looking at the chronographs you can quickly find yourself in big money territory. Admittedly, this Formula 1 retains it's quartz movement and it's 1/10th of a second chronograph, but really that's the perfect combination for this, since if you put a Calibre 16 inside then it's no longer the value proposition that this is and means that you might just as well save that little bit more and go for a Link.

No, I really think they've got this one spot on, and it's giving me some serious pause for thought here. I think this is most likely the next TAG Heuer I will get for myself, it ticks a lot of boxes, not least the excellent Link bracelet and really does punch way above it's weight.

Obviously I wouldn't want to upset Tom by slagging his watch off, but my praise is by no means hyperbolic. You really need to see this one in the flesh, as it looks even better than the pictures suggest. I'm kicking myself now that I saw one of these on a pre-owned site not so long ago, and I can't remember which one it was. I bet it's gone now anyway, but I shall certainly keep my eyes peeled going forward.

Tom the Manager (Bicester Village)

Incidentally, if you visit Bicester Village, you'll spot Tom easily - he's a dead ringer for TAG Heuer ambassador Chris Hemsworth. Well, maybe if you squint just a little bit...