WH1115-K1
It's just over a year since I snagged my first 6000 Series off eBay, and having worn it to work today I'm happy to say that I still really like it a lot. It looks great in the sunshine, the hour markers really shine (greenish lume) although their performance in the dark leaves a little to be desired - but then this is quite an old watch now so it's to be expected.
This was the first watch I bought that had a cyclops, I still only have two (the other being my grey dial 500M Aquaracer) and while I don't hate them like I used to, I still would prefer not to have one at all. But it's okay, it doesn't bother me and on this one I don't really notice it, it seems to fit in quite well really and I can't imagine the watch not having a magnifier now.
It's funny, in my 'Buying Experience' post I noted how these were quite expensive and how at the time £349 seemed like a bargain, but recently I've seen 3 handed 6000s going for less than £300. The average price definitely seems to have dropped on this series, which is a little annoying, but on the plus side I wouldn't mind adding a few more to my collection so I shan't grumble too much.
The 6000 Series is a bit of an odd one, it has a slightly ostentatious air about it and doesn't really seem to represent what most people would think of as being 'classic' TAG Heuer. I think the design is fantastic and I love how obvious it is when you see someone wearing one, I mean you only need to see the bracelet to know what's what.
Photo from the original eBay listing.
Ah the bracelet, so cool, but so delicate and prone to issues. I've written about the 6000 bracelet before and I shall include a link to that at the bottom of this post - well worth reading if you are thinking about buying a 6000... and I hope you are because I doubt you'd be disappointed. These feel special on the wrist, they really do. It's hard to think of another watch that offers so much bang for buck really, and there's plenty out there as well.
Mine keeps pretty good time for an old watch, I set it to my radio controlled clock last week when I moved the hour forward and it's still within a couple of seconds, which is good enough for me. Mine does have a somewhat patinated minute hand, which is a shame, but I don't really notice it so much now.
I wear this one pretty regularly, and it's one that never falls out of favour. It's funny but, I find the cheaper TAGs I've bought are (generally) the ones I have the strongest bond with, maybe that's because there's not so much money tied up in them and selling them wouldn't really bring in a whole lot of cash? Obviously my F1 Kirium and my Carrera are beyond reproach, but I find quite a lot of my watches go through phases where they are my 'favourites' one week and potential 'sellers' another. My two tone 3000 is another watch that really didn't cost that much and I can't imagine ever selling, I love that watch - even though the gold on the bezel is worn around the edges, conversely I have watches that cost 3 or 4 times as much which fall in and out of favour.
I added a second 6000 to my stable at the end of last year, a silver dial chronograph in superb condition. On paper it's better in every way, it's bigger, thicker, no cyclops... it's a chronograph, and yet, if push came to shove I think I'd keep the blue dial three hander, I really do like this one that much.
I definitely want to add a couple more 6000s to my collection, there's a very nice green dial version with some gold elements on the case that I like, and I wouldn't mind one on one of the leather straps too, but it's got to be one of the weird leather straps that the McLaren watch came on, not the plain ones as they don't look as if they ever matched well at all.
That's one of the things about the 6000, the case is so unusual that if you take it off the bracelet and put it on a normal leather strap it looks a bit odd. It's so obvious that the case was designed to work with the bracelet, the logo part at the bottom really doesn't look right without one. Speaking of which, as you'll see in the photos when I got my 6000 the black had almost completely disappeared from the logo, there was just a few traces left in there, but I restored it and it really does look fantastic.
The watch is 38mm in diameter and if I remember correctly it's about 9mm thick, but it really doesn't look small on the wrist somehow. I wear it for work quite a lot and even though the design is quite bold I feel like it doesn't look too much. By contrast the silver dial chronograph with it's bigger, chunkier size does feel a little OTT for the office... but I still wear it sometimes.
In the original eBay listing the watch was described as having a black dial (two of the pictures here are from that listing) and so I was surprised when I received it to realise it was actually dark blue. Looking at the photos it seems obvious, but then my F1 Kirium has a black dial, which looks purple from some angles due to the anti-reflective coating on the crystal. I was slightly disappointed when I opened the box, but now I'm glad it's blue, it gives it a little something extra, while maintaining a certain elegance.
Some people rag on TAG Heuer about the watches they made in the 80s and 90s (and 00s!), but I have nothing bad to say about this watch at all. Sure you have to take care of the bracelet (you definitely don't want to have to buy a replacement) but it's worth it to have such a unique and interesting design on your wrist. Go on, buy yourself a 6000, I bet you'll fall in love with it!
https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2018/12/feature-something-to-be-aware-of-when.html
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