GALLERY:TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 with Fasteners

VIDEO: Is This the Best TAG Heuer Watch You Can Get? by EDC Gunner

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Hour Glass' Limited Edition

CAW211U.FC6356

I'm sure nobody was expecting another Limited Edition Monaco before the next 50th Anniversary piece (the CAW211Y, expected in October at the Japanese Grand Prix), but this one has sneaked out when you were least expecting it! Limited to just 50 pieces, this model has been produced to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of 'The Hour Glass' which is a luxury retailer with (co-incidentally) 40 boutiques in the Asian Pacific region, and what a stunner it is. 

I must admit on first viewing I was a bit unsure, but the more I look at it the more I kinda like it. It would be interesting to see it first hand, just to get a better idea of what colour that dial really is, but since I live on the wrong side of the world and considering the very limited number available I don't think that's likely to happen. It's definitely one of the most unusual Monacos I've ever seen, and not just because of the dial colour. For a start it has done away with the usual polished hour markers and I can't ever remember seeing a Monaco with a '12' numeral like that... in fact the only Monaco I can think of with any numerals on the dial is the Monaco 24 (which had a '24' instead of a '12').

While I really like the polished '12' I'm not sure if it will sit well with the purists, somehow it makes this watch look more 'TAG Heuer' than 'Heuer', but with a Calibre 11 movement.... actually, I think this is probably the only Calibre 11 I would want to own as I generally find the gap between the pushers looks a bit odd, but I would be willing to put up with it for the sake of wearing that very unusual face. 

The dial colour sets up a fantastic contrast with both the red painted hour markers, chrono hands and the PVD coated case, and I'm so glad they didn't put the 'faux' aged lume on this - it really wouldn't have worked at all. I think keeping the sub-dials the same colour was a masterstroke as well, I guess they could have done them white, and that would have looked fine, but for me I generally prefer it when the subdials are marked out rather than coloured in. For example on the Kirium quartz chronographs or the original S/ELs before they added the outer rings.

The watch comes on a black perforated strap and features a PVD coated deployment clasp, which is nice to see. A pet hate of mine is black PVD coated watches with silver clasps (as on that ill fated CAU2012 Formula 1 I bought a couple of years ago), it always just strikes me as being poor attention to detail, so I'm glad they've made sure to fit this very special Monaco out properly.

TAG Heuer have dropped some fantastically different and interesting Monacos this year, and I'm sure this one won't hang around very long at all. Priced at AUD8900 (approx £4700) this is a fantastic opportunity to pick up something really striking at a reasonable price. Wonder how long it'll take for them to appear on Chrono 24 at £6-7000 though...?

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Chronotimer Quartz

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 12 Review by WatchBox Studios

INTERVIEW: Mspeedster (Calibre 11 Forum Member)

Yes, it's that time again... time to turn the spotlight on another member of the Calibre 11 forum. This time it's Mspeedster, well known on the forum for producing some excellent photographs of his new CAW211X Monaco (indeed, he was one of the winners of the recent photo competition on Calibre 11), so let's get to it!


Hi Michael, and welcome to the T.H.E. blogspot, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I live in the western part of the USA. My alias "Mspeedster" stands for two things, the "M" stands for Michael, but at one time it could have stood for Mazda RX-7, Mazda Miata or BMW ///M, as those are cars I've owned in the past. "Speedster" refers to my love of auto racing, sports cars and automobiles in general.


How did you get into watches?

My love of auto racing took me to watches and in specific, Heuer and TAG Heuer.

As a kid, back in the '70s, I was fascinated by Formula 1, Le Mans, the Indy 500 and Sports car racing. I recalled seeing "Heuer" on the front of the Ferrari 312 F1 cars and wondered "what the heck is Heuer"? I had also received a book on Porsche, it had a chapter on the Porsche 917 race car, and I duly noted the "Heuer" patch on Siffert's racing suit. Again I wondered "what is Heuer"? Mind you, this was the '70s, so there was no internet to quickly research things.

Then one day I saw a Niki Lauda helmet clock, made by Heuer, for sale in Road & Track magazine. Finally I had learned that Heuer was a watchmaker. From that time on, I always associated Heuer with the highest levels of motorsport.

So as an adult, TH became the brand I naturally gravitated towards when buying watches.


All this sounds pretty familiar to me, although with me it was the 1981 Williams and then subsequently the McLarens... 

So, once you'd made the association with watches, what was your first, or first good watch?

My first watch was a Seiko. But I soon replaced that with the original TAG Heuer F1 watch. This was back in the very late '80s and I still have that watch, mine is grey & yellow. Niki Lauda was my childhood racing idol when he drove for Ferrari and I continued to be a fan during his time at McLaren. Which of course led to the eventual pairing of TAG & Heuer and then TH's long partnering relationship with the McLaren team.

So of course I had to get myself an F1 watch when those first came out. As a Senna fan I decided to get yellow and grey. That was soon followed by a 2000 series, several S/ELs, later gen F1's etc. etc. etc.


It's funny, there's an older guy at my local swimming pool who until recently used to rock up at the pool every day with that exact watch. I always wondered if it was really a good idea to keep using the watch given it's age and then one day he had a different watch on and I thought, there you go - he's ruined it! So one day I asked him about his TAG F1and he said he still had it at home, he'd just bought a new watch... 

Do you have a 'favourite' piece in your current collection?

I've had several over the years. In the '90s, it was my cherished S/EL ana digi, which was the watch that Ayrton Senna wore during his McLaren Honda years.

In the last decade, my long standing favorite has been my Monaco Gulf Grey LE. I got it back in around 2011, when it was released to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie Le Mans.

I must say both of those watches are pretty cool, I think I'd be hard pressed to choose between them. So given the S/EL I'm guessing you are okay with quartz pieces...

As I kind of grew up in the quartz era, I'm absolutely fine with quartz watches. They're affordable and great at keeping time. I'll happily buy a quartz watch if one appeals to me. The current F1 Gulf is my favorite quartz watch in my collection, along with my beloved Senna S/EL. But as a watch enthusiast, I really prefer mechanical watches. They've got more "soul" and "character" for me. An analogy that comes to mind is manuals vs. automatics in sports cars. I prefer the man/machine interaction of rowing through the gears of a manual transmission. Even though dual clutch automatics are faster shifting with better performance, shifting for myself is more satisfying and fun.

We've seen a little bit of heated debate on the forum regarding the Connected recently, where do you stand on TAG Heuer's smartwatch, is it something you could see yourself buying or using?

It's not for me, nor is the Apple watch. I'm old school and love old school watches. Plus my eye sight isn't what it used to be, a watch is just too small for a smart device in my case. LOL.

Having said that, I applaud TAG Heuer for what they've done with the Connected. I think it's cool and fun. I do love how the Connected community has taken to emulating and creating many different "faces" for the watch.


I know you have just bought the Monaco CAW211X, and from your comments on the forum I know it will probably be a way in the future, but do you have any idea what your next piece might be?

I'm over the moon with my Monaco 50th Anniversary 1989-1999 Special Edition! It has taken the place of my Monaco Gulf Grey as my new favorite watch. But it has also taken a significant chunk of my savings, so it will probably be a few years until my next big purchase. I suppose if TH releases a Monaco Gulf 50th Anniversary of the movie Le Mans in 2021, that would certainly have my interest. Out of the current watches, I like the Siffert Autavia and the Carrera Fragment Heuer 02, but have no intention to buy either at this time.

Okay, let's say you come into some money somehow, do you have a ‘money no object’ grail in mind?

It might seem cliché, but my grail watch is the stainless steel Rolex Daytona ceramic with a white face dial. But not for the reasons that many Rolex owners want one.

I've always wanted a Rolex Daytona because of its connection with the Daytona race track and because like McQueen, Paul Newman was an actor turned race car driver. A Newman Daytona would go very nicely with my McQueen Monacos.

I'm always curious to know how my interviewee's wifes/partners feel about their watch collecting habits..?

My wife endures it and doesn't really say much about it, as long as I'm not buying a new sports car every few years. LOL.

Actually, her watches are a mini extension of my collection. I've bought her some matching watches, kind of his and her pairs, for some of our wedding anniversaries, which included a TH Lady Link that she really liked a lot. But her current favorite is her ladies Rolex Datejust, which was also a gift from me to celebrate one of our big anniversary milestones. She's told me it's all the watch she'll ever need, probably to stop me from buying her another watch in the future.

How many watches is too many?

Honestly, for me, probably two is too many from a practical viewpoint. I've kept the majority of my watches throughout the years, but I'd wear the same watch for years and then buy new one and wear that one for years etc.

It wasn't until about 8 years ago that things started to go crazy, to where my interest greatly broadened to other expensive brands and my collection became larger than it really should be. I probably have 5 nice watches that I frequently rotate through, I think that's a good number. But alas, I know there's no specific end number in sight. Since I rarely sell my older watches, the collection is bound to grow.


Five does sound like a nice and thoroughly reasonable number, ahem... :)

Moving swiftly on, are you more excited by re-issues or new pieces?

I like the heritage designs more, but it's not like I'm stuck on vintage looks or have anything against new designs. I actually like many of the new designs, however I guess the nostalgia of the heritage designs gives them the edge for me.

Have you ever bought or sold a watch and regretted it?

Yes, I regret selling my Cal 11 Monaco Vintage Grey LE CAW211B. That was my first Monaco. But about a year after getting that watch, I got the Cal 12 Monaco Grey GULF LE. The Gulf was the model I really adored and my poor Vintage Grey sat mostly unworn. So I sold it, thinking I'd eventually buy a blue McQueen. Ironically, I still don't have a blue Monaco yet. The CAW211B is a beautiful Monaco and every time I see a picture of one posted, I wish I hadn't sold it.

Why is it do you think that TAG Heuer seems to attract more than its fair share of negativity from the ''watch community'?

I'm not really sure why certain watch snobs look down on the brand. I honestly don't pay any attention to it.

This negativity seems to be something that's developed over a long period of time and propagated by certain watch snobs throughout the internet. People say it's because of how TH goes about marketing their watches. For me, TAG Heuer's connection with motorsport has always been pure. Sure they'll market the heck out of McQueen's and Senna's legacy and they've also had their share of glamour ambassadors. But TH's true connection to auto racing can not be denied and I believe that's why many auto racing enthusiasts love the brand

What are your thoughts on the collaboration with Bamford?

I think the Bamford watches are bold, playful and intriguing to look at. But I'm not sure if they're worth the premium in price, for me. But for collectors who can afford them, I think the collaboration is great. I would liken the relationship to how many car manufacturers have tuner shops that work very closely with them to bring out specialized versions of the cars. Bamford certainly isn't for everyone, just like most people will simply keep their cars 'stock'.

Are you swayed by ‘limited editions’ and the associated packaging?

I am swayed by LE's when it's a design that I like and the price premium is minimal. The fact that a watch is only produced in limited numbers does make it more desirable for me and I believe also helps with the resale value.

This was one of the reasons I adored my Monaco Gulf Grey LE. I love its looks, but living in the US and knowing that it was never offered for sale in the US, made it that much more special for me. People would always ask about the watch. Even ADs would ask about it, prior to the new CAW211R Monaco Gulf's release.

Which watch would you like to see TAG Heuer re-issue?

I'd love to see a modern day version of the watch Aryton Senna famously wore, the S/EL ana-digi.

I don't care much for the Senna tribute watches that TH re-hashes every now and then to capitalize on the Senna name. But a modern version S/EL that stayed true to the heritage of the original in its looks would really be something. If they could somehow figure out a way to combine a mechanical movement with digital functions, that would be an even more incredible homage to the original.

As this is the first time I've interviewed someone who has purchased one of the five super-limited Monacos, I'm curious to know how you feel about the decision to release the Monacos in series, also... I’m sure we haven’t seen everything as yet, but if you were in charge of TAG Heuer, how would you have marked the 50th anniversary of the Monaco?

You know, this is a very interesting question, I might have given a different answer if I hadn't been able to secure one of the Monaco 50th Anniversary watches. But with hindsight, I think TAG Heuer's approach with 50th Anniversary was brilliant!

As a fan of the Monaco, I had very high expectations for the 50th Anniversary. The Monaco 40th Anniversary watch was a huge success on many levels. How would TH top that? The only way, I thought, was if TH released another Blue McQueen Monaco but even truer to the original, with round pushers and the Heuer 02 in-house movement modified for the Calibre 11 style left-hand winder.

But from a practical viewpoint, the current CAW211P is an almost exact stand in for the 40th, at a way more affordable price. So yet another Vintage looking Blue McQueen might have solicited a few yawns from the general public. Yes for us collectors, we would have been ready with cash in hand for such a Monaco, but the for the masses, maybe not.

Hence I think TAG Heuer's strategy is a terrific alternative. A stroke of genius when I think about it. By having 5 separate watches (each kept secret until its reveal) TAG Heuer is able to keep the intrigue and excitement going for most of the year. The watches are relatively affordable, very unique and in such limited numbers, which makes the desirability of these watches very high.

The only thing that ruined it was the leaked images. That's not TAG Heuer's fault, but I think it tainted things for many of us in a very negative way. It almost really screwed things up for me! I had an early opportunity to put a deposit down for any Monaco 50 of my choosing, but having seen the leaked image of all 5, I decided to pass and wait for the reveals. As we all know, when the actual reveals happened the watches looked so much better, but by then it was too late to get an allocation if one hadn't already put a deposit down.

I was really fortunate that I was able to get the 1989-1999 version, as that was the one that I was leaning towards based on the leaked image. Just got super lucky that I could get one from TH's website after the official reveal.

It's true that the watches look better then the renders suggested, and I'm told by staff at TAG Heuer that the watches look even better in person, whether I'll ever actually clap eyes on one I really don't know... but you were definitely lucky to secure one as I believe in the UK demand was at least five times the availability. So very well done there! 

Turning to the CAW211W for a moment, given the very positive reaction to the red dial version, how would you feel about some kind of ‘Ferrari’ branded Monaco?

Well, I'm not that keen on the idea of a Ferrari Monaco. I'm sure it would sell. But for me, the Carrera is the line that should pay homage to Ferrari & Heuer, as the F1 pilots of the '70s all received gold Carreras from Jack Heuer. A Lauda Gold Carrera LE re-edition is something I'd definitely want to buy. But the Ronnie Peterson that was released was too expensive and exclusive, I'd like to see something a little more attainable for the masses.

Also, while I absolutely love the color red, having a watch with a flashy red dial is not something that I could wear daily. I think the color is too bold and would clash with my conservative dress style at work for example. When I buy watches, it's not really as a collector, but with the mindset that this is a watch that I could wear as a daily piece or as my one and only watch.

If we can move away from the Monaco and indeed TAG Heuer for a little moment, which other brands do you appreciate / own?

TAG Heuer is my favorite brand because of its motorsport heritage. But I also own Rolex, Omega, Breitling and a few others. Outside of my TH line up, my Omega Speedmaster "First Omega in Space" is my favorite watch. But I also really like my Rolex Submariner and Breitling Navitimer. I guess I am just "old school" at heart and partial to such "icons".

Who (if anybody) do you think should be TAG Heuer’s next brand ambassador?

The Hollywood actors, glamour super models, and celebrity sports figures can come and go. I don't really care about those types of ambassadors, but I'm sure they help TH sell lots of watches.

For me, someone like Patrick Dempsey is the perfect ambassador. He's a true fan of the brand, who bought and wore TAG Heuer watches before he ever became an ambassador. The fact that he's also a race driver is a bonus. Senna was also a great ambassador (if that was even a term at the time), as he wore the same TAG Heuer watch daily, in the races and in his personal life.

I don't know who the next Senna or Dempsey might be, but someone like them is who I'd like as an ambassador.

Finally, if I gave you a £10,000 watch voucher right now, what would you buy?

Don't tempt me with such a question unless you're willing to pay up!
Joking aside, that's a really tough question, there are so many options to think about. Perhaps I'd pull the trigger on the last Carrera Fragment Heuer 02 that still seems to be available on-line (at the time of this writing). Or more likely, I'd lean to getting a pre-owned 40th Anniversary Monaco.


Excellent, well thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview, and I hope you (and all the other interviewees) might be up for another chat in a few months time!

GALLERY: TAG Heuer 6000 Series Quartz Chronograph with Large Spanner

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph Review by Watches On You

BLACKLIST UPDATE!

Our eBay 'friends' 'watchcompany-1' have apparently changed their name to 'casualwear11' and somehow they've managed to carry over their (completely legitimate I'm sure) feedback. Still using the same registered address and still selling the same shonky watches. I must say for a company that's turned over £100,000s of money selling watches they have a surprisingly small bank balance (£152)

https://suite.endole.co.uk/insight/company/11018889-ancient-balance-limited

Needless to say, I've added 'casualwear11' to the blacklist...

OWNED: TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive Quartz Watch

WN1112.BA0332

Obviously we'd all love to have cupboards rammed with expensive watches, a Monaco 24 for daily wear, a Carrera Tourbillon for the weekend and a V4 for special occasions, but unfortunately my job doesn't really pay (anywhere near) well enough for that. I am however largely free from financial commitments (no mortgage, no kids, no car) and so I do get to indulge myself quite a bit (although I am now having a rest from watch buying as I need to rebuild my much depleted savings).

Some time back I quietly made the decision to cross a few of the more 'affordable' pieces off my list, including the classic F1 chronograph, the 2000 Multigraph and the black dial S/EL (more on that coming soon - hopefully), and in the process of all that I came across this watch selling very cheaply indeed (I believe it was about £230). You might even remember me buying this as it really wasn't that long ago at all, just a couple of months perhaps... and I didn't really expect it to make that much of an impact on me, it was just a nice, blue dial, inexpensive, worry free watch. Not exactly a 'beater' but certainly nothing to really 'covet'...

And yet, I find myself wearing it a lot, not because it's a 'cheaper' watch and I don't need to worry about it, but because I love the blue dial. In fact I think this is the nicest of all my blue dialed watches. The Kirium is nice too, but there's something about the depth of colour on this 2000 that really sets it apart. I also like the way it looks against the polished, somewhat oversized and very square/futuristic numerals. I could quite understand if someone was to say they didn't like the font on the 2000 Exclusive watch range, but I really like it and it definitely adds to the 'Breitling' vibe this watch exudes.

The three hander 2000 Exclusives are 38mm, which is a little small, I would definitely like it to be 2-3mm bigger, but having said that, as it is it wears very comfortably and being smaller the watch can get away with its very chunky styling. The bracelet in particular is very solid and looks and feels very well made, and the smaller polished links in the centre section give the watch just enough 'bling' without overdoing it.

The bezel looks great, but honestly I don't know if you could design a bezel more prone to scratches and scuffs... with the raised section being polished it's just asking for trouble. I've actually tried to remove the bezel to polish it, but I can't get it off. I did polish it in situ (masking the sapphire glass to protect it) and I did improve it quite a bit, but really to do it properly it needs to come off. For a while I was determined to get it off, but given how quickly it's likely to pick up scratches again I'm really not sure it's worth the trouble.

The dial itself is very legible and the white date wheel stands out well, as does the white minute track and the border around the date window finishes that off nicely. The lume is also surprisingly effective, especially the lume pip mounted at the 12 position on the bezel. The bezel on mine is pretty solid and I don't think it's had that much use, it does move now and then but it's definitely not spinning like a top or anything like that!

I did however have a rather unpleasant surprise the other day, I was turning the crown to set the hands when I suddenly realised it was no longer attached to the watch! Thankfully I didn't drop and lose the crown, and (relief) it screws back on fine, but it means I can only set the hands backwards (the date change still works fine), but being a quartz watch I only need to reset it on months with less than 31 days so it's not a massive problem.

Obviously I am going to fix this, but it seems to me I might as well wait until it needs a battery since a watchmaker will have to remove the watch stem to tighten the crown, which entails removing the back of the watch, and this means it will need resealing. It's not a massive issue and I can live with it, though typically, no doubt, this will be the longest lasting battery ever...!

WN1112                 CN1110                 WN1153

I now have three 2000 Exclusives, this one, the black dial chronograph and the silver dial two tone with the gold bezel. I like them all, but this one is easily getting the most wrist time. Sure the two-tone is somewhat less 'practical' but it really comes down to the dial at the end of the day, that blue is gorgeous and if, for some reason I was forced to sell all my watches, I think I could actually be relatively happy with that as an 'only' watch. Which just goes to show that while this may be an expensive hobby, it doesn't 'have' to be...

BLACKLIST UPDATED!

Had to add a few more names to the 'Blacklist' today...

irsip-15, james88jones-0, norfolkgirl2015, pinsuk, scottgeorge86, sellera999 and tradesupplys

All selling terrible fakes on eBay today.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-...873044?hash=item4207278914:g:W8oAAOSwgCxdXYsx

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tag-heuer-watch/183929631982?hash=item2ad30f74ee:g:KAUAAOSw0w5dYjTE

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-Vint...467145?hash=item1a827e5549:g:a9YAAOSwTsNdWlyF

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tag-Heuer-Carrera-Caliber-17-Automatic-Mens-Watch-Chronograph/183922756796

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tag-Heue...279368?hash=item469b8adb88:g:O~oAAOSwhfZdOKSx

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-TAG-Heuer-Watch-Model-934-213/183924438756

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tag-heuer-grand-carrera-calibre-16-updated-information/264439478838

GALLERY: TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive Quartz with Carbide Inserts and Abrasive Belts

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's Tourbillons Challenge the Swiss Status Quo by Time and Tide Watches

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Dealer Catalogue 2004-2005

Apologies for yet another 'catalogue' post, as I said the other day, this 2004/2005 Master Catalogue came from the same chap as the 2005-2006 Master Catalogue I secured last week.

The first thing that struck me in the catalogue was that I wasn't aware that the Formula 1 had been available in two different sizes: 40mm and 37mm (which is closer to the size of the older generation of Formula 1s at 38mm), this seems to hark back to the older days of 'TAG Heuer' when a lot of watches were available in three sizes; mens, ladies and 'mid-size' (alhough having said that, I notice that a lot of the diamond encrusted bezel watches are 37mm - which seems large for ladies watches).

WAB1112

The other thing that struck me looking down the index tabs was that this catalogue contained both Aquaracer and 2000 models, at first I assumed this was because they had both models still in stock (this is a dealer catalogue remember) but actually on closer inspection it seems that the 'Aquaracer' name was originally a suffix and not the name of the model itself. I can't quite believe this has passed me by until now, but that's why these catalogues are invaluable!

I'm quite taken with this WAB1112 model, but having Googled it, it seems there's only one currently for sale in the UK and the seller wants £850... it looks like a reasonable price given what others have sold for, but I'm not sure I want it badly enough to pay that. But I'll keep looking...

Nice to see the Kirium Ti5 in here, you might remember I posted the other day about the copy of International Watch Magazine that I picked up which featured the launch of this particular model.

In the middle we have my wife's pink dial Alter Ego, alongside the more common dark blue variant and one that I've certainly never come across before.

It's often forgotten that the Autavia had a short lived revival in the mid 00s. Personally I didn't really like the case shape and I'm not surprised that they went for a more conventional case shape when they launched the Autavia Heuer 02 a few years ago. It must have come out a little later because it's not featured in this catalogue, but there was also a rose gold version of the 00s Autavia which had a white dial and came on a brown leather strap (CY5140).

After the disappointment of Sunday and missing out on the 1988 Catalogue, it was very pleasing to get this in the post on Monday morning, and I'm afraid I have a confession... after I bought this one I contacted the seller to ask if he had more 'Dealer' catalogues to sell on eBay, and the upshot is that I have three more on the way...
:)

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Aquagraph with Oakley Jawbone Shades

FEATURE: Please Read This Before Buying Pre-Owned TAG Heuers on Ebay!

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2019/05/spotlight-on-suspicious-number-of.html

A while back I wrote a post concerning an implausible number of red and blue dial 1000 Series TAG Heuers being sold on eBay, these were pretty easy to spot because the dials didn't look right when compared to the original. These caught my eye again the other day when someone posted a photo of one of the red 1000 Series on the Calibre 11 Forum the other day asking if we thought it was genuine.

If you wish to read the thread on the Calibre11 Forum, it starts half way down this page:
https://forums.calibre11.com/threads/is-my-tag-heuer-authentic-all-questions-here-please.33008/page-93

Now I appreciate not everyone wants to read pages of watch nerds bickering over what is and isn't fake, but I feel I must share with you details of this case to try and help protect my readers from getting burned elsewhere. Because while these sellers seem to have been shut down for now (although at least one of them has started selling again this morning), this a large scale fraud and this is not just going to go away. It's clear that these guys are pretty smart and no doubt they will open up new eBay accounts and trickle the same watches back into the system (and doubtless use other avenues to sell their watches).

As it stands it would be wrong of me to say 100% these watches are fake, at the moment we are awaiting the results of two watches that have been sent back to TAG Heuer for assessment. From what I'm told by the buyers, these are excellent 'fakes', that require more than simply taking the back off to check... but the 'circumstantial' evidence (lets say) is huge and damning.

The watches are being sold as 'pre-owned' with 'light marks' but no boxes and no papers. This was probably a conscious decision to give the sales an air of plausibility, especially to anyone who didn't dig further than the seller's front page. Indeed, browsing the sellers 'items for sale' pages didn't really flag up too much, in fact if it wasn't for the 1000 Series that looked a bit off, I don't know if I would have even thought too much about it, it's only when you observe their previous feedback that you start to notice that something is wrong.

The first seller that I came across was called 'Tradenvint' their eBay page is here...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/tradenvint

Trade-n Vint Steingasse
7 Vienna, 1030 Vienna CA
Austria

Checking back through their feedback I noticed at least twenty 1000 Series divers sold in the last six months, which is completely ridiculous. If you find two or three red dial 1000 Series on eBay in a year you are doing well, and the watches go for a premium price (£800+), they certainly don't start at 99p. This had 'red flag' written all over it. Furthermore I started to notice that their other feedback was starting to paint a rather worrying picture as well as the same model numbers were coming up again and again and again.

Then it was pointed out that this was already being discussed in the TAG Heuer section of the 'Watch U Seek' forum, and about the same time a guy who had been posting there (James Biz) turned up on the Calibre 11 Forum. James has also purchased one of the watches and had taken it apart to confirm it's authenticity, he claims it is a fake, albeit a very, very good one. He has also sent his watch back to be tested by TAG Heuer.

James also pointed out two more eBay sellers that were peddling the exactly the same watches, even though they claim not to be connected. One of the two was much smaller, with far fewer watches sold, but still the similarity was striking enough to conclude that even if these sellers weren't connected they must be buying from the same source.

These sellers were:

'Watchcompany-1'

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/watchcompany-1

Ancient Balance Limited
Watch Company
14 Hoe Street
Walthamstow
London
E17 4PH


and 'Fastbeat0'

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/fastbeat0

Fast O Beat
Kunkegasse 8
1230 Wien
Austria


Anyway, feel free to read the thread if you want to know more of the ins and outs of our... 'debates' over this, but the important thing now to know is which models are affected and what you can do if you have bought from these companies and might have a fake watch on your hands.

These are the model numbers affected, the numbers in brackets are the numbers sold in the last year across the three sellers we know about. These figures alone are enough to know that there's something obviously amiss here... especially when concentrated between very similar looking watches that would only need different coloured dials

CAC1110.BA0850 (32)

CAC1111.BA0850 (27)

CAC1112 (34)

WAF1110.BA0800 (9)

WAF1111.BA0801 (16)

WAF1112.BA0801 (11)

WAF1113.BA0801 (12)

WAH1110.BA0850 (22)

WAH1111.BA0850 (29)

WAH1112.BA0850 (39)

WAJ1110.BA0870 (2)

WAJ1111.BA0870 (4)

WJ1110.BA0570 (9)

WJ1111.BA0570 (10)

WJ1112.BA0570 (14)

WJ1113.BA0575 (11)

WJ1114.BA0575 (12)

980.020B 1000 Series Two Tone (3*)

980.113B 1000 Series Lume dial (10*)

980.913N 1000 Series Red Dial (8*)

980.013B 1000 Series Black Dial (2*)

980.613N 1000 Series Blue Dial (2*)

*These figures are only for 'watchcompany-1' as Tradenvint did not specify individual watches in the description so it doesn't show in their feedback, but overall Tradevint sold '27' 1000 Series watches in the last year (making a ridiculous total of 52!)

Clearly this is a massive fraud, which has turned over hundreds of thousands of pounds, and that's just the TAG Heuers, these people were also selling Seikos, Omega quartz and Longines Hydro Conquests as well. Lots of them...

For me, the most worrying thing is that once these watches are sold and then re-sold via eBay by unsuspecting customers, they are going to be impossible to spot... (the red and blue 1000 Series excepted as they are clearly 'off), I mean I've always thought that one day I would pick up a late 00s Formula 1 off eBay for a few hundred quid just for the hell of it, but now I don't think that's a smart move.

But if you have bought one of these watches from one of these sellers in the last year or so, and/or possibly other auction sites or a third party seller on Amazon (because Amazon sure as hell wouldn't know a fake TAG Heuer if it smacked them in the face), then I would urge you to take steps to verify your watches authenticity. The only way to do this is to return the watch to TAG Heuer via your nearest Authorised Distributor. Don't take it to 'your guy' or your local jeweller, these 'fakes' are too sophisticated for that, they have the correct ETA movements so that won't even tell you anything. If your watch turns out to be fake then you should be able to return it to the supplier for a refund, or claim compensation from eBay or Amazon.

Huh, you know what I am calling these watches fakes... because if by some miracle TAG actually said the watches tested were genuine that would be even more unbelievable!

TAG Heuer's value retention is already weak due to overproduction (Jean Claude Biver said as much in the interview I posted recently) and saturation of the market through grey market sellers offering discounts, this is not going to help matters and we already know there are some extremely good 'new' Aquaracer fakes doing the rounds.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2019/08/feature-tag-heuer-fakes-on-ebay-are-now.html

The problem is, how do you protect yourself against this? These fakes are too good for us regular punters to spot, and I suspect even companies like Watchfinder wouldn't investigate far enough beyond the movement and general appearance to make sure, and once you get these watches being 'approved' by 'those who should know' then we are all on an extremely sticky wicket!

A while back there was much talk about watch companies getting in on their own pre-owned markets, buying back stock and selling pre-owned in their own boutiques. I think if things keep going the way they are this may be the only way you can 100% guarantee that you are getting the real thing....

In the meantime if you are bidding on or thinking about bidding on one of the items that Tradevint are selling today, I strongly urge you to reconsider your position.