BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz 'Senna' Watch

WAZ1014.FT8027

You may remember I did an on the wrist post of this one a while back, and I really liked it. So much so in fact that on seeing it was still available I returned to the shop with my classic white dial Formula 1 and managed to negotiate a sensible trade in. The white dial F1 has never really gelled with me, even when I bought it I wasn't exactly in love with it, but unfortunately that's the thing with buying from eBay, you don't get to try before you buy. 

30 Years of TAG Heuer Formula 1... quite a difference!

But I don't regret buying it; I've worn it a bit, never had to replace the battery and okay so I've lost a few quid on it, but it was one of the 'classic' watches I needed to experience and now that I have I know it's not for me. Oddly I much prefer the original F1 on the resin strap (which is smaller), odd because the white dial F1 always feels very small, even though I'm happy to wear other watches of a similar size. But anyway, an 'Owned' post will no doubt follow on that watch at some point, this post is about my lovely new 'Senna'. 

I've always liked this one ever since it was released, but always had some slight reservations about those red hands. I'm still not totally on board with them, I wouldn't mind if they were silver, or even just a bit less shiny, but I love the silver bezel insert against the black bezel and case and much prefer the less cluttered three hand version of this watch over the chronograph. Stripes and subdials rarely seem a happy combination, it should usually be one or the other... so I'm quite happy with the layout here.

The Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 could be a bit more legible, the edging is so fine that you can barely register them, which is a shame. Surprisingly though, they are are lumed; but of course, dark grey lume is never going to match up with the white lume found on the batons surrounding the rest of the dial, so most of the time you'll only see them fleetingly (and when the watch has had a damn good charge).

This one has re-ignited my love for rubber straps big time (so much so in fact that I've ordered a rubber strap for my Aquagraph!), it's thick and beefy and the red detailing is something very unusual and really gives it a distinctive look. Actually, I'm not entirely sure it isn't the strap that sold me on the watch... I think if this watch was on a plain rubber strap I probably wouldn't have bought it. I guess it would have been a whole lot cheaper to buy the strap and put it on something else... but then I don't think I have anything it would suit, and certainly not as well as it does this F1.

I thought I was done for this year, but it seems not and actually I do have one more watch to share with you. In my post about the Kirium chronometer I mentioned there was another watch on eBay I was interested in, well I also got that one, but that's definitely it for 2019. Well, probably... :) 2020 though is definitely going to see a slow-down in my watch buying, I've had a crazy couple of years and now perhaps it's time to take stock and really think about where to go with my collection. I can even see me selling one or two pieces, or at least listing them on eBay and seeing if I get any bites...