SPOTLIGHT ON: Heuer Mikrograph 1/100th of a Second Chronograph

CAR5040.FC8177

Launched in 2011, the 'Mikrograph' (is anyone else confused by the Mikrograph / Micrograph / Multigraph / Microtimer naming conundrum?) featured an 'in-house' development of the Calibre 360 movement first used in the TAG Heuer Vanquish (one of the rarest TAG Heuers in existence - just eleven were made) and was limited to 150 pieces in total. 

While it's a beautiful thing to behold, the CAR5040 Mikrograph has a 43mm solid rose-gold case and a split white and dark brown dial, it was also frighteningly expensive with an original list price of $50,000 - quite a sum of money for a brand who tend to chiefly inhabit the £1000-£6000 price bracket.

But this was nearly ten years ago, when Jean Christophe Babin was still in control of the company and he felt the way to make the company's more affordable products more desirable was to develop so called 'halo' high-end products which supposedly push the value of the whole range up.

I don't really think that concept worked to be honest, though as a watch enthusiast it's a shame because I'd personally love to see a return to the days of high end innovation and models such as the aforementioned Vanquish and Monaco V4. But to my mind that idea only really works if you make your 'halo' model very visible. For example, the Audi R8 fulfills that role perfectly, I'm not sure that the majority of potential TAG Heuer customers who wanted to put down £1000 on an entry level Formula 1 would know a Mikrograph if it slapped them in the face.

The Heuer Mikrograph in the TAG Heuer factory at La Chaux de Fonds

I suppose the theory is that watch enthusiasts would read about it in the specialist press and it would inform their opinions about the brand and that should have trickled down to the mainstream, but it clearly didn't work as until Mr Biver stepped in a few years ago and launched the new Carrera and Connected models, TAG Heuer's overall reputation was pretty weak.  

Still it wasn't for want of trying; the CAR5040 features an integrated chronograph and has two balance wheels to facilitate the main movement running at a different frequency to the main complication. This means that while the chrono operates at 360,000vph giving that all important 1/100th second accuracy, the 'time telling' part of the movement operates at a slightly less energy sapping rate of 28,800vph. In turn this gives the chronograph a run time of just 90 minutes, while the main movement has a power reserve of 42hrs.

From an aesthetic point of view I think the colour combination works really well and though an unusual choice I think that bright blue chrono second hand looks absolutely fantastic. The Mikrograph is quite unusual in that its dial is marked out to make the most of its 1/100th of a second accuracy, with no regular hour batons or Arabic numerals in sight. That gives this watch a unique and purposeful look more akin to a stopwatch than a regular timepiece. But I can't really see anyone who buys this missing the hour markers, we all know where they should go after all!

The great thing about this superb watch though, from a pre-owned purchaser's point of view at least, is that it can be had today for a considerable saving over it's original list price. This post has been kicking around in my file for a very, very long time, but when I started this one Watchfinder (hardly a company known for its bargain prices) had one of these for sale for about £21,000. That one has gone now but there is a 'new' one on Chrono 24 going for £18,338... other than that it's slim pickings, with the only other options the regular bullsh*tters like Jura watches (£41,500) who claim delivery in 3-10 days but will probably ultimately tell you it's no longer available

One thing to bear in mind though, the movement in this watch was handmade and it will definitely have to go back to TAG Heuer in Switzerland for servicing - I can't imagine that being cheap, so like your bargain four seater Ferrari 400i (if those are still bargains?) it's probably worth bearing that in mind before committing to buy one...

Further reading: Check out David's hands-on review at Calibre 11
https://www.calibre11.com/heuer-carrera-mikrograph-review/