WAZ1115.FT8023
You may well have noticed this watch in my latest 'New Arrivals at Bicester Village' post; for me it's one that I was previously aware of but which I knew almost nothing about. Seeing the watch appear at Bicester inspired me to dig a little and to bring the finer details into focus for you...
I'm sure for the vast majority of you 'Patrouille des Glaciers' means absolutely nothing, as indeed it did for me. Until yesterday I assumed it was some kind of mountain rescue service in Switzerland or something, but in actual fact it is a bi-annual ski/mountaineering race organised by the Swiss Armed Forces which takes place at the end of April at the base of the Pennine Alps.
Speaking as someone who has never tried to ski and has no real inclination to try, it looks pretty tough going - maybe that's why they only do it every two years?
One thing I haven't been able to establish is who Jonathon Haverford is, but the figures appear to represent the total time taken to complete the race (8hrs, 42min, 15sec). I did find an article relating to a Chinese team taking part in the 2016 race which mentions then TAG Heuer CEO Jean Claude Biver, so I assume that TAG Heuer were sponsoring the event.
The watch is limited to 200 pieces and features an anthracite dial similar to the Calibre 5 Formula 1 I tried on last year in Watches of Switzerland in London. I was mightily impressed with it then and I bet it looks just as good here - though clearly the large red 'Patrouille des Glaciers' logo marks this out as something extra special.
The watch has a unique feature that I wasn't previously aware of, that being the '1' on the date wheel has been replaced with this 'Swiss' flag shield, in much the same way that 'K' is used on the date wheels of the 'Air-K' limited editions. I think this is a nice touch and a nice little surprise to start each new month.
Anthracite dial aside, this is one of the most basic TAG Heuer watches you can buy, but it's still a good looking piece. I've tried a different watch on with this strap and I liked it, but I know it's not for everyone - one person who shall remain nameless told me they thought it looked rather 'cheap'! I must admit at £700 in Bicester Village I was debating with myself all weekend whether I should just go get it, but in the end I decided to leave it.
At that price it would be the cheapest item in the shop and it was probably sold even before I was thinking about it (affordable Formula 1 watches in the outlets usually don't last five minutes) and at £700, with an anthracite dial and limited to 200 pieces, I'm sure somebody must have walked out of there a very happy bunny indeed*
*FYI: I spoke to the store yesterday and they did indeed sell the watch very quickly, but they still have two pieces remaining. I do not expect them to be there for long though, so if you are interested I really would not delay further. Call the store on (01869) 249008.
Incidentally, I believe there is no a system in place for purchasing from the outlet over the phone without the need to visit the store physically, so even if you don't live near to Bicester Village you can still get yourself a bargain!
Further reading / watching for skiing enthusiasts:
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