Thursday 30 December 2021

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watches

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Those of you who frequent the Calibre 11 Forum and my Instagram account (tag.heuer.enthusiast) may recall seeing a photo or two of these classic Formula 1s months ago... I actually bought the ladies one in February and ended up giving it to my wife in October (for our Wedding Anniversary) and the larger one for myself in May and then hid it in a drawer until after our wedding anniversary so that I could give it to her so that she could give it to me for Christmas. See, if I gave it to her before she'd had hers she might well have gone on a mission trying to find a ladies one... and I definitely didn't want that to happen!

Monday 27 December 2021

FEATURE: The COCO Council Watch of the Year 2021

 

Welcome back everyone, I hope you've all enjoyed the Christmas festivities while the blog has had it's annual two day holiday and are eager to find out the results of the C.O.C.O. Council watch of the year vote?

But before we get into that I just wanted to take a moment to thank the members of the Council for their participation in 2021 and beyond. While I often find myself disagreeing with a lot of what they say, I still think it's a good idea to get a mixture of opinions on each new release and their input has definitely added to the 'First Impressions' posts and even on occasion made me rethink my own initial thoughts. 

Thanks guys!

Friday 24 December 2021

FEATURE: The Best and Worst of TAG Heuer 2021

 

Well here we are on the cusp of another Christmas and of course that means that once again it's time for my annual 'Round Up'. You may remember that last year I assembled approximately twenty fellow watch enthusiasts under the banner of the 'Council of Considered Opinion' to help appraise the year's releases and vote for the TAG Heuer 'Watch of the Year'. 

We followed that on through the year with each new release being given a 'First Impressions' score and while I could have simply used those scores for this post, I thought it would be much more interesting to have the council score the watches again, not least because first impressions often change. For instance, I imagine a lot of people have changed their opinion on the 2021 Aquaracer now that they've had a chance to actually see one... I know have!. 

So grab a sherry and a mince pie and settle in for a look at all of this year's releases. Once again I'm keeping the scores of the top models back until Boxing Day (27th) when all will be revealed (including the 'Watch of the Year' result - which is voted for by the members of the council separately on a one member = one vote basis). I think it's pretty obvious which pieces are the top contenders, but will the vote end up split and a 'surprise' winner emerge? You'll have to come back on the 27th to find out...

Wednesday 22 December 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 7 'Twin Time'

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Tustains Jewellers / Leamington Spa, 16th October 2021

When the new Carreras launched back at the start of October, one in particular caught my eye... so when the opportunity came to take a closer look at the new pieces I obviously elected to go with this Calibre 7 'Twin Time'. Right from the start it was the absolute standout piece, but for me it was a watch that I thought I would admire without the slightest thought of ever purchasing. I still don't think I will ever actually own this watch, but having had it on the wrist I certainly wouldn't say never.

For me the Calibre 5 / Calibre 7 Carreras have always been 'nice' watches. As in 'nice but not really for me'. I've tried on a few of them over the years and always felt they were very middle of the road, very inoffensive, very.... 'mass appeal' to be completely honest. To me they were 'safe' watches made for people who weren't really that 'into' watches but who wanted something better than the run of the mill.

Monday 20 December 2021

INTERVIEW: Hubert (Calibre 11 Moderator)


Today we welcome our friend (and patient Calibre 11 Moderator) 'Hubert' back to the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blog.


Hi Hubert, can you believe it’s been two years since we did our first interview? So much has happened… back then we didn’t know what was about to hit us. Firstly how have you been, hopefully you and your family are all healthy?

Time flies!  I also can’t believe it’s been that long.  This pandemic has certainly made these past two years mesh together in a prolonged hallucination.  It certainly has been tragic for billions and a true test for everyone.  So I truly hope your loved ones and readers are keeping well and in good health.


So an odd way to start perhaps, but reading back through your first interview I noticed that you mentioned you wear the Connected Smart Watch twice a week. I never really picked up on this at all, so how has your Connected experience been? Is it still working? Have you upgraded to the 3rd Generation? Did you get a Super Mario?

Funny you should ask about the Connected!   If you remember, the current generation was launched right before the world shutdown.  As I did with the past two iterations, I purchased mine the day it was announced, on March 12th, 2020.  And while this model offers some nice upgrades in the form of a heart-rate monitor, programmable chrono-pushers, improved electronics, and an optional ceramic bezel; where it falls short is in its overall design, which is frankly, uninspired. Sadly the avant-garde look of its predecessors is gone and we are left with something that is hard to differentiate from the dozens of other smartwatches that can be acquired for a fraction of its price.  The distinct katana lugs that symbolized the bold, unapologetic re-interpretation of the historic Carrera, have been phased-out, in favor of the softened version of the Bove design.

Friday 17 December 2021

ON THE WRIST: Oris TT1 Automatic Watch

 
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Peter Stephan / Leamington Spa, 16th October 2021

A slightly random, opportunistic try-on this one. My wife wanted to look at the necklaces in 'Peter Stephan's' window and I happened to notice that along with several 'fashion watch' and lower echelon watch brands (Certina, etc) they also stocked some (slightly out of date) Oris pieces. This TT1 caught my eye, so while she tried on some jewellery I had a look at this quirky looking thing.

First thing to note is that officially this seems to be regarded as 43mm (at least on all the websites I've found - this model no longer features on Oris' website) but I think that is incorrect. I was wearing my Calibre 16 Carrera and this was 1-2mm smaller on the diameter. I've tried to see if they made this watch in more than one size, but I can't find that they did - so I am going to say this is more like 41.5mm than 43mm.

Tuesday 14 December 2021

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer S/EL Leather 'Montreux Jazz Festival' Limited Edition Quartz Watches

 
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It amazes me how after five years of research I can still come across TAG Heuer watches that I have never seen before and had no idea they ever existed. Such was the case today when I came across not one, but three examples of pieces made specifically for the Montreux Jazz Festivals of 1995 and 1996.

First this example with its unique 'Jazz' dial, two pieces of which I found on eBay (both from the same seller), one minty looking one on a green strap and one on a tan strap (which unfortunately has some slight bezel damage).

Saturday 11 December 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Red Bull' Special Edition Quartz Watch

 
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Ernest Jones / Leamington Spa, 16th October 2021

Way back in February last year I posted my first impressions of the 2020 edition of the Formula 1 Red Bull Special Edition and at the end of that post I said I would reserve judgement until I could get my hands on one... little did I know it would be over eighteen months until I actually got one on my wrist. Of course that was in large part due to the disruption caused by Covid 19, but the big question is was it worth the wait? After all its predecessor, the awesome CAZ1018 is a tough act to follow so the CAZ101AK had some HUGE shoes to fill.

But first, let's address the part number. Way back in February 2020 I commented (about the CAZ101AB) that it was unfortunate that the watch had been released just as Lawrence Stroll announced that he was buying the Racing Point Formula 1 team and therefore the tie up between Red Bull and Aston Martin would come to an end. 'Unfortunate' because the watch had a backplate which read 'Aston Martin Red Bull' and clearly that wasn't going to be acceptable once the parties had gone their separate ways.

Wednesday 8 December 2021

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watch

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I've always been a little unsure about the red/blue colour-scheme on the classic Formula 1; it's quite hard to photograph well and it often looks like the red is almost unreadable against the dark blue background. But my favourite Japanese eBayer listed this one and it coincided with my trigger finger itching to buy something (even though I've been trying to save for something 'bigger'). Well, this was only £149 so I figured the damage wouldn't be too significant and like clockwork ten days later I got my usual 'package' from Japan with this beauty inside.

Monday 6 December 2021

ON THE WRIST: Dior Grand Bal Automatic Ladies Watch

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Harrods / London, 15th September 2021

Ever since I showed my wife a photograph of a 'Dior Grand Bal' in a copy of the now sadly defunct 'QP' magazine a few years ago it's been right at the top of her 'dream watch' list. Unfortunately, despite much searching we'd never actually found anywhere in the UK that stocked them, until today... when we unexpectedly came across them in the 'Fine Jewellery and Watches' room in Harrods!

The Grand Bal comes in many different designs, all of which are very limited (for example this one is a run of just 88 pieces, though strangely this isn't mentioned on the website) and most of them are extremely beautiful. There are Grand Bals that come on ceramic bracelets or more traditional leather straps, but the defining feature of the Grand Bal is that it wears it's rotor on the front of the dial. Many examples are decorated with feathers, but there are also some other variations such as bows, intricate lattice-work and other fancy embellishments...
  

Saturday 4 December 2021

INTERVIEW: Kappa MD (Calibre 11 Forum Member)


Today we welcome a new face to the TAG Heuer Enthusiast blog, but one familiar to the members of the Calibre 11 forum... 

Hi there! First of all, I'd like to thank sir Rob for this interview and for allowing me to share my passion for watches, especially motorsport watches and more specifically TAG Heuer! My love for watches actually stemmed from my love of motorsports first and thus led me to the only brand which is synonymous with motorsports --> Heuer / TAG Heuer!

My name is John Paul but my friends call me JP or Doc Jaypes. I'm a 38 years old physician from Manila Philippines. As I have mentioned, I'm a doctor and I specialize in Urologic Surgery / Urology. I've used 'kappa_md' in both car and watch fora alike ever since I joined discussions (proud member of PHI KAPPA MU Medical Fraternity)


Well we're very pleased to have you J.P. and thank you for taking the time to do this interview. So let's start with a very obvious first question, how did you get interested in watches?

Growin up, I used to own different watches before like Timex, Guess (?), Nike, Casio, G-Shocks, Technomarines etc. but they were either gifts to me, purchases I made for time/fit purposes or something that really is part of a casual get-up. They were not really part of any collection that I have. They were nice for their purpose and I wasn't serious yet in watches in general. Most of these are already given to family members or life has come to an end. The only watches I have right now are TAG Heuer.

Thursday 2 December 2021

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Elegant Heuer 02 'Middle Eastern' Limited Edition Chronograph

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When the 42mm Carrera 'Elegant' range was released last year, there was one notable absence from the range when compared to the 44mm Carrera 'Sports' range, that being a piece with a green dial. Well, I don't know if TAG Heuer are intending to remedy that in the future (maybe the green dial fad is just starting to run out of steam?) but here at least we have exactly that. True the chances of seeing one outside of the Middle East are pretty slim, but you never know... 

Monday 29 November 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 Watch

 
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Goldsmiths / Milton Keynes, 13th September 2021

For the past few months I've been seriously considering the idea of purchasing a 'WAY/WBD' or possibly 'CAY' Aquaracer, if only because once they have disappeared from the shops the stress of ensuring that I don't end up buying a fake on the pre-owned market is too much. Admittedly I do already own a 'WAY' model in the WAY208C, but I'd also really like a steel version and the front runners are either the white dial version with the black hour markers and orange second hand, and the blue dial with yellow accents. 

I can't honestly remember the last time I actually tried on a blue dial (WAY/WBD series) Aquaracer, it must be a long time ago - maybe it was that limited edition 'Hawaii' model with the turtle on the dial and the palm trees on the back plate that I found in the old TAG Heuer outlet store at Bicester Village?

Friday 26 November 2021

HISTORY: The TAG Heuer SLR (2004-2012)

 

The TAG Heuer SLR started life in 2004 with the release of the CAD5110; probably the most curious looking watch the company have ever released. Following on from the McLaren F1 idea, this watch was only available to people looking to purchase the Mercedes Benz SLR super car and of course, at this particular moment in time TAG Heuer and Mercedes were still very much connected through their associations with the McLaren Formula 1 team and former TAG Heuer owners Ron Dennis and Mansour Ojjeh. 

The back of this first piece is numbered, but unfortunately it doesn't say of how many. A quick Google reveals that Mercedes made 2157 SLRs, so it must be less than that. The watch wasn't cheap by any means and given the scarcity of them on the pre-owned market perhaps we can assume that the take up rate wasn't too high? Or maybe the owners just aren't selling, or they sold them on with the car...

A notable feature of the watch is that it is a 'regulator' the only example that TAG Heuer have ever made, at least since the company was taken over in 1985.

Wednesday 24 November 2021

UPDATE: New Index Page

Today I think I finally found the character limit of the 'Index' page, which was not entirely unexpected if I'm completely honest. So now I have introduced a new 'Index' page which you can access from the tab at the tap of the page or by clicking this link. This now leads you to a menu where you can select the year you wish to view posts from.



Simply click on the banner for the year you are interested in and you will be taken to a new page with a complete list of posts for that period. Please let me know if there are in issues and I will do my best to resolve them.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1 by The Covert Crow

 

Tuesday 23 November 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Porsche Special Edition; Heuer 02 Chronograph

 
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Harrods / London, 15th September 2021

This is the last of the three watches I tried on in Harrods on this hot September day and it's probably my favourite. Yet again it's a watch that doesn't show itself at its best in photographs, but it's not quite the revelation that the blue dial Dato 45 Carrera 160th Anniversary LE was (for example). 

When TAG Heuer announced that they were going to collaborate with Porsche they unfortunately set up a lot of expectations. People were getting very excited about it and (for the most part) expecting 'Heritage' this and 'Retro' that, but to be honest when I think of Porsche I don't think of a company that is 'Retro' or 'Heritage'. Sure the 911 has massive history behind it, but to me as a casual observer the company are more about pushing the model forward through continual evolution rather than trading on some whimsical 'glory days'.

Saturday 20 November 2021

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2014-2015 General Catalogue & Watch Time 'TAG Heuer Special' Magazine


Isn't it amazing how sometimes you check eBay at just the right time? I tend to look at the site at least every few days for watches, but I only check for catalogues now and then. So I was really lucky to catch this one which I found with only a couple of hours left to go and a very reasonable starting price of £30 (which is what I got it for). The catalogue is in superb condition and included some update sheets, pity there was no price list but still a great find!

Wednesday 17 November 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 Elegant Chronograph

 
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Goldsmiths / Milton Keynes, 13th September 2021

Whilst I have come across the 'Elegant' Carrera in store before, it's never been one that I've been massively moved to try on. It simply isn't a model I gravitate towards and is certainly not something that I would ever buy or wear. But despite that, I was still intrigued enough to give it a go, after all as I keep saying - until you get a watch on your wrist you're only getting half the picture.

And once again this 42mm anthracite dial Carrera proved the point, as it was much nicer on than I had anticipated even by looking at it in the cabinet. For sure it's still not something I would ever buy, but I can still appreciate a nice dial, and this one is absolutely stunning.

Sunday 14 November 2021

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 '2021 Senna' Quartz Chronograph

 
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If you feel like you've seen this watch already and can't understand why it's getting a 'First Impressions' post here in November 2021, you're not alone. More than one member of the esteemed C.O.C.O. Council commented that they thought this watch was already in the line up, which is perhaps slightly embarrassing from people who should know better, but also (I think it's fair to say) indicative of the lack of 'inspiration' to be found with this release.

So yes, this is clearly little more than a DLC coated version of the steel 43mm CAZ101AF released just over a year ago in October 2020, albeit wearing the strap from the CAZ201B Calibre 16 model that came out alongside it. But despite that, I have to say I rather like it...

Thursday 11 November 2021

ON THE WRIST: Chopard Alpine Eagle Automatic Watch & L 'Heure du Diamant Ladies Automatic Watch

 
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Harrods / London, 15th September 2021

This was my wife and I's first visit to Harrods in over two years and for the first time ever we decided to stop and look around the 'Fine Jewellery and Watches' room instead of simply walking through it on the way to the more 'regular' watch boutiques. I'm really glad we did too because we found all sorts of goodies there including a Dior boutique selling the ladies Grand Bal, all manner of bejewelled Hublots and Roger DuBois (many of which were clearly pushing the boundaries of taste) and the Chopard boutique which was well worth a visit.

I've never been a big fan of the brand if I'm completely honest, because the Mille Miglias left me pretty cold and nothing else spoke to me much either. However, that all changed today when I came face to face with the Alpine Eagle for the first time (and our Swedish friend Jim Dollares was first in line to tell me 'I told you so)'. He did actually, although I had completely forgotten about it since I saw the release photos a while back... so it came as a welcome surprise and the perfect start to a great day out in London.

Monday 8 November 2021

BUYING EXPERIENCE: Tudor Black Bay 58 Automatic Watch (featuring Jim Dollares)


Hi everyone, Jim Dollares here! You might wonder why the TAG Heuer Enthusiast blog posts a Tudor 'Buying Experience' today? Well, this one is as much about the Aquaracer, as it is about the Tudor Black Bay 58... 

Buying Experience: The Time I Almost Bought the Aquaracer!

Background

Going back four or five years when my obsession with watches started, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer was one of the watches I admired the most. I remember one of my first watch loves to be the WAY211B with its superb combination of blue and black, paired with a super comfortable and stylish strap. Since then the Aquaracer has always stuck in the back of my head and I knew that one day I would get one. 

Fast forward to 2021 and I decided I was ready to pull the trigger on another watch and this time I was going to get myself a nice proper dive watch. I enjoyed summer but was missing a good piece to just wear and not worry about and I was now pretty sure that the sexy looking blue dial 41mm aluminum bezel Aquaracer (WBD2112) should be the one. I was also feeling a bit stressed since TAG Heuer had recently launched a new version of the Aquaracer and time was running out to get the one I truly wanted: the previous generation has always been the absolute best Aquaracer in my opinion and the thought of buying a pre-owned version with all the super fakes around now gives me nightmares! 

Friday 5 November 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Blue Tortoiseshell Bezel' Calibre 5 Watch

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Harrods / London, 15th September 2021

As I'm sure I said when this came out and I wrote my 'First Impressions' post, the tortoiseshell bezel Aquaracer first emerged at Bazelworld 2019 with a brown/red bezel and a blue dial; back then it was shown on a blue NATO strap and was even given a part number WAY101K.FC8264 but it never actually arrived. But then last year TAG Heuer announced two new tortoiseshell models, one with a brown/red bezel and a black dial and one with a blue bezel/blue dial combo.

The initial renders were promising for both, very promising in fact and they both scored well in last year's end of year C.O.C.O. Council ratings, but then we started to see actual photos and it became clear that they looked a little bit odd. And now having seen them in the flesh I'm afraid that they don't look any better in real life either...

Tuesday 2 November 2021

FOR SMARTPHONE USERS: Click Here to See the Latest from Bicester Village




Click on the image above to access all the latest delivery news from TAG Heuer Bicester Village.

Call the store on 01869 249008



***NB: THIS POST IS NECESSARY BECAUSE SMARTPHONE USERS CANNOT SEE THE BANNER YOU SEE WHEN USING A WEB BROWSER ON A LAPTOP OR PC***

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Classic 'Lume Dial' & 'Steel/Pink' Quartz Watches

 
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If you're getting a sense of deja vu from this post, you're probably not alone. Back in June I posted a (double) Buying Experience for a steel/pink F1 but it was a ladies model for my wife, whereas this is the 'full size' 35mm men's model for me. I was never quite sure about the pink version to be honest, and when they came up on eBay they always seemed to be in terrible condition with the hands nigh on white in some cases, presumably bleached by the sun...

But then I managed to find one for my wife and when I saw it I actually quite liked it and I started my own quest to find one. In truth it didn't take long and as ever my go to Japanese eBayer (spirit*age) came up trumps within a few weeks. Well, it surely was a sign that it was meant to be and so it was that I sent my $245 (£178) off and waited for the usual parcel to arrive.

Saturday 30 October 2021

ON THE WRIST: Breitling Endurance Pro Super Quartz Chronograph

 
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Ernest Jones / Milton Keynes, 13th September 2021

There was a time when I really liked Breitling, and very specifically the Avenger Blacksteel and Avenger Hurricane models, but I never quite took the plunge. The Avenger Blacksteel always seemed to turn up pre-owned with damaged coating and the Avenger Hurricane was always a little bit out of my price range... and by the time it started turning up at Bicester Village at a more 'sensible' price, unfortunately the magic was gone. I still have a sneaky admiration for both the Aerospace and the Exospace: any watch with a combination analogue and digital dial tends to spark my interest, although the mother of pearl dial, black diamond encrusted Emergency I looked at in the BV boutique a while back was too much even for me! 

But then it seemed that Breitling went completely off message, ditching their winged logo and discontinuing their cool 'modern' models left right and centre... while simultaneously releasing the godawful 'Navitimer 8' line and don't even get me started on this year's pistachio and salmon abominations! Thankfully they have seen the error or their ways and worked their way back into my good books with their extremely awesome Endurance Pro series.

Wednesday 27 October 2021

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'VH5150' Special Edition Quartz Watch

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You may well remember me writing about this some time ago, but after that post was published I was contacted by a gentleman from the USA who owned the watch and believed he had bought it from the listing I had highlighted. 

He contacted me to ask if I could tell him any more about the watch as he now realised it was somewhat rare and as such he felt he couldn't wear it day to day which is why he had bought it in the first place. He also wasn't particularly fussed about the Van Halen connection, ideally he wanted to sell it and buy a normal 380.513 instead that he could wear daily.

Sunday 24 October 2021

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Dato 45 160th Anniversary Heuer 02 Chronograph

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Selfridges / London, 15th September 2021

Honestly the 44mm Carrera Heuer 02 Dato 45 160th Anniversary Limited Editions never really made the same impact on the watch scene as the 39mm Heritage Carrera Heuer 02 'Silver' 160th Anniversary Limited Edition or the 39mm Heritage Carrera 'Montreal' Heuer 02 160th Anniversary Limited Edition did they? 

Like those two fantastically lauded watches the two Carrera Dato 45s (let's just stick with that shall we or we'll be here until Christmas!) which came later on in 2020 were both released as limited editions of 1860 pieces and came either in a blue/white colour scheme or a white/black option (although whether that white is actually silver is open to debate). I still haven't seen the white/silver/black one and it's taken almost a year for me to come across the blue version, but boy am I glad I did! 

Thursday 21 October 2021

INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer 2000 Series Multigraph & Formula 1 CAC111D

 
WK111A.BA0331

I've been looking for an instruction booklet for this watch since I bought it about two years ago. I found a video in Spanish once which sort of helped, but it wasn't until it occurred to me to search for instructions for the CAC111D Formula 1 watch that I made a breakthrough. With a watch that has no pushers and a multitude of functions (including two chronographs - split time & standard, countdown timer, alarm, second time zone and three different basic displays) all operated from the crown, instructions are a must. I'm just glad I've finally got the digital time to sync with the hands and it's really rekindled my love for a watch I've wanted for a very long time.