Sunday 31 January 2021

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Arrivals at TAG Heuer Bicester Village

 

Call the Store on (01869) 249008


A selection of new watches for your perusal today, including an opportunity to purchase a solid rose gold Carrera calibre 1887 at a remarkable discount! 

Tom and Frazer are available on Monday's and Thursdays from 10am - 5pm to take your calls and don't forget you don't have to live near the store any more (but you still need to be in the UK unfortunately).


CAR2140.FC8145
Carrera Calibre 1887
List Price - £12150
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £6075


CAR2A91.FT6071
Carrera Heuer 01
List Price - £5150
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £3090


CAR2A91.BH0742
Carrera Heuer 01
List Price - £5295
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £3175


CAR2A5A.FT6044
Carrera Heuer 01
List Price - £8050
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £4830


CAR2A1H.FT6101
Carrera Heuer 01
List Price - £4850
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £2910


CAR2A1T.FT6052
Carrera Heuer 01
List Price - £4395
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £2635


WAR215F.BD0783
Carrera Calibre 5 (Chinese Special Edition)
List Price - £4050
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £2835


WAY1453.BD0922
Aquaracer Quartz
List Price - £4395
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £3075


WAZ2112.FT8023
Formula 1 Calibre 6
List Price - £1650
BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE - £1155

Friday 29 January 2021

FEATURE: Five Years of TAG Heuer and Red Bull Racing


Today we have a guest post from our Swedish friend and general watch pest Jim Dollares!

Follow Jim on INSTAGRAM at 'jimdollares'.


Five years of TAG Heuer and Red Bull partnership

TAG Heuer (and Heuer) has a long history of sponsoring Formula 1, going back all the way to the early 1970’s when Jack Heuer made his famous deal with Ferrari. For a long time TAG Heuer was partnered with McLaren and today we take it for granted to see luxury watch brands associating themselves with Formula 1 and other prestigious sports. Still, that doesn't make it any less special in my eyes. I love the glamour around Formula 1 and seeing TAG Heuer, IWC and other reputable Swiss brands in Formula 1 environments just increases my desire for them. I am a total sucker for marketing, I know, but I couldn't care less.

This year will mark the five year anniversary of the most recent Formula 1 sponsorship for TAG Heuer, which is of course the one with Red Bull Racing. One of the first watches that really brought my attention to the brand was in fact the first watch released to celebrate this partnership, I'm talking obviously about the CAZ1018 Formula 1 model. TAG partnering up with Red Bull makes me very happy since my favourite watchmaker is TAG Heuer and my favourite driver happens to be Max Verstappen. Max has been driving for Red Bull since May 2016 when he made his debut, and won the race, in the Spanish Grand Prix on the 'Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya'. Funny detail is that the first F1 race I ever went to was in fact the Spanish Grand Prix on that same track and I just happened to be wearing my beloved CAZ1018 cheering for Max, what a lovely coincidence!

In the Formula 1 paddock we have seen some different TAG Heuer watches during the years and the drivers have been wearing both Formula 1 models and Carreras. During the 2019 season team principal Christian Horner was seen wearing the Autavia Heuer 02 chronograph (CBE2110) during most race weekends and during the 2020 season he was rocking a black dial calibre 16 Carrera in stainless steel.



THE WATCHES
Robert has already published some great coverage of the timepieces released from TAG Heuer under the Red Bull partnership (please find some links later on in case you missed any of these) but I wanted to give an overview of all Red Bull watches and share with you my personal thoughts on them.


CAZ1018.BA0842                                           CAZ1018.FC8213

2016 Tag Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing (CAZ1018)
The first watch released to celebrate the new partnership between TAG Heuer and Red Bull Racing was this non limited special edition watch. It is no secret that this watch is one of my absolute favourite watches ever. With it’s matt blue dial and contrasting white sub dials combined with red details and a blue aluminium bezel, it gives off a sporty yet sophisticated impression. I think TAG Heuer made the right choice not to put any Red Bull logo on the dial and settled for making a special caseback with Red Bull Racing engraving. I am sure that this watch will age very well and be as sporty and good looking in 30 years as it is now.


CAZ101B.FT8028

2016 Tag Heuer Formula 1 Max Verstappen Special Edition (CAZ101B)
It did not take long for TAG Heuer to release their first Max Verstappen watch, which was an interesting move considering that Max at the time had only been in the sport for a couple of months when this watch was released. Sure, Max did win his first grand prix and looking back it was a brilliant move to produce special releases in Max’s name, since he is and has been one of the hottest names in Formula 1 for the last couple of years. 

Special characteristic of this watch is the orange 18 in the tachymeter scale, referring to Max’s age at the time. The orange strap and details on the watch are a tribute to the Netherlands, Max’s home country. This watch was only sold in the Dutch market, limited to 500 pieces and I imagine that there are many members of the “orange army” (common nickname for Max Verstappen’s fans wearing orange at the Formula 1 races) were quick to grab one. I just wish I would have had the sense to buy it myself.


CAZ101G.FT8030

2017 TAG Heuer Formula 1 No.33 Max Verstappen Limited Edition (CAZ101G)
Following the success of the first Max Verstappen release, TAG Heuer introduced this watch in 2017. Same recipe but different colours basically. A bit lazy and one can't help but thinking that this was just an easy and quick cash grab for TAG. Unique details on this watch are the red inner minute scale going to 33 minutes and a discrete black 33 printed next to it, this obviously a tribute to Max’s racing number 33. The 2017 edition was limited to 533 pieces and was only sold in the Netherlands. I can’t help but wonder if those who missed the first release and bought this one will always feel a bit sorry and wishing that they had the orange original instead?


CAR2A1K.BA0703                                        CAR2A1N.FT6100

2017 TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer01 Red Bull Limited Edition (CAR2A1K/CAR2A1N)
For those who want something a bit more bold and ‘in your face’, TAG Heuer released this 45 mm skeleton Carrera in 2017. It might be way too big for some of us but the design is great, especially on the unique blue leather strap with red stitching, designed specifically for this watch. The Heuer01 is a great modern movement that suits the spirit of this timepiece splendidly. For those of us following Formula 1, this Carrera has been seen many times worn by Max Verstappen during Formula 1 weekends, which to me, makes it extra special.


CAZ101U.BA0843

2018 TAG Heuer F1 Max Verstappen 33 Edition (CAZ101U)
The third Verstappen watch was limited to 1300 pieces but unlike the previous two it was not limited to the Dutch market. Obvious unique features of this one are the big 33 on the 6 o’clock subdial and the small stripe with the Dutch flag colours on the dial. This is probably my least favourite Verstappen edition. I found an old post I wrote when this watch was released where I said that “this feels like a cheap mix of old TAG Heuer stock designed by a little boy named Max”. 

A bit harsh perhaps but I think there is too much going on with this one and it definitely looks as if TAG Heuer took Max to their warehouse and told him that ‘these are the spare parts we have available for your next watch, feel free to mix and match’. Max picked what he wanted and said that he would also like his number 33 on the dial. The chief designer might have been on vacation at the time so the design was approved and went into production. It would be interesting to know how quickly these sold but I guess it was not difficult to find 1300 hardcore Max Verstappen fans happy to cash up for this one just because of it being a Max Verstappen watch.


SBF8A8028.11EB0147

2018 TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Aston Martin Red Bull SE (SBF8A8028)
OK I have to say it. Smartwatches are definitely not my thing but we can’t cover TAG Heuer and Red Bull without mentioning this special edition of the Connected modular 45. From what I understand this one has a special digital Red Bull racing face that the user can use to showcase time on the display. It also comes on a very nice looking blue leather strap with red stitching, a bit similar to the one seen on the Heuer01 Red Bull Carrera. 

Besides this I think this smartwatch is similar to the other Connected Modular 45’s, meaning that you have to charge it every day, be careful not to use it too much to avoid running out of battery, configure the battery, never charge it unnecessarily long (remove charger as soon as it reaches 100% not to destroy the battery) and make sure to change watch faces daily to avoid so called screen burn. I think that pretty much says it all, do yourself a favour and get one of the other Red Bull watches to avoid hassle.


CAZ2018.BA0970

2019 TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 Max Verstappen Special Edition (CAZ2018)
Enough about the digital computer watches. This one is a whole lot more interesting since it was TAG Heuer’s first mechanical watch made in collaboration with Max Verstappen. Being limited to only 333 pieces meant it sold out extremely fast. My absolute favourite feature of this watch is the red Max Verstappen engraving on the bezel, which looks superb. It is yet another sporty home run from TAG Heuer but it bothers me a bit that the caseback seems to be missing information about the watch being limited to 333 pieces, it only says “Max Verstappen 4th limited edition”. I know TAG Heuer has cheapened out on individually numbering most of their limited editions but why not even put the total number of limited pieces on it?


CAZ101AB.BA0842

2020 TAG Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Special Edition (CAZ101AB)
In 2020 we saw the release of the new Formula 1 replacing the beloved CAZ1018 and the new one is similar but yet very different. This time around the color scheme made more sense and seems to match Red Bull’s branding. Still I can't shake the feeling that the “original” CAZ1018 is the winner purely from a design perspective. The 2020 version has a very similar caseback but with an updated Red Bull Racing logotype, including the Aston Martin name. When I first saw photos of this one I was pretty certain that I would pick it up just because it would be cool to have both Red Bull Racing Formula 1’s but now when some time has passed I think I will skip this one. Getting a second one that is similar but a bit worse will probably not be something I wear very much anyway.



THE BOXES
We can’t cover TAG Heuer and Red Bull without talking about the boxes. Oh my, the boxes. These are incredibly nice and well made and I especially appreciate the steel plate with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team logo engraved.


THE FUTURE
I really hope that the partnership between TAG Heuer and Red Bull will continue for many more years to come. Hopefully we get to see many good Red Bull Racing branded watches in the future and while I am at it wishing for things, please TAG give us another Max Verstappen homerun as awesome as the CAZ101B from 2016!

Jim Dollares


Read more posts about TAG Heuer Red Bull Racing watches:







Wednesday 27 January 2021

INTERVIEW: Snowy (Calibre 11 Forum Member)

 

Probably the Calibre 11 forum member with the most similar (read: impeccable) taste to my own... is 'Snowy' from Japan. Our collections actually feature several of the same pieces and between us we have pretty much the entire 'plastic' Formula 1 range (aside from one or two pieces). So it's my pleasure to welcome Snowy to the TAG Heuer Enthusiast blog today and to find out a little bit more about his exciting collection.

Snowy is well known on the forum for his every expanding collection (and casual approach to dropping new pieces on is) and as you will see he also sent some fantastic photographs to illustrate this post.

Note the super cool Monaco 'Sixty Nine' lying in the foreground...

Hi Snowy, first of all, since this is your first time here I guess we should find out how you got interested in watches and TAG Heuer.

It's hard to remember what got me interested in watches, but one thing I can say is that before I can remember I was interested in cars I was interested in F1 racing, and it was sponsored by TAG Heuer.


Do you have a favourite piece in your collection?

I really worry about giving up a couple of favourite items in my collection; one is a Monaco 24 in blue, I'm very sympathetic to the number 24 because my birthday is the 24th and my wife's birthday is also the 24th. The other one is the vintage Monza model, it's a collaboration with 'RACING MATE'.


Both very cool pieces indeed!


Do you follow other watch brands or are you solely a TAG Heuer collector?

Other watch brands I have seen are Omega and Piaget, but I'm 99% committed to TAG Heuer. The greatest attraction of TAG Heuer for me is that it is "affordable luxury".


Do you know what your next purchase will be?

I don't have any particular watch I want to buy right now. But there are some watches I want. The Porsche collaboration model that is likely to be released soon may be eligible for purchase...


Do you have a money-no-object grail piece?

If I win the lottery and buy one thing, I would be very hesitant. The gold Jack Heuer ∞ is a recent candidate... but what I really want to buy are special models such as the Microgirder and Micropendulum. I'd like to go to Switzerland and buy it after careful consideration.


Have you ever sold a watch and regretted it?

Yes, I have some watches that I regret selling. I regret selling my first TAG Heuer watch, it was an Aquaracer Chronotimer CAF1010 and am still looking for a nice used one to replace it. 

Ah yes, that's another watch we have in common... thankfully I still have mine.


Also, I regretted selling my Carrera 1887 Bullhead Jack Heuer limited edition, so I bought it again after 2 years. I bought a used one but the condition wasn't good so I spent $2000 to renew the case, bezel, sapphire glass, and leather strap.

Wow, that's a lot to spend on a refurb... still at least you have it back and in mint condition.


How do you feel about the TAG Heuer / Bamford tie up and were you a fan of the Bamford Aquaracer that was released at the tail end of 2020?

I was confused as to why Bamford chose the Aquaracer as the base, not the Carrera? But when I learned through the Web briefing that Bamford wanted to make a tool watch, I was very convinced why he chose the Aquaracer. However, I am not thinking of buying it right now.


Is there a TAG Heuer that you really dislike?

I don't really hate any watches so far, but I'm concerned that the Link series is disappearing and various watches are rising in price.


How do you feel about gold and two tone watches? Do you own any and do you / would you wear one?

I only have one two-tone watch with Gold. It is Sel's Sena model CG 1123. I sometimes wear it, but basically I keep it for display.



Last year we had a collection of five limited edition Monacos to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, did you like them and do you think that was the right way to celebrate 50 years, if not what would you have liked to have seen instead?

I think it was the right way to celebrate the 50 year anniversary. I was especially interested in the red dial model. However, I couldn't buy any of the 50 year anniversary models.


But as we can see below, Snowy does have the Monaco GP Classique and the ultra cool green limited edition 'Men's Club' model as well as his stunning Monaco 24.


And this year of course we had the 160th Anniversary, what did you make of the Datos and the two 39mm Carreras?

I actually didn't buy any of the models related to the 160 year anniversary. The Silver Dial felt plain... the Montreal was attractive, but I wanted it to be reproduced in another case instead of the 39 mm Carrera. Also, it was very disappointing that the pulse meter was omitted from the details.

As far as Dato is concerned, it is a cool watch on its own, but I wanted it to be a piece with a simple dial with a little more respect for its heritage. Because of this, I did not feel attracted to these 160 year anniversary models, so I did not purchase them.


So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about your classic Formula 1 collection. How did that start and which pieces are you looking to add to that?

For Classic F1, I'm not aiming for completion, but I might end up aiming for completion as I compete with you!

Haha, well you're already ahead of me...

The appeal of Classic F1 is its price. The price is only $100 -200, so it's very easy to collect. In my case, I am focusing on quality rather than quantity, so I am concentrating on collecting watches that are close to NOS... but sometimes broken watches are collected and repaired too... 



I am currently looking for early models 381.513, 382.513, 386.513, 387.513 and 383.508. It takes a long time to collect them because we exclude the ones in bad condition because we don't want to buy them. The collection of models with a specially designed dial is also very appealing.


We spoke about the Van Halen Formula 1 recently, it's so bizarre that there only seems to be one piece out there - I wish we could establish the story behind that one. And you sent me a few more examples of classic F1s that I hadn't seen before, although they are not quite as rare. It's funny how often I find limited edition pieces for sale in Japan, why do you think TAG Heuer is so popular in Japan, especially older models like the Formula 1 and the 3000 Series?

I would like to buy one of Van Halen's Formula 1 if there are others. However, the price limit I can offer is $700, so it will be difficult to buy.

Japanese have a strong yearning for Europe and America. From the latter half of the 1980s to the first half of the 1990s, I think that purchasing and showing off Western brand products was one of the statuses. TAG Heuer's Formula 1, 3000, 2000 and Sel series sold for less than $3000 and were popular at the time because they were very affordable to Japanese and made in Switzerland. It was treated as a precious Swiss watch, and many beautiful watches are left in the used market.


Finally, I wanted to ask if you wear all your watches or are some of them just for the 'collection'? I am reading a book about 'luxury' goods at the moment and there is a chapter about the culture for the Japanese to 'collect' luxury products like Louis Vuitton to the point where they sleep surrounded by their collection. Do you have a little TAG Heuer 'shrine' in your house I wonder?

I think the display of a beautifully decorated collection is more correct than a shrine. I took some photos of it, but they are updated every day.


Well Snowy, it's been a pleasure to have you and I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us and share your amazing collection with us today. Hopefully we can do it again sometime.

Monday 25 January 2021

FEATURE: Getting the Balance Right

 

Certain You Tube 'watch gurus' love to tell you 'Don't waste your money buying cheap watches', which on the face of it seems like reasonable advice. After all, a few 'cheap' (ie sub £1000) watches will soon add up to a reasonable sum of money which could be spent on something more 'desirable'. But, while this advice is fair, I do think it propagates the idea that only 'expensive' watches are worthwhile and that is something I simply can't condone.

For a start, not everyone is comfortable wearing an expensive watch all the time, or maybe it's not appropriate to wear a 45mm Carrera Heuer 02 tourbillon to your workplace. There can be many reasons for this, not least that in some industries customers can get upset if they notice you are wearing a £10,000 watch on your wrist. I know first hand of a guy who bought himself an Aston Martin and used it for work and this gave his main customer pause for thought... to the extent that they started looking at his prices, subsequently blew him out and he went bust! It sucks for him and in a perfect world you shouldn't have to worry about things like that, but sometimes you just have to think smart.


Or maybe it's just too much stress for you to wear something that costs several months wages on your wrist in an environment where you might damage your watch. This is me to a tee, even though I work in an office, we still have metal racking, filing cabinets and other potential hazards. So while I love my automatic watches, I tend to save them for going out (which is a problem right now since there is no 'going out'), I know it means I don't get to wear them so much - but I can live with that if the alternative is permanent stress and a scratched up Heuer 01!

So yes, by all means think it through - maybe don't buy six or seven microbrand watches at £500 each at the expense of buying a Carrera, but keep in mind there is a world of great pre-owned watches out there which can be had at very attractive prices. For example, I bought my Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton new when it was £4000 (admittedly I didn't pay that, but that's what it should have cost), I've had it four nearly five years and I'm guessing I've probably worn it maybe 40 times maximum, which means it's cost me about £100 each time so far.... which is a fairly terrifying thought!


By contrast, if I look at my own collection (just picking at random), for about the same money I bought a Pilot chronograph, a 4000 Series, a classic Formula 1, a plum dial Kirium chrono, a blue dial Kirium chrono, a Microtimer, a red dial S/EL, a blue dial 2000 Exclusive, a 2000 Series Multigraph and a black dial S/EL chronograph, all of which (with the exception of the plum dial Kirium which is a recent purchase) have been worn time and time again. 

(Okay, maybe not the Microtimer... but only because it's very shiny and scratches easily. I could easily substitute that with my Link Searacer, which actually cost less...)

Sure, these watches are all quartz and they don't have the pedigree of the Heuer 01 Carrera, but ten watches for the price of one? I am in the fortunate position of being able to own both, but if I wasn't I very much doubt I would swap all these watches for the Carrera, especially given my hesitance to wear it as a matter of course.


The point is, yes maybe you shouldn't 'waste' money on cheap watches if you are really aspiring to a £5000 piece, but at the same time you should buy what you like, what suits your lifestyle and your pocket. I've come to realise that there is a point above which I do not feel comfortable and while I would love a carbon Carrera or a Monaco 24, if I'm too stressed to ever wear it, what is the point of owning it?

Maybe there's a golden formula for working out the most you can reasonably spend on a watch and still feel comfortable wearing it? I would suggest three months take home pay, but others I'm sure will disagree. 


And while we are on the subject of money, the other great thing about buying pre-owned watches of course is that they usually hold their value better (unless you can pick up a brand new steel Rolex at list of course!). If we look at the Heuer 01, the pre-owned price for that is probably £3000 for a truly minty one like mine, so it's lost a grand in 5 years, by contrast I would guess that those ten watches are probably worth about the same as when I bought them, if not slightly more given that prices on eBay seem to have risen a little lately.

Not that it matters to me because I have no intention of selling, but even so... it's something to consider in case you change your mind later.

Saturday 23 January 2021

FEATURE: My Top Five Red Dial TAG Heuer Watches

 
CAC1112.BA0850

You might think, given TAG Heuer's 'sporty' image and 'racing heritage' that red dials would be ten a penny in the back catalogue, but you would be wrong. Admittedly they do outnumber the (previously appraised) yellow dials by a factor of 2:1, if not slightly more. But even so, picking five when the list extends barely into double figures is tricky.

Especially when, without much deliberation at all I can jettison more than one simply because it is utterly hideous. Yes, you CAC1112 up there at the top of the page... I'm talking about YOU! In fact pretty much all the 2000s red dial F1s can go, which leaves me with a selection of... well, not many, but just enough actually.

Before we get into it, I thought I would mention a couple of watches that kind of qualify as red dials, but even so they didn't quite make it into the illustrious top five. First of all we have the WBE5192 and WBE5193 bronze cased Autavias (both essentially the same, except one is a 'Year of the Rat' limited edition.

WBE5192.FC8300                                    WBE5193.FC8300

Both of these are definitely red enough to qualify, but the combination of red and bronze is perhaps an acquired taste and I would definitely go for the green dial if I was going to be boarding the bronze Autavia train. 

Speaking of green, we also have these two limited edition oddities...

WK2112                                                               WK2113 

Not really sure which one I prefer of the two, I think perhaps the WK2112, but either would be fun I guess!

Okay, without further ado I give you my top five red dial TAG Heuer watches...



#5 CA1215.BA0493 Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph

We start, as you might expect, with a Formula 1 and this is from the late 1990s (second generation). These were available in a selection of colours (yellow, red, orange, blue, white and black) and the coloured ones in particular really hold their value, especially if they are in good condition. Even though the lume has patinated to a beigey yellow the dial still looks vibrant and that touch of blue was a piece of demented genius that could have gone horribly wrong but actually went terribly right!


#4 CAW211W.FC6467 Monaco 50th Anniversary 1979-1989

This is one that I flip-flop on, sometimes liking it - sometimes not liking it. I blame Jim Dollares, I liked it until I interviewed him and he said it was (and I quote) 'too much like a pretty girl on the red carpet'. An odd way to describe a luxury timepiece, but I kind of get what he meant. I don't know whether it's the silver subdials that give cause for concern or the weird shape of them... but while I like this, I just can't help feeling it could have come out slightly better somehow. Still, it made it into my top five.



#3 WK1114 2000 Series Quartz Watch

At number three we have this rather attractive three handed 2000 Series (above right). I particularly like the white chapter ring around the edge of the dial as this gives a little relief from the overpowering red (something we can see here on the CK2112 chronograph on the left). It's a 'thing' with all these red dial watches, it somehow manages to look very dense, perhaps this is why they don't make too many red dial watches? Nice, but hard to find (finding decent pictures is hard enough!) and probably too expensive if you did....



#2 WG111C S/EL Quartz Watch

The only watch on this list that I actually own, although I wish my lume was in as good condition as the one in this photograph.... or my wife's 25mm version of the same! Again the denseness of the colour makes wearing this one a slightly odd experience, but I do wear it quite often so it's obviously not that big an issue. I can't help wondering though if I don't actually prefer the dial on the 2000 Series above. That white outer ring is a great move and gives it an almost Speedmaster-esque vibe. But no way would I choose the 2000 case or bracelet over the S/EL, the comfort and fit is night and day.



#1 980.913N 1000 Series Quartz Watch

The cause of much consternation over the last year or so on the Calibre 11 forum, mainly due to the number of seemingly fake pieces in circulation. Oddly though, the fakes seem unusually obvious, having flat orangey-red dials instead of the beautiful metallic red dial and bezel you see above. 

Good (genuine) ones fetch £1000, making it quite expensive for what is, at the end of the day, a fairly basic quartz watch... but you can see why.


Well, there we are, not a vast pool to choose from, but at least it was better than last time!


Click HERE to visit the 'Top 5' menu page.