SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton Chronograph Launch Specials

CAR2A1Z.FT6051

A few days ago I came across an old thread on the Calibre 11 forum from 2015 showing some photographs from the launch of the original Heuer 01 Carreras that I had never seen before. It was quite interesting to see the forum regulars opinions from five years ago and also several comments from someone called Mark_85 who I don't remember at all and who hasn't visited the forum since 2018. I hope he's still with us...? Actually it brought it home to me that all this nonsense we all type on the forum will be there in perpetuity (or until King Hubert decides to delete it all, whichever comes first I suppose).

Maudlin thoughts aside, what really caught my eye was some of the photographs... which showed a selection of colourful pieces that I was pretty sure never made it into production (more's the pity). I did some checking myself and also queried this with Tom at TAG Heuer Bicester Village and sure enough I was correct in my assumption that only the red (CAR2A1Z) and the blue (CAR2A1T) actually made it into the stores.

Originally of course the Carrera Heuer 01 (CAR2A1Z) was launched on a black rubber strap, and I'm pretty sure it was also available on the white rubber strap shown in these pictures at some point (in fact I'm sure I saw it in the Sheffield boutique a couple of years ago), probably the red strap as well, but always with the red second hand and other dial highlights not the white version shown here. The blue version was released later (officially called 'Blue Touch' for some reason that I know not) and funnily enough TAG Heuer Bicester Village has one in stock currently if you are interested (£2635 - see the link at the bottom of this post).

The pictures show that the 'orange' Carrera caseback is engraved with the number CAR2A1P, but this doesn't seem to exist. Presumably the green, white and yellow versions all had their own part numbers too, all later deleted as the pieces were cancelled. What a shame; I was hoping that they had all seen the light of day, even if it was as limited editions in different countries, but sadly not. I would have thought a couple of hundred of each would have been easy enough to shift, but perhaps the feedback from the launch wasn't enthusiastic enough, or maybe they were never intended to go into full production, merely eye catching colours for the press photographs?

Personally I'd be more than willing to swap my CAR2A1Z for the lime green/black version, what a fantastic colour scheme and one I've been championing for a long time. I wouldn't even mind the green strap with the red second hand I have, but despite my hopeful prodding, it seems the green isn't available and my only option is the white - which I can't help thinking would look grubby within a day of fitting it. :(

A Blog to Watch Carrera Heuer 01 Launch Coverage

https://www.ablogtowatch.com/tom-brady-brand-ambassador-tag-heuer-carrera-heuer-01-launch/

TAG Heuer Carrera Blue Touch available at Bicester Village (01869) 249008

https://thbvstock.blogspot.com/2021/01/car2a1tft6052.html

GALLERY: TAG Heuer F1 Kirium Quartz Chronograph

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Watch Gallery' Limited Edition Quartz Chronograph by The Watch Village

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02T Tourbillon Titanium Chronograph Limited Edition

 

CAR5A8C.BF0707
 

Five years ago in February 2016 the master of chaos and disruption 'Jean Claude Biver' and TAG Heuer dropped a veritable bomb on the Swiss watch industry. For years the Swiss had been profiteering out of the 'tourbillon', a complication that was designed nearly two hundred years previously with the purpose of improving accuracy in pocket watches. Once the pocket watch became obsolete and wrist watches were the new normal, the tourbillon was largely redundant... but the Swiss saw an opportunity and the complication was transformed into an amusement for the extremely rich, indeed at the time of release the Carrera Heuer 02T was a fraction of the price of it's nearest rival at just £12000.

Now, nobody is claiming that the machine made Heuer 02T is comparable to the painstakingly hand crafted tourbillons offered by Breguet et al, and it's hard to imagine that TAG Heuer really 'stole' much business from those companies offering £100,000+ masterpieces; after all, if you shop at Harrods you don't suddenly start buying your tomatoes from Aldi because you suddenly realize you can get them cheaper, do you? No, if anything, TAG Heuer were trying to tempt customers at the top edge of their price bracket to leave Rolex and Omega and turn to the dark side, dangling the promise of a Swiss made tourbillon as bait.

And when you think about it, not only did TAG Heuer bring the tourbillon to the 'masses' (in a manner of speaking) but they also completely re-invented it's aesthetic and customer base. Prior to 2016 the tourbillon was usually to be found housed in gold cased watches of gentlemanly proportions, sometimes even hidden behind a solid case-back (only the truly rich would pay for a redundant complication that's only real purpose was it's aesthetic appeal and then hide that away so that it couldn't be seen), but now TAG presented the tourbillon right up in your face, housed in a gargantuan 45mm case and mounted on a (sort of) skeletonised dial that could not have been less fusty or dusty (or indeed gentlemanly).

And until last year, that has been the way of things... if you wanted a TAG Heuer tourbillon, then you have to have it in a 45mm case and on a (sort of) skeletonised dial. But not any more! 2020 saw the launch of the Mexico special edition Carrera Heuer 02T which for the first time saw the tourbillon mounted on a conventional 'solid' dial. Yes, the case was still 45mm and indeed it still is, at least for now... (who knows if that will change any time in the future, but if the Heuer 02 can fit in a 39mm case then surely the H02T should be able to fit in a 43mm or 41mm case too) but here we finally see a more 'generally available' solid dial tourbillon, albeit one that's still limited to 250 pieces.

Over the last five years the 'affordable' Carrera tourbillon has climbed from £12,000 to £14350 and this one will set you back another £3000 on top of that. Why? Well... the big selling point of this particular model is that it is made from grade 5 titanium (including the bracelet) so it's lighter than you might expect. Whether you think that justifies the price hike is between you and your wallet, to me it kinda looks like they've just slipped it in half way between the 'basic' tourbillon and the £20,000 rose gold version. I guess there's a case to be made that if you can afford to contemplate one of these pieces than price is less reliant on justification and material value than it is about personal taste and desirability; after all, it's not like there's a plethora of solid dial options to choose from right now!

Unfortunately my usual complaints about the Heuer 02 are just as valid here as on other models in the Carrera range; namely that I think it makes the bottom of the dial crowded and the top part displeasingly 'empty'. I know a lot of people prefer the 3/6/9 layout due to it's symmetry, but for me I really do wish we could have continued with the 6/9/12 variation found with the Heuer 01. At least this one doesn't have a date squeezed in between the subdials... but as usual the tourbillon looks like it's fallen down the dial.

But enough of my wittering, lets find out what the Council of Considered Opinion had to say! Once again I enlisted the help of 22 watch enthusiasts and asked them to score the watch out of ten and if they desired to share a few words of wisdom.

CAR5A8C.BF0707: 6.4/10

"5/10 for me, and I'm being generous with that score because it kinda reminds me of Johnny Five."

"4/10: I don't really understand TAG's tourbillon line-up. Yes, it's a lot cheaper than any other tourbillon on the market, but it's high-end watchmaking in a massive sports watch and I just don't know who it's aimed at. Someone with that sort of money to spend is surely more likely to choose something nice from JLC if they want refined watchmaking, or a steel Rolex if they want a sports model."

"Not too sure on this one, these should elegant? But it’s not priced as some are, so 5.5 /10."

"6/10: A little too garish for my taste."

"6 for me too. The dial is pretty uninspired. I would pick one of the originals over this one."

"A few bits of conflicting info; AD says it shouldn’t have been released. It appears on TH website, then disappeared, then reappeared in search but lead to a 404. Whatever, it’s another botched “launch” so for that 2/10 for marketing. If it’s a LE as per Calibre 11's article, 6/10. If it isn’t, as stated on the TAG Heuer website 5/10."

"7/10: Not my colour but I could see myself wearing it. Would prefer the Nanograph tourbillon though."

"7/10: Pretty similar to the Viperhead, which is one of my all time favourites. I probably would like it even better on a leather strap. But to be honest, even if those are good value tourbillons, the price is pretty much beyond the money I would spend on a single watch."

"I would like it better on a blue leather strap too, but of these non-skeletonized Tourbillons, I like the Mexico LE much more."

"Better than a skeleton but still housed in that daft, oversized 45mm case with a bezel from Playschool. It's a 5."

"It depends on how I think about the ordinary price setting as a tourbillon, but I think this watch is a very aggressive and expensive price. If you recall the original price of the most basic tourbillon, it is quite expensive. TAG HEUER want to say it's expensive because the watch used titanium for the case and bracelet. Then will it be cheaper if the watch have a leather band? However, the quality of the blue dial is extremely high and very beautiful. The closed dial looks like a better for H02T watch. My score is 6/10."

"A kind 6/10. I wonder who buys this stuff."

READ ABOUT THE MEXICO LIMITED EDITION SOLID DIAL TOURBILLON HERE:

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2020/11/spotlight-on-tag-heuer-carrera-heuer.html

GALLERY: TAG Heuer 3000 Series Quartz Chronograph

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Ladies Quartz Watch Overview by SimontheWatchGuy

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: Zenith Watches Available from TAG Heuer Bicester Village

 

TAG Heuer's Bicester Village store may still be closed for a little while yet, but your next TAG Heuer fix is only a phone call away... and, for the moment at least, you can also pick up a discounted Zenith too! Here is a look at what is available right now - call the store on Mondays and Thursdays and speak to Tom or Frazer: (01869) 249008 

For TAG Heuer stock check here: thbvstock.blogspot.com

16.2310.692/92.C750

LIST PRICE - £5900

OFFER PRICE - £3845

75.2060.4061/21.R573

LIST PRICE - £6700

OFFER PRICE - £4335

16.2310.692/51.M2310

LIST PRICE - £6300

OFFER PRICE - £4115

03.2160.4047/21.C714

LIST PRICE - £9600

OFFER PRICE - £6230

03.2522.400/69.M2280

LIST PRICE - £6100

OFFER PRICE - £3955

22.1925.692/01.C725

LIST PRICE - £16400

OFFER PRICE - £10670

03.2280.400/91.R576

LIST PRICE - £6300

OFFER PRICE - £3800

03.2280.400/91.M2280

LIST PRICE - £6700

OFFER PRICE - £4000

03.2070.4054.02.C711

LIST PRICE - £7800

OFFER PRICE - £4700

03.2050.4035/21.C630

LIST PRICE - £31800

OFFER PRICE - £19100

03.2160.4047/02.M2160

LIST PRICE - £9400

OFFER PRICE - £5650

24.2041.400/01.R576

LIST PRICE - £7200

OFFER PRICE - £4300

03.2062.4057/69.M2060

LIST PRICE - £7800

OFFER PRICE - £4700

96.2430.693/21.C703

LIST PRICE - £6400

OFFER PRICE - £3850

03.2310.679/38.M2310

LIST PRICE - £3700

OFFER PRICE - £2200

03.2330.692/02.M2330

LIST PRICE - £5000

OFFER PRICE - £3000

03.1965.670/91.C591

LIST PRICE - £4200

OFFER PRICE - £2500

18.2010.681/01.C498

LIST PRICE - £9700

OFFER PRICE - £5800

18.2150.4069/91.C812

LIST PRICE - £12200

OFFER PRICE - £7300

96.2431.693/21.C738

LIST PRICE - £6300

OFFER PRICE - £3800

More info (including pictures) on the awesome Zenith Pilot Montre D'Aeronef:

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2020/02/on-wrist-zenith-pilot-montre-daeronef.html

For the latest TAG Heuer stock check here: thbvstock.blogspot.com

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Kirium Quartz Chronograph

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Micrograph by Watchfinder & Co

 

FEATURE: My Top 5 Gold and Copper Coloured Dial TAG Heuer Watches

 

CV2A1H.BA0796

You may be surprised to learn that there have been quite a number of gold dial TAG Heuer watches over the last 35 years, including some featured on 2000 and 3000 Series pieces that were carried over from the dying days of the Heuer Watch Co. But as is now customary I've decided to open this piece with a watch that doesn't actually make it in to the top five; partly because it's not quite good enough, partly because I don't want to spoil the surprise of what is in the top five and partly because I'm not 100% sure it is actually gold coloured. 

Right enough it looks gold here, but looking at other images it appears much, much lighter, almost sand like in appearance, which would make sense since this is a watch made to commemorate the Baja 1000 (a race which takes place in the desert). I've also seen the watch dial described as 'beige' in a listing (mind you another listed it as grey so that's hardly conclusive), but either way it didn't make it, so let's take a look at what did...

Oh and before you get your hopes up, I've excluded the Ronnie Peterson solid gold Carrera on the grounds that: a) it's a piece unique so not something most of us can aspire to owning, and b) I can't be doing with that 'Milanese' bracelet.... sorry, I know - I'm absolute scum.

#5: 2000 Series (966.006) Quartz Watch

Our first entry is one of those aforementioned carry over pieces from the Heuer days, and a fine looking little watch it is too! I'm a sucker for anything black and gold, but it's harder to find a black and gold watch with a gold face than you might imagine. This one would look great on my wrist but finding one with a bracelet that hadn't lost at least some of its 'black' is bound to be a challenge.

It was a toss up between this and the copper dial S/EL (WG111D) as to which got the final place in this list, but I gave this 2000 Series the nod because it's a little more flamboyant and a little more interesting than just a rather plain S/EL with a copper dial... although I'd gratefully welcome either into my collection!

#4. Executive (915.413) Quartz Watch

Another 'transitional' piece, the Executive was available with either Heuer or TAG Heuer on the dial depending on the year of manufacture. I wrote about a blue dial Executive a few days ago and unfortunately the same problem I had with that one applies here too - namely that it was only available in two sizes: midsize (34mm) and ladies. It's a real shame as I would love a non-chronograph Executive, but unfortunately that's the only way to get a full-size piece... not that they're exactly 'abundant' you understand!

#3. Kirium (WL5113) Automatic Chronometer Certified Watch

A piece I've long had my eye on, but one I'm yet to find one in good condition at a reasonable price. Yes it's a chronometer and yes the dial is obviously harder to find than the regular blue or black pieces, but I still don't think prices north of £1000 are realistic. The chronometer Kiriums only come in 36mm as well which is a little on the small side, but since my blue dial WL1116 is also 36mm I at least know it's wearable. The problem is there are so many other Kiriums I'd like to own that I'm not sure this one will ever quite make it to the top of the list and into my collection. Nice though...

#2. 3000 Series (237.406) Quartz Chronograph

Obviously I've chosen this particular model because I've recently purchased it, but I could just as easily have picked the automatic version (137.406) or the three hander (937.406). This was another carry over from the Heuer days and this watch can be had with either logo on the dial and also (rarely) in a gold bezel variation (237.406G or 937.406SG). I prefer the black bezel version myself, I think it gives a good bit of contrast and frames the rather wonderful dial nicely. I also think if I was going to have a fully gold watch then I'd prefer it to actually be made of solid gold rather than just gold plated (as this is), which leads me rather neatly to...

#1. 6000 Series (WH5140.BG0675) Chronometer Watch

This one, which genuinely is made of solid 18k yellow gold. These can also be had in a a variety of dial colours including white, green or blue and I think if I was given a free choice I might choose green as it is absolutely stunning - but if you're going to go gold you can't really go wrong if you go all gold. I actually got to try on a white dial solid gold 6000 a couple of years ago and it was everything I'd hoped it would be (and heavy into the bargain), the gold really accentuates the intricacies of the complex bracelet and it also really suits the overall rather 'regal' design elements of the 6000 Series. 

Obviously though, you're not going to pick one of these up for a few hundred quid. Prices start at around £6-7000 for the white dial version and go up to £9000+ for the green and blue. The problem is once you get to those sort of prices you are opening up a world of attractive options, so you need to be really focused to take one of these home. 

Click here to visit the TAG Heuer Enthusiast 'Top 5' Menu

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Kirium Quartz Watch

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph 'Red Bull Aston Martin' Special Edition by Bobzy Bounce

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watch

 

WA1213

My wife has been in possession of an orange and grey classic Formula 1 since last May and I've often thought I'd like to get the matching men's model. Many times I've looked on eBay for one in decent condition at a reasonable price but with no luck. Prices in the UK for any brightly coloured classic F1s are always OTT and I recently saw one of these on a bracelet that was nearly £400. Thanks, but no thanks!

But as ever, the answer is simple - buy from Japan. This is the fifth or sixth classic F1 I've bought from Japan and as usual the quality is good and the prices are so much more reasonable. This one cost me £156 + £20 carriage, so about £175 all in, and save for a light scratch to the crystal, I can't really fault it.

No doubt the plastic strap will end up looking grubby in time, but genuine replacements are available from TAG Heuer for £32, so not a big deal really. As ever the lume pip is long gone, but that's par for the course with these and to be honest if it was still there I would suspect a replacement bezel. 

Sure, this bright orange colour is not going to be to everyone's taste and the Calibre 11 forum's 'Mr Orange' will no doubt be chuckling at my latest 'My Little Pony' F1, but that's okay. It's better to keep these watches 'niche' and keep the prices down.... hehehe.

This is the first classic F1 I've bought that hasn't had an 'XXX.XXX' reference, as you can see in the picture above this one has a post 'number change' reference (WA1213) which indicates that the watch was made after 1992. The number change was literally that and this one is otherwise identical to a pre-1992 '375.513'.

As ever these watches are 'mid-size' at 34mm (hence the '13' suffix on the original number rather than '06' which would indicate 37mm or 'full-size'), I never thought I would want to wear a 34mm watch and to be honest I still wouldn't buy any other watch smaller than 36mm (well, maybe an Airline one day...) but somehow these are okay. My theory is that the 'TAG Heuer' badges on the plastic strap somehow add to the impression of size, or maybe I'm just used to these now (this is my seventh classic F1).

When I picked up my last (blue/black) classic Formula 1 I pondered if it wasn't 'one classic F1' too many... but having added this one to the collection I don't think it was. I still prefer the coloured case models better overall, but this one is nice - certainly a cut above the black/green model which I still think I might put back on eBay one of these days. Maybe...

This one came with a full length strap, which means I need to cut the end off. I hate doing that, it seems so wrong, but that was the intention and the straps are marked with grooves to help you not make a dog's dinner of it! 

Once again I purchased this from a seller called 'hh7373' who has a 99.8% rating on eBay currently. I find his listings very honest and he clearly shows the marks to the crystal in his listing as well as the open caseback. He also packs the watches well and sends very quickly too. This one got to me in six days, which is slow compared to the last one I bought from him, but fast compared to other Japanese sellers I have used (hh7373 did contact me to advise that the carriers are a bit slow at the moment - seems it's a worldwide problem and not just Brexit related!).

Is this my last classic F1? I doubt it, honestly. I'd still like the blue/blue one and the red/green one, oh and the blue/cream one. But that's probably it. Of course there's the Ukyo Katayama special edition, and the one with the BP logo on the dial and the VH5150, the TOM'S one and..... you get the picture.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT MY HISTORY OF THE FORMULA 1 ERA ONE

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2020/07/history-tag-heuer-formula-1-first.html

GALLERY: TAG Heuer 4000 Series Quartz Watch

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Autavia Heuer 02 Chronograph by Shah Lusso

 

HISTORY: 4000 Series (1991-1997)

 

The 4000 Series isn't perhaps the most fondly remembered of TAG Heuer's ranges, perhaps because there's an awful lot of two tone and gold going on. But having owned a WF1111.BA0511 for a couple of years now (and more recently a WF1112.BA0511) I have to say that I think they are much maligned. It's quite a smart watch, with an interesting concave bracelet centre link (I can't think of another TAG Heuer that has one similar), but perhaps the one 'questionable' design choice is the logo moulded into the bezel and case. 

My WF1111 has lost most of its green paint and some of its red and that's far from unusual (thankfully my WF1112's logo is still intact). Perhaps in some ways it looks better without the paint, although perhaps because of the red/green logo being so prominent TAG Heuer tended to stick with a rather bland selection of dial colours; light grey, dark grey, white, champagne... in fact the only option for any kind of 'impact' is the gold dial, which is perhaps a little too much impact!

At first the watch was only available on a bracelet or black/brown leather straps, but after the first year or so TAG Heuer introduced sharkskin straps in six different colours; red, brown, green, blue, black and dark grey. In the past I've always thought that 4000s on straps look a little odd because once you remove the end link you leave the top of the TAG Heuer shield sticking out at the top, but having now taken the plunge and bought a strap for my own watch, I see that it looks a lot better than pictures suggest.

The 4000 Series was pretty straightforward (apart from the 1992 number changes) with the original range pretty much surviving unaltered, with only one watch (in three sizes) added in 1994.

The 4000 Series was only available as a three hander, but was available in both quartz (Q) and automatic (A) variations.  

1991 CATALOGUE

The 4000 Series first appears in the 1991 catalogue and is issued with the old (XXX.XXX) references. However, the numbering system was changed in 1992 and all watches were reassigned new numbers. For consistency I have decided to show both numbers and use the 1992 numbers as the main number. I have also included the strap/bracelet reference as well, as unlike the modern reference codes the old six figure codes didn't indicate what strap or bracelet the watch was sold on. There is a chart at the bottom of this post which cross references everything, which I made while I was wading through this trying to make sense of it all, you may find that quite useful - I certainly did!

A note on sizes: I haven't been able to pin this down satisfactorily. I believe the automatics may be 40 and 34mm and the quartz pieces 38 and 32mm. The 'ladies' size is definitely 28mm and they only made them in quartz.

WF2121.BA0511 (695.706/511): Mens, grey dial, two tone bezel on a steel bracelet (A)

WF2121.BC0523 (695.706/523): Mens, grey dial, two tone bezel on a brown leather strap (A)

WF2221.BA0513 (695.713/513): Boys, grey dial, two-tone bezel on  steel bracelet (A)

WF2221.BC0533 (695.713/533): Boys, grey dial, two tone bezel on a brown leather strap (A)

WF2110.BA0511 (699.706/511): Mens, white dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (A)

WF2110.BC0520 (699.706/520): Mens, white dial, steel bezel on a black leather strap (A)

WF2210.BA0513 (699.713/513): Boys, white dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (A)

WF2210.BC0530 (699.713/530): Boys, white dial, steel bezel on a black leather strap (A)

WF1130.BP0512 (994.706/512): Mens, champagne dial, gold bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1230.BP0514 (994.713/514): Boys, champagne dial, gold bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1430.BP0516 (994.708/516): Ladies, champagne dial, gold bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1121.BB0517 (995.406/517): 40mm, gold dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q) 

WF1221.BB0518 (995.413/518): 32mm, gold dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1421.BB0519 (995.408/519): 28mm, gold dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1120.BB0517 (995.706/517): Mens, white dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1220.BB0518 (995.713/518): Boys, white dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1420.BB0519 (995.708/519): Ladies, white dial, two tone bezel, case and bracelet (Q)

WF1120.BC0523 (995.706/523): Mens, white dial, 2-tone bezel on a brown leather strap (Q)

WF1220.BC0533 (995.713/533): Boys, white dial, 2-tone bezel on a brown leather strap (Q)

WF1420.BC0543 (995.708/543): Ladies, white dial, 2-tone bezel on a brown leather strap (Q)

WF1110.BA0511 (999.706/511): Mens, light grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1210.BA0513 (999.713/513): Boys, light grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1410.BA0515 (999.708/515): Ladies, light grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1111.BA0511 (999.206/511): Mens, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1211.BA0513 (999.213/513): Boys, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1411.BA0515 (999.208/515): Ladies, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

1991 SELECTION CATALOGUE

This selection catalogue introduced a new variation on an existing watch.

WF1411.BC0540 (999.208/540): Ladies, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a black leather strap (Q)

1992-1993 CATALOGUE

Strangely, despite the number change the new strap variations featured in the 1992 catalogue are still given both old and new catalogue numbers. This suggests to me that perhaps these were available prior to the catalogue coming out and the numbers being amended? 

While most watches were available on sharkskin straps, for some reason the 1992 catalogue states that models WF1110, WF1210 and WF1410 were not available on leather straps.

 

There were no new 'watches' in this catalogue, only new strap configurations.

WF2110.BC0527 (699.706/527): Mens, white dial, steel bezel on a blue sharkskin strap (Q)

WF1120.BC0625 (995.706/625): Mens, white dial, 2-tone bezel on a brown sharkskin strap (A)

WF1420.BC0579 (995.708/579): Ladies, white dial, 2-tone bezel on a red sharkskin strap (Q)

WF1111.BC0526 (999.206/526): Mens, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a grey sharkskin (Q)

WF1211.BC0538 (999.213/538): Boys, dark grey dial, steel bezel on a green sharkskin (Q)

1992 SELECTION CATALOGUE

This catalogue brings still more strap variations but no new watches.

WF2210.BC0538 (699.713/538): Boys, white dial, steel bezel on a green sharkskin strap (A)

WF2121.BC0529 (695.706/529): Mens, grey dial, 2-tone bezel on a red sharkskin strap (A)

WF2221.BC0635 (695.713/635): Boys, grey dial, 2-tone bezel on a brown sharkskin strap (A)

1994-1995 SELECTION CATALOGUE

The 1994 selection catalogue brings a single new watch (only available on a bracelet) and more previously 'unseen' strap variations. The old numbers are no longer listed as alternatives, although it's not hard to work them out and I have included them in the chart below.

WF1112.BA0511: Mens, white dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF2221.BC0639: Boys, grey dial, two-tone bezel on a red sharkskin strap (A)

WF2210.BC0534: Boys, white dial, steel bezel on a black sharkskin strap (A)

1995-1996 CATALOGUE

The 1995/6 catalogue adds ladies and midsize versions of the 'new' watch released in 1994 (although I would assume they were all released at the same time?) and another variation on the WF1220.

WF1212.BA0513: Boys, white dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1412.BA0515: Ladies, white dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1220.BC0637: Ladies, white dial, two-tone bezel on a blue sharkskin strap (Q)

1996 CATALOGUE

The 1996 shows nothing that hasn't been seen previously, the 4000 Series is clearly coming to the end of its life and will only feature in one more catalogue

1997 CATALOGUE

This is the last outing for the 4000 Series and unlike some other lines which have one last glorious revamp before disappearing, all the brand offered was another strap variation, this time on the 1994 men's piece.

WF1112.BC0527: Mens, white dial, steel bezel on a blue sharkskin strap (Q)

NON-CATALOGUE MODELS

There are very few 'non-catalogue' models actually, just a couple of previously unseen dial variations. As I mentioned earlier the dial colours on the 4000s are pretty conservative and it comes as something of a novelty to bring up black and blue dials as being unusual models!

WF1113.BA0511: Mens, blue dial, steel bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1122.BB0517: Mens, black dial, two-tone bezel on a bracelet (Q)

WF1422.BB0519: Ladies, black dial, two tone bezel on a bracelet (Q)

Having said that, there are a LOT of watch/strap combinations that were not shown in the catalogues, so I decided to compile a chart showing every combination that I have discovered....

And at this point I must give a huge 'THANK YOU' to Tom at TAG Heuer Bicester Village who helped me so much with gathering this information for you.

The watches highlighted in yellow are the ones we have already seen featured in the catalogues, as you can see there are many, many more available!

Okay, that's it for this time, next up will be the 3000 Series and don't forget to check out the other posts in this series. 

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