CBN2A1F.FC6492
It used to really irritate me that I'm not in a position to post about new TAG Heuer watches the minute they are released. Sure it would be the easiest thing in the world to hash together a post in a few minutes parroting the press release and quoting dimensions, power reserves and all that stuff that most of my readers already know, but that's never what my blog has been about, in fact it's the absolute opposite of what my blog is all about - I detest that kind of lazy journalism. So while it would of course be nice to have access to watches before they are released and to be able to take my own photographs, that is not where we are. So instead I have decided not to rush, to take my time and think about the new watches before I post rather than bustling to get the first thing that comes into my head out into the inter-ether.
In this instance it seems this has been a very positive thing. My initial reaction to this new watch (from a leaked render) was pretty ho-hum, but then the launch made me like it more. However, reading the largely negative initial reactions on Calibre 11 made me question my thoughts and looking closely at the watch I started to pick it apart and find fault with it. But eventually, as more 'real world' photographs started to emerge I started to warm up to the piece again and as a result this 'first impressions' review has been written, scrapped and rewritten from scratch, I hope you enjoy it...
Rob
If this had been any other manufacturer aligning itself with TAG Heuer through the rather unremarkable all-electric racing series (where until relatively recently the drivers had to change cars midway through the race due to the constraints of battery life) it would have been a ho-hum announcement, but Porsche is no ordinary manufacturer and of course with the Gulf Oil Porsches of yesteryear there was a lot of history behind this partnership as well. Unfortunately, this seems to have stirred up some extraordinarily high (and in my opinion 'unrealistic') expectations which we will get onto later...
So as I mentioned in the intro to this post I did actually get to see some leaked pictures of the two versions available of this new Carrera and truthfully I was not overly impressed. However the renders were of relatively poor quality and much like the 50th Anniversary Monacos of 2019 when the watches were actually revealed they looked much better than I was expecting. I can't say I was completely blown away by the new Carreras and rather worryingly the first thing that caught my eye was the new bespoke leather strap, but that said I had a lot more positive reaction to the pictures than I was expecting.
I think actually that part of the problem, if we can call it that, is that TAG Heuer went quite hard on the hype for this (understandably), but what they've actually delivered as a first shot is rather... mainstream, shall we say. I can understand from a sales point of view that black and red Carreras sell units, but this watch doesn't really have a genuinely unique angle, unlike say the first Aston Martin Heuer 01 with its very unusual skeletonised dial. On top of that Porsche as a company doesn't really have a particularly strong 'image' or logo. If you think of Ferrari, you think of the yellow and black badge and the red cars. If you think of Lamborghini you think of the black and gold badge and cars in any crazy colour you like... if you think of Porsche, no colour really stands out (save perhaps silver) and the badge is a bit 'anonymous'. Like Mercedes, Porsche gives off a very 'Germanic' vibe, almost cold in comparison to the Italian supercar manufacturers, and yet the Porsche name has huge brand recognition worldwide.
Surprisingly the Porsche badge is notable only by its complete absence from the watch, instead we get the 'Porsche' text on the bezel where it would normally say 'Tachymetre', in red, which makes it less than completely obvious and again leaves the watch looking like a regular black and red Carrera. A nice black and red Carrera even, but not the 'something truly special' that some people were getting hyped up for and certainly not the 'retro limited edition' that the old school conservationists were baying for.
Now I like black and red Carreras as much as the next guy (both of my Carreras are black and red) so I'm not going to knock them for choosing that very popular colour scheme, especially when there isn't some obvious 'Porsche' colour they should have gone with. And who knows how much notice TAG Heuer actually had that this was going to come about - after all, it wasn't all that long ago that Aston Martin decided to buy Racing Point, so maybe this actually was a standard production model that they sequestered as a Porsche special edition...
I do agree that by going this route they have produced something which doesn't have that extra 'X-factor' that people were hoping for. If you take the Porsche text off the bezel this could happily sit in the TAG Heuer range and no one would bat an eyelid, in fact if this had been released without the Porsche hype it may well have been received far more favourably. But on the other hand, Porsche isn't Ferrari or Lamborghini, their road car aesthetic isn't (generally) loud and shouty and 'look at me', it's more.... stylish perhaps, considered... expensive. So perhaps when we think about that it's kind of appropriate that this Carrera is not so 'in your face'...
CBN2A1F.BA0643
So really I think to be fair to this watch perhaps it should be looked at less through the lens of being a 'Porsche' special edition and more as a good looking red and black Carrera (of which, admittedly there are many).
I do like the lumed Arabic numerals, although I don't like the fact that some of them are missing; my CV2A80 Calibre 16 Carrera has similar numerals and they managed to get all twelve on there - granted there isn't the space to do that with the Heuer 02 layout, but still, it rankles a bit. The dial is an interesting 'new' treatment (albeit rather reminiscent of the dial found on the 2020 Indy 500 Formula 1) which apparently looks dark grey or black depending on the lighting and is meant to represent asphalt.
But those features aside, it's the centre-stitched, leather strap that steals the show here and it seems I'm not the only one who thinks that. Indeed, it's not until you see the watch on the BA0643 bracelet that you realise quite how much of the CBN2A1F's appeal lies in that bespoke strap. A caveat to that, as ever, is that I am told these watches look much, much better in the flesh than they do in pictures so I am of course reserving my final judgement until I can get to try one on and see how it looks and feels once it's on the wrist and actually now that I'm getting to see real world pictures of the bracelet version it's starting to make sense there too.
The Calibre 11 forum came down hard on the new 'Porsche' Carrera, but I can't help thinking that a) expectations were way too high (driven by TAG Heuer's incessant marketing hype) and b) it could be in part a failure to understand the purpose of this particular watch. I don't really think this watch is 'aimed at Porsche owners/enthusiasts' any more than I think the countless Ferrari branded watches that have been made over the years are aimed at Ferrari owners/enthusiasts, or even particularly at the 'watch community'. Porsche and Ferrari are brands that transcend that narrow fanbase and are in the public consciousness whether or not they've ever sat through the whole 1h 48m of 'Le Mans'.
To my mind the 'purpose' of this watch is to be exactly what it has been criticised for, it's a Carrera that the average joe would gravitate to, but with the added allure of Porsche branding; something to push the buyer to put his money where his mouth is rather than nodding appreciatively and moving on. After all, the purpose of designing any new watch is to create sales and TAG Heuer is not Patek or Lange. I don't doubt for a moment that later in the cycle we will see 'classically' inspired limited edition pieces that hark back to older models, but this watch is intended for mass appeal - for which they went for the most popular colour scheme and a subtle branding.
Does that make it 'bad' or 'lazy'? I don't think so, I'm sure they were in part guided by marketing strategies and genuine customer feedback and I'm sure there will be more 'extravagant' Porsche TAG Heuers in future, but for now they've introduced their partnership with a watch that won't alienate anyone who was likely to buy a 44mm Carrera in the first place.
With their uniquely fractured brand identity I imagine TAG Heuer are quite used to 'disappointing' the 'distinguished' watch community with their more modern designs, but as an entry level luxury brand their eyes are primarily focused on the people who actually put their money down for new watches rather than those who criticise while sitting back and curating their antique collections... but still the feedback was unusually strident, even hostile!
The Council of Considered Opinion's Verdict
Following on from the end of year poll in which the COCO members submitted their scores for every TAG Heuer watch released during 2020, I have decided to enlist their help throughout 2021 (and possibly beyond) and get their initial feedback on this year's watches as they are released. Their scores will be reassessed at the end of the year since initial reactions can be excessively positive or negative and we all know that watches can grow on you over time (or not).
CBN2A1F.BA0643 (bracelet): Average score 5.4/10
CBN2A1F.FC6492 (leather strap): Average score 5.7/10
In addition to their scores I asked the council members to give me a paragraph of text summing up their feelings about the new models, here are some of their comments:
"I read with interest the interview between Monochrome and Frederic Arnault on the new TAG Heuer , Porsche partnership. If I had read that interview a week ago before the announcement of the two brand partnership, I would have been hanging on the edge of my seat. As it was, I heard that the hype (I missed most of it) outstripped the actual reveal and after seeing their first step into the partnership, was rather underwhelmed myself. Hey, as has been said many times on the forum, this was aimed at the masses and I would say no effort was put into creating something to hang your hat on and say "there! world, take that". I really cant see any Porsche owner being wowed at this and thinking I've gotta have one. Maybe I'm being to hard but other than the name synergy with Carrera, I don't see the connection and even in the interview on Monochrome, Frederic's explanation of the connection between the two brands and the watch was average , boring and could have been cut and pasted from a thousand speeches from a thousand non descriptive products. If someone gave me the watch to wear would I, Yes of course, but did I raise an eyebrow over the design at launch, nope. But hey, I'm a Heuerholic , I'll still hold out hope for the future of this partnership, but TH just remember who you are. Techniques d'Avant Garde Heuer / Federic Arnault, put those balls on the line and wow us!"
"To me, there's no real difference between the two models apart from strap/bracelet, so I think that comes down to personal preference. I would rate both a 3/10. Why so low? Whilst I like the textured dial, I find the overall design a bit derivative and similar to past Carreras. It's also a bit cluttered with the Arabic minute numerals and the only visible link to Porsche is the reference on the bezel. The whole tie-up seems a little tenuous to me and more of a marketing exercise than a celebration of partnership. Having said all this, the 44mm models don't appeal to me anyway, being way to big. If I was in the market for a large chronograph and I liked the design, then I might consider it given the Heuer 02 movement. But then again, I also think it's a bit overpriced and there are other chronographs in the market I'd probably be choosing instead!"
"I'll give the leather a 6/10 and the bracelet 5/10. These watches are just "average" to me, not great but not horrible either. The leather receives one point higher because at least the strap is a new design, whereas the bracelet is just the same old bracelet."
"I give the Porsche-stitched strap a 9 and the bracelet an 8 out of 10. This watch resonates to me since I’m really into watches with great history and also as a 24H Le Mans motorsport fan. I might consider getting one depending on upcoming releases of this collaboration."
"I like it. The watch takes design cues from TAG Heuer and Porsche and integrates them. New Porsche cars are also very big and not very minimalistic or understated (which I also would like better), but they can't ignore the spirit of the age. It has the asphalt dial, which had VERY positive Feedback in the Community with the Monaco 1989-1999 or on the brickyard dial in the F1 Indy 500. I like the leather strap better (8/10) than the bracelet (7/10)."
"Putting aside that it is too big, and that the design doesn't really stretch the mind, it is a decent enough model, so: Bracelet: 5/10 Strap: 7/10"
"Underwhelming, although I like the fresh design of the leather strap and the textured dial - it reminds me of the textured speedometer dial in a vintage car - overall it feels like a generic Carrera with the word 'Porsche' slapped on it. I don't really understand car/watch tie ins, it feels like the manufacturers just trying to cash in on the fact that car guys like watches and vice versa. I like both, but wouldn't buy a watch because it has the brand of a car I like written on it. 6/10 from me."
"6 points from me too, just feels that both parties wanted a tie up, but the design team had limited budget/time and went the easy route, I know watches have to conform in design in some ways, but guys, you’re not dealing with sheep here, just because it has Porsche and/or Tag Heuer on it doesn’t mean wallets will be opened. How about a bit of new thinking to excite us?"
"One point, two on the leather strap because at least that has a novel design. Lazy, entirely uninspiring bordering on cynical - TAG seems to think its customers are stupid enough to pay a premium for a watch just because they wrote "Porsche" on the bezel and winding rotor. There's nothing else here that's even remotely special - this design was almost certainly already in the cards for the 44mm Carrera line, and instead of doing something special for this partnership TAG clearly just decided to do the minimum Porsche branding without a thought to anything else. Meanwhile, the anticipation among die-hard Heuer fans for this partnership was off the charts - everyone posted their old Autavias and Carreras on their social media, then went completely silent when it became apparent that this would be a 44mm watch. On the other hand, absolutely nobody posted their monstrously-sized skeletonized Heuer-01s and 02s in anticipation, because they don't really care. Year after year we see all these stupid moves with the Carrera and I've begun to wonder, does anyone in a decision-making role at TAG really care about what they do?"
The Carrera Heuer 02 Porsche Special Edition has a 44mm case, an 80 hour power reserve and is available now on the bracelet at £5000 and on the leather strap at £4850.
Leather strap version:
Bracelet version:
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