HISTORY: TAG Heuer 3000 Series (1984-1989)

 

Without a doubt, one of my favourite of all TAG Heuer's model lines, the 3000 Series has it's roots in the twilight years of the Heuer watch company. First appearing in the 1984 catalogue, just one year before the company was sold to Techniques d'Avant Garde, the range was introduced in several variations including pure steel, two tone, black and gold, gold and black, gold and also chronographs and three handers in quartz and automatic variations (chronographs only, there were never any automatic 3 hander 3000 Series).

As a rule I don't usually delve back beyond the 1985/6 watershed since this is a TAG Heuer blog not a Heuer one, but then the blogs and websites that are more Heuer focussed probably don't spend an awful lot of time on the later, quartz pieces and since these models were essentially carried forward for several years I will start at the beginning.

1984 CATALOGUE

So the model is introduced with four fully fleshed out model lines, each available in four (yes four) different sizes: these are signified by the numbers 06 (Full size) 13 (Mid size) 15 (Smaller mid size) and 08 (Ladies). It seems crazy to think that watches were available in so many sizes, especially when the 'full size' was a rather modest 37mm!

In addition to this we had a fifth page showing a selection of four aesthetically different quartz chronographs (all full size) underneath which there is a panel explaining that each is available with an automatic movement. However, someone dropped the ball when writing this panel as the numbering is wrong.

Clearly 134.206 cannot be the automatic version of both the 234.206 and the 236.006, the latter half of the bottom line should have read 136.006.

For the purposes of this post I am initially going to use the photographs direct from the catalogue, because a) it will save a lot of time and b) because it also illustrates something that I wasn't previously aware of, or had perhaps more likely forgotten - that the 3000 Series was in fact available on a waterproof strap of some kind. I always believed it was only ever available on a bracelet, perhaps because I only recently looked back to the Heuer catalogues and the TAG Heuer catalogues always show it with a bracelet*.

(*Looking back at the 1987/88 catalogue it does indicate on one of the text pages that the 3000 Series are still available with the 'specifically waterproofed' leather straps, however these are not illustrated anywhere post 1986)

932.206: 37mm, grey dial, stainless steel on a waterproof strap (also available on bracelet)

932.208: 25mm, grey dial, stainless steel on a bracelet

932.215: 32mm, grey dial, stainless steel on a bracelet

932.213: 35mm, grey dial, stainless steel on a bracelet

These were also available later with a red/green logo on the dial but they maintained the same part numbers.

934.206: 37mm, grey dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two-tone bracelet

934.208: 25mm, grey dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two-tone bracelet

934.215: 32mm, grey dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two-tone bracelet

934.213: 35mm, grey dial, two-tone, on a waterproof strap (also available on bracelet)

937.408: 37mm, gold dial, black bezel/gold case on a gold bracelet

937.413: 32mm, gold dial, black bezel/gold case on a gold bracelet

937.415: 35mm, gold dial, black bezel/gold case on a gold bracelet

937.408: 25mm, gold dial. black bezel/gold case on a waterproof strap (also on a bracelet)

936.008: 25mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black bracelet

936.015: 32mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black bracelet

936.006: 37mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a waterproof strap (also on a bracelet)

936.013: 35mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black bracelet

234.206: 38mm, grey/gold dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two tone bracelet

232.206: 38mm, grey dial, steel bezel/case on a steel bracelet

237.406: 38mm, gold dial, black bezel/gold case on a gold bracelet

236.006: 38mm, black/gold dial, gold bezel/black case on a black bracelet

1985 CATALOGUE

The 1985 catalogue displays largely the same line-up of watches, with the addition of some black/gold bracelet variations.

936.006BG: 37mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black/gold bracelet

936.008BG: 25mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black/gold bracelet

936.013BG: 35mm, black dial, gold bezel/black case on a black/gold bracelet

936.006BG: 38mm, black/gold dial, gold bezel/black case on a black/gold bracelet

1985-1986 CATALOGUE

No new watches were shown in the 1985-1986 catalogue.

1987 CATALOGUE

The 1987 catalogue highlights parts of the overall range, only the established 'two-tone' selection (934.2XX) of the 3000 Series watches are shown here (all on bracelets)

1987-1988 CATALOGUE

No new watches were shown in the 1987-1988 catalogue.

1988 CATALOGUE

Bizarrely, the 3000 Series is not included in the 1988 catalogue!

1988 JAPANESE CATALOGUE / LEAFLET

Here we see the addition of three new ranges of 3000 watches plus two new chronographs, presumably only intended for the Japanese market? It's worth noting that two of the three (and indeed both chronographs) are shown with 'Heuer' rather than 'TAG Heuer' logos on the dial, was this a way for the company to use up leftover 'Heuer' branded dials or was there even at this stage a desire for the old logo in the Far East?

936.015SB: 32mm, black/gold 'Heuer' dial, black bezel/case on a black bracelet

936.006SB: 37mm, black/gold 'Heuer' dial, black bezel/case on a black bracelet

936.008SB: 25mm, black/gold 'Heuer' dial, black bezel/case on a black bracelet

936.013SB: 35mm, black/gold 'Heuer' dial, black bezel/case on a black bracelet

935.406: 37mm, gold dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two tone bracelet

935.408: 25mm, gold dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two tone bracelet

935.413: 35mm, gold dial, gold bezel/steel case on a two tone bracelet

937.408SG: 25mm, gold 'Heuer' dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet 

937.413SG: 32mm, gold 'Heuer' dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet 

937.406SG: 37mm, gold 'Heuer' dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet 

937.415SG: 35mm, gold 'Heuer' dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet 

When I first saw these I thought I had found my grail watch. I wrongly assumed 'SG' stood for solid gold, but unfortunately it does not, these like all the other 3000 Series watches are gold plated and while they are relatively easy to find on eBay and the like, they have not worn particularly well. It's a real shame as a solid gold 3000 would be something I would love to own, though I'm guessing the price would have been somewhat buttock clenching!

237.406G: 38mm, gold 'Heuer' dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet

236.006B: 38mm, black/gold 'Heuer' dial, black bezel/case on a black bracelet

1988/1989 CATALOGUE

The 3000 Series returns to the general catalogue one more time, but reduced to just three ranges of three hander quartz pieces (932, 934 and 937).

1989 JAPANESE CATALOGUES

These throw some confusion into the mix as they add an S to end of existing part numbers, while also introducing new pieces - so should the S be there or not? Who can say? But I can't see any difference between a 932.206S and a 932.206... these do however introduce a couple more 'new' pieces.

935.408S: 25mm, gold dial. gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet

935.413S: 32mm, gold dial, gold bezel/case on a gold bracelet 

These are (as far as I can tell) essentially the same as the 937 range of gold plated watches, but branded 'TAG Heuer' instead of Heuer (which is quite funny considering the watches carried over from the Heuer days didn't get renumbered...). I don't understand why they are S and not SG either? Makes no sense to me.

NON CATALOGUE MODELS (AUTOMATIC MODELS)

The 3000 Series is a refreshingly straightforward one on the whole, but there are a few non-catalogue models, or rather models that are not shown in the catalogues, but only listed as 'automatic alternatives to the quartz models shown. Kind of ironic that they show the quartz models in the catalogue and say 'you can also have this in automatic', but there we are - this was the 80s after all. 

132.206: 38mm, grey dial, steel bezel/case on a steel bracelet

136.006BG: 38mm, black/gold dial, gold bezel/black case on a black/gold bracelet

137.406: 38mm, gold dial, black bezel/gold case on a gold bracelet

134.206: 38mm, grey/gold dial. gold bezel/steel case on a two-tone bracelet

136.006: 38mm, black/gold dial, gold bezel/black case on a black bracelet*

932.206*: 37mm, grey dial with red/green logo, steel case and bracelet**

*I cannot find a picture of this one, so I modified the 136.006BG picture by blacking out the gold bracelet centre links. If I find a picture at some point I will replace it.

** Towards the end of the 3000s life TAG Heuer replaced the printed logo dial with an applied red/green version.

So there we have it ladies and gentlemen, the 3000 Series. I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane and next up will be the 1500 Series.

Please click HERE to visit the 'History of TAG Heuer' menu page.