Today we are hosting a newcomer to the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blog; all the way from South Africa please welcome Sheldon (Tag_ZA on the Calibre 11 Forum).
ROB: Hi Sheldon and welcome to the T.H.E. Blog, so could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself...
SHELDON: I am a 33 year old guy from Cape Town, South Africa. Working as a Software Engineer, I am passionate about Watches and Cars. The watch part is a bit easier to collect so that's where I am starting off. I love travelling, even if its local, to the different wine farms, beaches and mountain passes throughout the country. I have a particular love for the Tag Heuer brand of timepieces and the Honda brand of cars. I am also an avid follower of F1, where the above 2 passions of mine go hand in hand.
ROB: Yes, a watch collection is a hell of a lot easier to store and also, how are you supposed to sneak a new car past the wife? 'Is that a new Porsche Sheldon? No......... I've had it ages!'
SHELDON: Yes it is, space comes at quite a premium here too so an extra car is indeed a lot harder to store!
ROB: So, while we are on that particular subject, we might as well get this old chestnut out of the way - have you ever sneaked a new watch into the house?
SHELDON: Well, the missus does take an interest in my collection and even has a TAG Heuer of her own! So luckily I have never had to sneak a new one into the house. How it often goes though, is she will see me on the forum looking at a particular watch, and then she will see a YouTube review of the same one and then eventually see me at my AD just 'having a look'. By that time she knows, there will soon be a new addition to the collection!
ROB: Ah well, you are still at the early stages of your addiction.... believe me there will come a time when it just gets a little embarrassing and 'sneaking in' becomes the only viable option. I find plainer, older models are easiest to sneak in without raising any alarms. For example, today I will be sneaking home a very plain looking silver dial 2000 Series...
SHELDON: Oh I believe you! When the time comes I will most definitely come to you for some tips!
ROB: Anyway, enjoy the honesty while it lasts and perhaps you could tell us all a little bit about your current collection; how it started and how things progressed?
SHELDON: Alright so how it started... Growing up I was always a lover of watches, even as a small boy I always wore one, I had many 'cheaper' brands growing up. My dad bought himself a Tag when I was around 13 or so, a nice 2000 Series. This first introduced me to the TAG Heuer brand, and to me this was the greatest watch in the world!
My goal was to own a Tag Heuer of my own, and in 2014 that finally became a reality. I had saved up some cash and had to decide between buying a dishwasher or a TAG Heuer. Needless to say, I was the proud owner of a Tag Heuer Formula 1 Alarm (WAU111A), much to the anger of the (now ex) girlfriend.
I wore that F1 everyday and every night for a few years... After saving a bit more I decided to look for a Carrera. The skeleton dial was just released and I was in love. However it was way out of my price range, so I would just go to my AD and look at it! I did however find a nice Carrera Calibre 16 Day Date in my price range and pulled the trigger on it. This was in 2019. This was my first automatic timepiece and I really enjoyed it.
I told myself not to get too many pieces too quickly, but then the Formula 1 Gulf came along and it really appealed to me. The Gulf Monaco has been on the top of my list for a while, but also quite out of budget, so this piece came in as a nice go between. This piece stands out nicely from other Formula 1's too, in my view. I picked one up from Chronext online, my first online Tag purchase and it really was a great experience!
Then one day my all time favourite Tag became available, a friend was selling it at a great price point. The Ceramic Black Carrera CAR2A91. I had been a fan of the Skeleton dial since I first laid eyes on it years ago, but this one in particular held a soft spot with me. I saw it online and once at an AD, the price point was quite steep and I did not see myself owning one for a few years at least! I picked this one up, in absolutely perfect condition, and it is by far my favorite piece. I can just stare at the moving parts on the skeleton dial for ages!
Once I got that Carrera I told myself I am done for a few years, time to save up for some grown up purchases... But then, the new Orange Dial F1 popped up. Seeing all the photos on the forum, and the watch at the AD, made me start slowly thinking about this. Then I saw Max wearing it on the podium and I had to have it! I had my screen open on one of the photos, and the Missus just said, "Here we go again, you're getting it I just know it"... I went to my AD and he was super helpful and convincing, so I walked away with one. I really like how different the dial is, it stands out nicely and is a nice simple piece. The strap was a selling point too!
So those are my 5 Tags. Nothing else on the horizon at the moment...
ROB: That WAU111A is a fantastic first piece, what a beauty that is! All the better for having a part-ceramic bracelet as well, that really adds a touch of class. I like the way you've considered each purchase - rather than buying everything in sight like I have... ahem! But then, with the orange F1 you just knew that was the one for you and I was the same there I have to say...
How lucky were you that your friend was selling your dream watch? I must say I've been noticing recently that the ceramic bezels look fantastic on the Heuer 01s, I kinda wish I had a ceramic bezel on mine sometimes too. Actually, it strikes me that we have pretty similar tastes in watches, I could imagine every single one of these pieces in my collection...
SHELDON: Thanks, it does still have a soft spot with me, I haven't worn it in ages though, I should probably dust it off this weekend! I have also noticed from your posts that we share a certain common interest in pieces!
ROB: So you say there's nothing else on the horizon right now, but is there a long term goal you are aiming for? Would it still be the Gulf Monaco? And if so which one?
SHELDON: Well I do have a dream list at the moment. This will include the Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P and the Gulf Version of this. Also a piece that has always been on my list is a Rolex Submariner, however I just cant justify the price, there are lot more Tag's I can get for that price point, but I would love one.
ROB: I am so conflicted on Rolex, I agree the Submariner is a cool watch for sure... but the prices are insane. You know, I can remember seeing a pre-owned Submariner in a jewellery store maybe two - two and a half years ago, I don't know which one particularly... but it was £7500 IIRC. Feels like I should have bought that and then sold it and used the profits to buy some more TAGs, hahaha.
SHELDON: I also do not have an Aquaracer in my collection... There is however an Aquaracer that I am after, but it is very rare. It is the South African Springboks Rugby Edition that was made for the 2019 World Cup, there were only 200 made and specifically for the SA market. 12 of these were given to the players. The rest sold out extremely quickly after we won the World Cup. If anyone knows of one for sale let me know!!
ROB: Ah, the perfect Aquaracer for you - of course! But so damned hard to find... I do hope you find one, and if you do please let me know the part number so I can add it to my gallery blog!
SHELDON: I will most definitely do, don't hold your breath though!
ROB: So your collection suggests you tend towards the newer pieces, but yet you crave a Monaco Gulf... so how do you feel about pieces such as the Monza 40th Anniversary and the 39mm 'Heritage' Carreras?
SHELDON: Yes I am pulled a bit more toward the new pieces, being relatively new to the collecting scene I have only really been exposed to the 'new' stuff. However there are some classics that will remain forever, like the Cal11 Monaco.
I do like the 39mm 'Heritage' Carrera, however I do prefer a larger piece. My Cal 16 Day/Date Carrera is a perfect size, and now with the Alligator strap it is a nice dress piece, so I am not too drawn to the heritage pieces. Unfortunately not a fan of the Monza, I can't put my finger on why, it just does not appeal to me. However, being on this forum has exposed me to so many pieces that I did not even know about, and I am sure I will soon be delving into the world of older classics. I am already looking at the 'old school' F1's that I see all over this forum, something I was never interested in before!
ROB: Wait, I thought it was compulsory to like the Monza? Oh dear, you'll be kicked out of the forum for sure! Or at the least your opinion will be downgraded! Hahahaha...
Okay, so lets talk about the new Aquaracers for a moment? The repositioning of the date and the round cyclops seems to be a big problem for a lot of people (including myself) - are you for/against/on the fence?
SHELDON: I actually like the new Aquaracer, I like the hexagonal features, they remind me a bit of the Nanograph (which to me is the most beautiful timepiece I have seen!). Having said that I don't think it is actually 'better' than the previous Aquaracer in any way. If they were the same price I would probably still go for the previous model. Choosing a favourite though would be the green, I like the yellow marker and the green is a really cool shade. I also really liked the lume shots of the lumed bezel (but I think that was on the 844 only?).
ROB: I'm undecided on that green personally. It seems a little odd to me, but it's a different thing to the other previous green Aquaracers because with the titanium case I think they were going for a more... I want to say 'military' look for that one. Of course I haven't actually seen one yet and we know some watches photograph better than others so it could be a winner in the flesh, I guess one day soon we will be able to find out for sure!
The lumed bezel is only on the '844' and the green/titanium model unfortunately and I think that is a big mistake on TAG Heuer's part... people love lume, especially people who buy Aquaracers, I think a lumed bezel would have been a gift to TAG Heuer salespeople everywhere, but they didn't do it... a real shame that.
SHELDON: When it comes to the cyclops I really think they missed an opportunity there, why not make it hexagonal? Everything else on the watch has edges, it would have looked much better in my opinion. I don't mind the placement of it though. I wonder if you would be able to remove the cyclops if it would look better... Someone buy one and test it out
ROB: Are you crazy, a hexagonal cyclops! Okay, so that's a genuinely novel idea, but does this watch really need more hexagons? I don't think so... on the other hand that would probably make it more difficult to fake!
No doubt these watches with no cyclops would look better and I know people do that, although now it's under the glass instead of on top it's not going to be as easy. Apparently you just have to heat the glass and the glue melts and it pulls off... sounds simple doesn't it? I don't think I'll be trying it.
SHELDON: Haha hey I was trying out my design eye, but yeah I have also heard and seen some cyclops removal attempts, I'm sure someone on the forum will get one and try it out.
ROB: So, you like the Nanograph? Yeah that's pretty cool, I wish it had a little more lime green on it though, I don't know if you've seen one close up but it's not the outrageous 'in your face' watch it looks in the photographs... at least I didn't think so.
SHELDON: Yeah I just love that combo with the lime green, I have only seen it in pictures and it does look insane! I would love to see one in the flesh, there were only 2 that I know of that came into the country here and they were sold before even hitting the store. Maybe one day they will make a similar looking Heuer 02 Carrera that is a bit more affordable!
ROB: I was lucky to see two Nanographs, in two different TAG Heuer boutiques here in the UK. We are quite fortunate here in that because the UK is a very big market for TAG Heuer so we tend to get pretty much everything we could hope for. I'm guessing the distribution in South Africa isn't really all it could be?
SHELDON: Yeah there is also quite a big following here, with a few variants made for the SA market exclusively but we don't get as many of the Ltd editions as other countries. We have two main Tag Heuer boutiques and then quite a few Ad's.
ROB: One question that's very near to my heart is 'How many watches is too many?' - can you put a number on it, or is it just whatever you can get past the wife?
SHELDON: Wow interesting question. I only have the 5 but already I'm seeing some not get as much wrist time as they used to. I feel with too many I may neglect some! I think, with older or lower end pieces I could go for very many, but higher end ones I would maybe stick to 10 - 15... To try keep them all in circulation. I have seen some guys with crazy collections and I wonder if they ever get to wear all of them... Not a bad problem to have, admittedly. Also I am not really a 'collector' in terms of investment, etc, I like to buy them to wear them! Having said that, if I had unlimited funds I would have unlimited watches!
ROB: Realistically, five is already quite a lot by most people's standards... but yeah, when it gets to the point where you have to wear two watches a day you do begin to wonder, haha. But then Jim said to me a while back where he listened to this podcast where this guy was talking about watch collecting and he was saying how you know, you don't have to wear them... you can just buy them to own them, or collect them like pieces of art. I think that's a good viewpoint, I definitely have a couple of pieces that I don't necessarily want to wear that much (I'm thinking of my Microtimer and my gold plated 3000 Series chronograph) - but I want them because they are important to my collection. Do you consider yourself a 'collector' or can you only see yourself buying watches you actually want to wear? Do you even agree with that idea or should all watches be for wearing?
SHELDON: Yeah that is the thing, I don't see myself as a collector as yet. For the moment if I can afford to buy a piece I must be able to wear it, give it a lot of wrist time. Perhaps when I have some more I will start collecting properly. I do have my eyes on an old school F1 that I would buy really just for a collectors piece... So who knows, ask me again in a year and let's see
ROB: When you say 'old school' Formula 1 do you mean proper old-school-resin-coated-case-my-little-pony-bright-colours-and-plastic-strap 34mm F1 or something a little later?
SHELDON: Haha yes I do indeed mean those, I have seen a few popping up in the galleries on the forum and they have peaked my interest. Relatively cheap to start collecting too. A friend of mine has an orange one that I am going to have a look at soon! I would love to get a few and perhaps make a nice display of them.
ROB: Excellent. I love them and so does my wife... we have quite a few of them between us and we both have the orange and grey one you mentioned. So is this something you are thinking of collecting and not wearing or am I misunderstanding?
SHELDON: Yeah they're really cool looking pieces. Haha well you've got me there! Yes I'd love to have like a display piece with a few of them, maybe with some other F1 memorabilia / posters too. You're getting my creative juices flowing here!
ROB: Interesting, though I think you should wear them too. They are actually quite fun to wear, even though they are small by modern standards.
Okay, so I know you are on vacation now and I don't want to take up too much of your time so my final question is (an oldie but a goodie)... if I gave you a £10,000 watch voucher right now what would you buy?
SHELDON: Wow that is a tough question! If I could only buy 1 watch with it it would have to be a Calibre 02T, specifically the one below. As you can see I have a thing for phantom black / blacked out pieces.
However if I could buy 2 it would definitely be some limited edition pieces. One piece that I've always had my eye on was the Japanese limited edition Carrera 1887 Nendo Timebox piece. I love Japanese history and the box and pieces that come with this piece are just amazing! Here are some details.
ROB: That Nendo Carrera is a very unique piece and I can safely say you are the first person I've interviewed who has ever chosen that one. Some of the Japanese LE's are above and beyond, like the 'One Piece' Aquaracer which comes in a pirate chest with 9 additional back plates (one for each character) - very cool indeed.
SHELDON: And then to add to that piece would be one of the 50th anniversary Monaco's. Preferably the 1990's one as those were my childhood years and I love the colour scheme!
Also just a thank you for this interview it has brought up so many interesting ideas in my head! I had never really given thought to my collection journey, this sparked some great memories for me! The interview has given me some good ideas for the future as well!
ROB: It's my pleasure Sheldon, thank you for taking the time to do this. It's been great finding out some more about you and your watches and I look forward to speaking to you more on the Calibre 11 forum. Hopefully we can do this again in the future and find out how the collecting went, until then enjoy the rest of your holiday!
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