ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Red Bull' Special Edition Quartz Watch

 

CAZ101AK.BA0842

Ernest Jones / Leamington Spa, 16th October 2021

Way back in February last year I posted my first impressions of the 2020 edition of the Formula 1 Red Bull Special Edition and at the end of that post I said I would reserve judgement until I could get my hands on one... little did I know it would be over eighteen months until I actually got one on my wrist. Of course that was in large part due to the disruption caused by Covid 19, but the big question is was it worth the wait? After all its predecessor, the awesome CAZ1018 is a tough act to follow so the CAZ101AK had some HUGE shoes to fill.

But first, let's address the part number. Way back in February 2020 I commented (about the CAZ101AB) that it was unfortunate that the watch had been released just as Lawrence Stroll announced that he was buying the Racing Point Formula 1 team and therefore the tie up between Red Bull and Aston Martin would come to an end. 'Unfortunate' because the watch had a backplate which read 'Aston Martin Red Bull' and clearly that wasn't going to be acceptable once the parties had gone their separate ways.

And so, without any fuss, the CAZ101AB was deleted and the CAZ101AK was born. As far as I can tell the watches are identical from the front, but the backplate no longer features the 'Aston Martin' part of the text. So does this make the CAZ101AB a collector's item? I guess... but more importantly if you get a CAZ101AB then you pretty much know for sure that it was made in 2020.

So I finally got to try the watch on and while I kinda knew that I wasn't going to like it as much as the CAZ1018 (as owned by our Swedish friend Jim Dollares, and incidentally still available new from Mr Porter's website!) I didn't expect to dislike it quite as much as I did. 

I arrived at Ernest Jones early on this Saturday morning and was greeted by a member of staff. After perusing the cabinets I asked to try on the watch and honestly the whole experience was sub-standard. I wasn't even offered a seat, which is usually the first thing that happens when trying on a watch. Furthermore there was no engagement from the lady that served me, other than she commented that it was a nice blue. Literally that was the extent of the interaction. I basically felt like me being there was an inconvenience and if I had actually wanted to buy it I honestly would have taken my money elsewhere. Quite a contrast to the excellent, friendly service I received later the same day in 'Tustains'; if I lived in Leamington Spa I know which jeweller would be getting my business!

Not that this had any bearing on my feelings towards the watch. Sure, it has the usual crappy, cheap pressed clasp, but this is the same bracelet you find on the CAZ1018 so there's no difference there. What really killed it for me was the muted colours. In the renders it looks vibrant and clashing (in a good way), but in reality it looks anything but. The 'Tachymetre' text on the bezel looks almost pink, rather than the strong red colour suggested and the blue/black colour scheme looks unexciting and mismatched.

This photograph (above) is much more representative of how the watch actually looks and it's all a bit 'meh' frankly. And once again we have a 'Red Bull' Formula 1 which doesn't ACCURATELY utilise one of the most obvious features of the Red Bull F1 car; the deep blue, red and yellow colour scheme. I don't understand... the car is one of the most recognisable on the grid and the colours scream 'Red Bull' even without a logo; by contrast this watch is a pale and inaccurate attempt to capture that overall aesthetic.

But that wouldn't matter if the watch was cool and exciting (after all the CAZ1018 is also completely off the mark in that regard but still manages to draw much appreciation from watch fans), but unfortunately to my eyes it's simply a very bland and boring looking watch. I could imagine people buying the CAZ1018 regardless of (or perhaps even 'despite') the 'Red Bull' connection because it looks that good, this I can't imagine selling to anyone who isn't a die hard Red Bull fan... and then perhaps grudgingly.

I'm sorry but I just feel that this is a poor design, which yet again fails to hit the mark when it comes to representing the Red Bull colour scheme. It's a real shame but the truth is for me when it comes to Red Bull Formula 1's is there's really only one to go for and in fact I honestly think this is easily the worst of all the 'Red Bull' watches that TAG Heuer have made so far.