SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer's 2022 Watch Releases (Year to Date)

 

Can you believe we're already approaching the middle of 2022? Bah... it will be Christmas again before we know it! With that in mind I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you a little recap of the TAG Heuer watch releases to date (spoiler, it's very Aquaracer heavy!).

Overall we've seen some interesting pieces and very little in the way of genuine duds, but I'm sure there's plenty more to come in the second half of the year and don't forget the watches will all be scored again come December, before we announce the C.O.C.O. Council 'Watch of the Year'.

So then, here we have all the watches released so far in 2022 and as a bonus I've included links to the original 'First Impressions' posts (which of course include the invaluable thoughts of the C.O.C.O. Council).

Super Limited Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillons

CAR5A8G.XXXXXX

We kicked off 2022 with a couple of watches that may well have come out in 2021 but escaped attention. First we had this Heuer 02T Tourbillon, a limited edition of seven pieces for Las Vegas, which is pretty much the same as the Heuer 01 version we had a few years ago, only this time without the black diamond bezel option...

CAR5A8A.XXXXXX

...and also another limited edition Heuer 02T Tourbillon, this time made for TAG Heuer ambassador Jimmy Butler. This one is even more limited with just five pieces being made available. These two were covered in one post, but the Council wasn't consulted on these - however, they will be included in our big end of year vote - I am sure they will both be hot contenders for WOTY (just kidding).

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-impressions-two-tag-heuer-limited.html

Year of the Tiger Carrera Calibre 5

WBN2050.FC6506

Our first real 2022 release came in early January with this 'Year of the Tiger' Carrera Calibre 5. For some strange reason we never got a 2021 'Year of the... ' watch, maybe because 2021 was the year of the Ox, which isn't a particularly cool animal to have on a watch. TAG Heuer nicely incorporated the tiger's stripes into the dial, though many were perplexed by the blue colour palette.

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

Autavia Flyback Chronographs & 'Batman' GMT

CBE511B.FC8279                WBE511A.BA0650                 CBE511C.FC8280

Just a week or so later TAG Heuer finally dropped the 'long awaited' Autavia Flyback Chonographs and a Batman-style GMT. Reaction was mixed, with the chronographs getting a warmer than expected reaction while the GMT came in for a lot of harsh words and one of the lowest C.O.C.O. scores ever given (putting it neck and neck with the 'much loved' brown dial Aquaracer from 2020 - eek!).

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-impressions-tag-heuer-autavia.html

 

Aquaracer Calibre 5 'Ibiza' Limited Edition

WBP201E.BA0632

Next down the tracks came another limited edition, this time for 'Ibiza' and, well, it's fair to say the Council were less than rapturous. Personally I thought the combination of black bezel and blue dial was preferable than either the regular blue or black variants, but with only 20 available the chances of picking one of these up is pretty small. Came in a cool 'Ibiza' themed box too.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer.html

Aquaracer 'Naomi Osaka' Limited Edition

WBP231E.EB0247

The last January release was this colourful collaboration with Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka. Limited to just 250 pieces, this one scored reasonably well with the council, although personally I'm still not 100% sold on that pale green dial...

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/01/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer_28.html

Aquaracer 40mm Collection

WBP2111.BA0627      WBP2110.BA0627      WBP1111.BA0627      WBP1110.BA0627

Early February saw the release of the new 40mm Aquaracer, including the swish new fumé dial automatic models. These drew a largely enthusiastic response from the council, but on the negative side it couldn't be ignored that TAG Heuer had decided not to utilise the new 'glide-lock' style clasp found on the 43 and 36mm models.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/02/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer.html

Formula 1 'Red Bull' Special Edition Quartz

CAZ101AL.FT8052

Before we'd even had time to fully digest the new Aquaracer selection TAG Heuer hit us again, this time with a very colourful new Red Bull Special Edition. While a definite improvement over the lacklustre previous model, this one is still yet to fully convince me, and those 'grid markings' can never be unseen. This one came on TAG Heuer's new 2022 rubber strap and also on an 'improved' version of the venerable BA0842 bracelet, which has been the standard F1 bracelet now for many a year.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/02/first-impressions-tag-heuer-formula-1.html

Ladies 30mm Aquaracer Collection

WBP2410.BA0622                                         WBP2411.BA0622

WBP1417.BA0622                                        WBP1416.BA0622

WBP1411.BA0622               WBP1415.BA0622               WBP1410.BA0622

Next up, in early February, came seven (count em!) new ladies 30mm Aquaracers. As usual with the ladies pieces the council was less than entirely engaged, but chunky bezels aside these were pretty successful additions to the catalogue, with the fumé dial models scoring particularly well.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/02/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer_0624988637.html

Monaco 'Riviera' Heuer 02 Limited Edition 

CBL2117.EB0254

In March the Monaco 'Riviera' arrived, having been announced way back at the tail end of last year. Well, I say 'announced', it appeared on a website called 'Car & Vintage'... albeit the photos were utterly rubbish, with the photographer seemingly far more interested in the car, boat and girl backdrops than the watch itself. At first I cut it some slack, believing that a big part of the problem was the photography, but as more real life photos have emerged, I simply can't get over what a disaster this is. Easily my least favourite TAG Heuer of the year, and honestly one of the worst looking watches the company has ever made.

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/03/first-impressions-tag-heuer-monaco.html

Carrera Heuer 02T 'Dubai' Limited Edition

CAR5A8AA.EB0262

March brought us another very limited edition piece, this time a Carrera Heuer 02T for Dubai. The C.O.C.O. was predictably dismissive (but then some of them liked the Riveira Monaco, which makes me question their taste!), but I didn't hate it. Hard to say how nice it really is because in some pictures it looks a lot better than others, but in any case there was only ten made so getting to see one in real life is pretty unlikely.

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/03/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

Aquaracer 300 Professional 'Orange Dial' Calibre 5

WBP201F.BA0632

April arrived and with it of course came 'Watches & Wonders 2022', where TAG Heuer announced six new pieces. This 'orange' dial variation on the 300 Professional Aquaracer caught my eye first, but having now seen one in a shop window I have to say that I was disappointed with it because the orange dial is too pale for me and the hour markers are not edged in black like I thought.  

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/04/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer.html

Monaco Heuer 02 'Gulf' Special Edition

CBL2115.FC6494

I must admit I was expecting the council to rip this to shreds on sight, merely because it replaced the previous 'Heuer' branded 'Gulf Monaco'... but in actual fact this was quite well received (or maybe not if you check out the score!). I'm still yet to see one in the flesh, but I have high hopes for it. My only reservation is the awkward placement of those orange and blue stripes, other than that this one certainly has potential.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/04/first-impressions-tag-heuer-monaco.html

Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Solar Powered Quartz

WBP1112.FT6199

With the Aquaracer Solargraph TAG Heuer entered the realm of the solar powered wristwatch for the first time. Again I haven't managed to see one of these yet (actually I think it's still a few months away), but the real life photos promise much. Not 100% sure about the pale blue second hand, but I guess it makes a change from red, yellow and orange. 

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/04/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer_0368563797.html

Aquaracer 1000M 'Superdiver' Automatic

WBP5A8A.BA0619

One great thing about TAG Heuer's participation in Watches & Wonders was that they brought a few pieces that pushed the boundaries in some way or other, and the Superdiver was one of those. It's been far too long since TAG Heuer sold a proper hardcore dive watch, but here it was in the shape of the first ever 45mm Aquaracer. Again, not something I have witnessed first hand as yet, but the size is a bit worrying and that crown guard definitely looks like a potential sticking point.

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/04/first-impressions-tag-heuer-aquaracer_27.html

Carrera Heuer 02 'Porsche' Limited Edition

CBN2A1H.FC6512

Next up we have this stylish reworking of the 'Porsche' branded 44mm Carrera Heuer 02 Sports. I liked the previous version but I like this yellow version even better. Limited to just 500 pieces I think this will sell quickly and kinda reminds me of those glorious (but oh so expensive) Grand Carreras of ten years ago...

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/05/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

Formula 1 Calibre 16 'Senna' Special Edition Chronograph

CAZ201D.BA0633

May arrived, and with it the latest in a very long line of watches released in collaboration with the Ayrton Senna Foundation. There's two ways you can look at this, you could say that TAG Heuer are keeping the design updated, or you could argue that the relationship is staler than three week old doughnuts. Taken in isolation this is a good looking watch, but it seems to me the motivation for the Senna fan to pick up yet another watch that looks like many other previously released versions must be pretty weak. A rethink is required... or maybe not, maybe anything with Senna's name on it sells regardless?

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/05/first-impressions-tag-heuer-formula-1.html

Carrera 'Plasma' Heuer 02 Nanograph

CBN5A90.FC8315

Another 'Watches & Wonders 2022' release, here TAG Heuer slapped down one of their most expensive watches ever, the $250,000 Carrera Plasma. Essentially a 'Nanograph', the key reason for the added cost was the lab grown diamonds covering the dial, marking the hours and randomly set into the aluminium case. It also has a diamond crown, which is pretty cool... hate that tourbillon recess though. Ugh.

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/05/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera_0186178954.html

Monaco Heuer 02 'Dark Lord' Tribute Chronograph

CBL2180.FC6497

Finally we come to what is probably my pick for 'Watch of the Year' so far, the Monaco 'Dark Lord' tribute. This one leaked a long time ago, but the renders looked horrible and so I was not at all prepared for it to look this good. Yes there have been mutterings amongst the council about this 'failing' as a tribute to the legendary 'Dark Lord', but honestly I can't see how TAG Heuer could ever have satisfied everyone without producing an exact 1:1 copy... and even then they couldn't agree about which side the crown should be on (the original Dark Lord had it's crown on the right.... but apparently even that isn't a good enough reason!).

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/06/first-impressions-tag-heuer-monaco.html

So there we are, I hope you enjoyed this little recap and like I said, there's plenty more to come before the end of the year. I'm already looking forward to the end of December and the convening of the council to bestow their 2022 honours, but to be honest I have a sneaking feeling that we haven't actually seen the 2022 C.O.C.O. Council 'Watch of the Year' as yet. I've heard rumours of something which has the potential to take it, but as yet no leaked pictures... and then of course we're presumably expecting a new Jack Heuer Carrera as we celebrate his 90th birthday later this year.   

In the meantime, here are the scores on the doors so far...

WBP5A8A.BA0619: Aquaracer 'Superdiver' 1000M Automatic - 7.6/10

CBE511C.FC8280: Autavia Heuer 02 Flyback Chrono (Black Dial) - 7.3 / 10

CBL2180.FC6497: Monaco Dark Lord Tribute Heuer 02 Chrono - 7.2/10

WBP2111.BA0627: Aquaracer 40mm Blue Fumé Dial Calibre 5 - 7.1/10

WBP1112.FT6199: Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Solar Quartz - 6.9/10

WBP2110.BA0627: Aquaracer 40mm Grey Fumé Dial Calibre 5 - 6.9/10

WBP201F.BA0632: Aquaracer 43mm 'Orange Dial' Calibre 5 - 6.7/10

WBP2411.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm Blue Fumé & Diamond Dial Auto - 6.7/10

WBP1415.BA0622:  Aquaracer 30mm Blue Opaline Dial - 6.6/10

CBE511B.FC8279: Autavia Heuer 02 Flyback Chrono (Silver Dial) - 6.6/10

WBP1110.BA0627: Aquaracer 40mm Black Dial Quartz - 6.4/10

WBP1111.BA0627: Aquaracer 40mm Silver Dial Quartz - 6.4/10 

WBP2410.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm Black Fumé Dial with Diamonds - 6.3/10

WBP231E.EB0247: Aquaracer 36mm Naomi Osaka Limited Edition - 6.3/10

CBN5A90.FC8315: Carrera 'Plasma' Heuer 02T Nanograph  - 6.2/10

WBP1416.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm MOP Dial with Diamonds - 6.2/10

CBN2A1H.FC6512: Carrera Sports 'Porsche' Heuer 02 Limited Edition - 6.2/10

CBL2117.EB0254: Monaco Heuer 02 'Riviera' Limited Edition - 6.2/10

CAZ201D.BA0633: Formula 1 'Senna' Calibre 16 Special Edition - 6.1/10

WBP201E.BA0632: Aquaracer 43mm Calibre 5 'Ibiza' Limited Edition - 5.9/10

WBP1410.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm Black Dial Quartz - 5.9/10

WBP1411.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm Silver Dial Quartz - 5.9/10

CBL2115.FC6494: Monaco 'Gulf' Heuer 02 Chrono Special Edition - 5.8/10

WBN2050.FC6506: Carrera Calibre 5 'Year of the Tiger' Limited Edition - 5.7/10

CAZ101AL.FT8052: Formula 1 Red Bull S/E Quartz (Rubber Strap) - 5.6/10

CAZ101AL.BA0842: Formula 1 Red Bull S/E Quartz (Bracelet) - 5.4/10

WBP1417.BA0622: Aquaracer 30mm MOP Dial with Diamond Bezel - 5.0/10

WBE511A.BA0650: Autavia Heuer 02 GMT - 4.8/10

CAR5A8AA.EB0262: Carrera Heuer 02T 'Dubai' Limited Edition - 3.8/10

Overall, bar a couple of stinkers, everything has attained a reasonable score... but at the same time nothing has breached the 8/10 barrier yet and that's something one would hope for in a potential 'Watch of the Year'.