FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Day/Date' Calibre 16 Chronograph

 
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In an age where we are constantly bombarded by new and exciting pieces, perhaps it's no great surprise that watches like this (which are perfectly nice in their own right) sneak onto the TAG Heuer website unannounced. I guess the fact is there isn't really too much to say about this watch as for the most part it carries over much of the design aesthetic from the previous model. Now based on the Carrera Sports case the size has increased by 1mm (to 44mm) and the typeface used for the 'minute' markers look a little more modern perhaps, but by and large it's a case of as you were.

But then again perhaps that's a bit harsh, it does now feature a ceramic bezel and the pushers and crown are a bit nicer than they were before but once again, purists will complain that these models aren't really Carreras with their stubby lugs and thick case. Of course these people probably wouldn't have bought the 43mm predecessor either, so their opinion is probably not that relevant...

VIDEO: Heuer Carrera Red Dial 'Heritage' Heuer 02 Chronograph by Time & Tide

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 'Titanium' Watch

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 16th June 2022

It's been a little over a year since my first encounter with the WBP208B: back then of course we were still between bouts of 'Covid-lockdown' so it was an absolute treat to be able to go outside and look in the shops (albeit you had to stand outside and wait to be welcomed in past the velvet rope, which contrary to popular belief doesn't 'add to the experience' like you might think it would!). 

Back then I tried on this one, a new blue-dial Aquaracer I believe and I also had a look at the 36mm version with the silver dial. This was my favourite of the three, but even then it wasn't something that I was considering purchasing. For one thing, while I kind of like the green aesthetic, it is a very particular green, a very 'military' green if you like and not something that massively appeals to me. If I was going to buy a green watch I would want it to be much brighter, the original Aquaracer WAY2015 springs to mind - but of course they are sold out and now there are fakes everywhere... so that's out the window.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf H02 Special Edition and Carrera H02 Porsche Limited Edition by Watch Advisor

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 Professional Ladies Watch

 

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TAG Heuer has a long history of releasing teal dial watches, in the past these were most commonly 2000 Series pieces which featured the names of holiday destinations such as 'The Bahamas' or 'Bora Bora', but recently teal dials have been a bit thin on the ground. Well... I guess there was that limited edition 39mm heritage Carrera, although I think that was officially designated a 'green' dial.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver 1000M by Time & Tide

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 'Sports' Quartz Watch

 

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This is a watch that has been on my wants list for an extremely long time, but for one reason and another I didn't pick one up until now... or actually March this year. I'm not entirely sure why it's taken me this long to write about buying this one, but... ever since I discovered TAG Heuer's 2000 Sports range I have been intrigued by the difference an aluminium bezel and some unusual Arabic numerals could make to a watch. 

If you're not aware, the 2000 Sports came in four flavours: all blue, red/black, black/gold and white/black. It was also available in three different sizes; men's, midsize and ladies. I'm not too sure what sizes the midsize and ladies are but this one is your bog standard 37mm. I would imagine the midsize would be about 34mm and the ladies probably 28mm or something close to that.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Twin Time Calibre 7 Watch by NMwatch

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 'Macau' Limited Edition Chronograph

 

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Way back in the mists of time I believe I might have encountered a 'Macao' Calibre 5 Carrera (as seen below) at TAG Heuer's Bicester Village outlet. It was rather unremarkable, some might even say relatively tasteful in its execution with a plain silver dial decorated with the four suits of cards, 'Macao' and a fairly subtle 'limited edition' text line on the lower half... this model was limited to 200 pieces. 

Fast forward to 2022 and we have a new 'Macao' Carrera and again it's a limited edition, but this time just 20 pieces are available and instead of a Calibre 5 three hander we have a full on Heuer 02 chronograph. But this time, any notion of subtlety is best put to one side!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Ladies Quartz by NeilPinkett

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Quartz Ladies Watch

 

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 18th June 2022

This came as a pleasant surprise for my wife as we visited the TAG Heuer Meadowhall boutique just a couple of days after the watch appeared on the TAG Heuer website. She had already tried on the fumé dial version a few weeks ago and so it was interesting to see a slightly different version of the same watch, albeit both watches of course have the diamond hour markers. 

A lot of guys who talk about watches bitch about diamonds, and while I am sure there are some ladies who don't like diamonds on their watches (or Mother of Pearl come to that) there has to be a reason why watch companies persist in producing them ad nauseum. Or maybe it's that women buy them because that's all they get given? I don't know.... but I've never heard my wife ask if they make a watch without the diamonds. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Calibre 5 by Watch Expert Giorgia Mondani

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02 'Purple Dial' Chronograph

 

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So here we are again, last year it was green and this year it's purple. Yup, purple. And believe it or not, this isn't the first purple Monaco ever. Sure, it's the first purple Monaco you can actually buy (although more on that in a moment), but there was actually a previous purple dial Monaco chronograph which came on what looks like a purple snakeskin strap. This, as you will know if you follow me on Instagram, was a piece unique that was made for the actress (and then TAG Heuer ambassador) Uma Thurman about 10 years ago. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Solargraph' by Time & Tide

 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List (Jul 2022)

 

Time once again to catalogue the TAG Heuer range for posterity, and with it the current state of the prices. With all that's going on in the world it's not surprising to note that most of the range has increased in price somewhere in the order of 5%, but some things (noticeably the skeleton dial Carreras) have stayed put, while some of the most expensive pieces have jumped up quite considerably. For instance, the CAR5A5U Carrera tourbillon has gone from £20450 to £22500, a 10% hike! On a more down to Earth level, if you've been pondering purchasing the CBN2A1F 'Porsche' Carrera Special Edition on a bracelet, well I'm afraid your indecision has just cost you as for some reason that particular model has gone up from £5000 to £5450.

Not too much to report as far as models dropping out of the range goes, the main news here is that the entire Calibre 5 Autavia range has disappeared from the site, leaving only the three 2022 models behind (two Flyback Chronographs and the Calibre 7 GMT). Elsewhere we see the old Gulf Monaco and Formula 1 Indy 500 pieces making way for new releases. 

Blue text indicates new items, red text indicates price changes.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 3000 Series Quartz Watch by Birth Year Watches

 

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Link - Part 2 (2012-)

 

As we discovered yesterday the TAG Heuer Link has a long history, too long for one post in fact! So here we go again, with yet more watches... and , it has to be said, an awful lot of Link Lady pieces!

For Part 1 of the History of the TAG Heuer Link, click the link below

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2022/07/history-tag-heuer-link-part-1-1999-2012.html

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Link - Part 1 (1999-2012)

 

The TAG Heuer Link has had a rather up and down history, at one point in the early 00s, it was almost the 'go-to' TAG Heuer. As time went on the Link became less sporty and more dressy, but tastes have changed and the Link has sadly fallen out of favour. Indeed, the current Link line-up is pretty much the remnants of what was new five or six years ago. Where does the Link go from here?

As in previous 'History' posts all watches are quartz powered except as indicated:

(A) Automatic 

(C) Chronometer 

(S) Calibre S

VIDEO: TAG Heuer SLR Calibre S Quartz Chronograph by WatchBox Reviews

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Link Automatic 'Tiger Woods' Limited Edition Watch

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It's fair to say that the 'Link' series of watches doesn't get a lot of love these days, but back in the 00s the 'Link' was a pretty popular watch. Today the line has dwindled to a handful of pieces and seems destined for extinction or possibly retention only as a 'female' focussed range. Which is a shame really, but the seeds of change were perhaps sowed by Jean Claude Biver when he famously said in an interview that the 'Link' bracelet should just be a bracelet that could be used on other watches. Since then we've seen the famous bracelet used on several Formula 1 'Senna' models, but as for the Link range itself, except for a few ladies pieces there has been nothing new for years.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Kirium Chronograph Restoration by Nekkid Watchmaker