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Thursday, 22 February 2024

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox 'Teal Dial' Tourbillon Chronograph

 
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I've not so much saved this one till last... as put off writing about it until I absolutely had to. This is the final watch released at 'LVMH Watch Week' and it is literally a new colour on an existing watch, so really there isn't much to say about it. Unfortunately the Glassbox tourbillon is not a favourite of mine: I briefly saw (the blue) one in the Covent Garden boutique at the tail end of last year and it confirmed to me that I was never going to like it much and I can't see this new teal green colour scheme changing my mind.


Seriously what is it with TAG Heuer and teal all of a sudden? Surely one teal watch in the collection would be sufficient wouldn't it? It's not everyone's cup of tea at the best of times and the green would perhaps have been better suited to the Year of the Dragon watches that came out last year. Again with the Glassbox case.... and still the only second generation Glassbox I actually like is the Porsche Chronosprint in steel (although to be fair the Skipper is okayish).

 

Interestingly I saw a video the other day where they talked about this watch, it was Roman Sharf from Luxury Bazaar and he said that no one actually wants a £20,000 tourbillon. The whole point of having a tourbillon is that it's a massive flex, but if you have a 'cheap' tourbillon then that's not... so you either have a £100,000 tourbillon or you don't bother. Regardless of whether you find that attitude distasteful or not, I can't help thinking he probably has a point. But then again TAG Heuer have been making tourbillons for a good while now, if they weren't selling you'd imagine they would stop. 


If I must have a TAG Heuer tourbillon (and to be honest I'm not that bothered about them, pointless as they are in a wristwatch) then I would probably take the 45mm blue dial with the titanium bracelet or one of the original 45mm versions. They don't really excite me that much and I'd rather spend the money on conventional watches to be honest. Similarly this does not excite me in the slightest either and I actually think it's one of the least attractive watches TAG Heuer have ever made. 

Right, well honestly I'm glad that's over with, let's hope the Council of Considered Opinion have some nicer things to say about it. 





3/10: "Still don't care for the new style glassbox pieces (regardless of 39 or 42 mm); moreover, the tourbillon does nothing for me."

5/10: "Hard pass from me, but at least it's better than the Dato."

5/10: "It's not working for me either. It's a rather lurid green, plus glass box, but at least there's some balance to the dial."

8/10: "I prefer this dial and case to the Dato version. I think the plated/polished steel tourbillon looks nice and would definitely keep me distracted at work. I dig it."

5/10: "I like this one better than the Dato.But that pricetag; tourbillon ok, but not for tens of thousands..."

5/10: "Green isn't my colour. Gets 2 points more than the Dato Carrera due to the fact it's a Tourbillon."

5/10: "Green isn’t my colour either."

5/10: "Somehow I actually think the tourbillon works better in a stately green. But it’s still irrelevant to the watch market."

5/10: "I like the colour. When it comes to tourbillion I prefer the 'pretending to be wealthy' ones like this one, showing it rotating on the dial. The current glassbox design still a huge failure of course. A very strong 5 from me."

5/10: "I don’t like the Tourbillon in these new glasboxes."

4/10: "I quite like the teal but apart from that I'm not that impressed to be honest. It's not boring, just unremarkable. A nice watch for someone, just not for me."

7/10: "Great colour, classy design and the weird inner bezel thing seems less noticeable on this one."

4/10: "I'm sure it's a lovely watch but it doesn't look as nice as the teal (original) glassbox Carrera, and those tourbillon cutouts do nothing for me at all. Especially on a watch that's trying (and failing) to look vintage. No doubt it's hideously expensive too."

3/10: "Just no need."

5/10: "Green doesn’t suit it, 3 hander maybe?"

4/10: "I don't know why it's so green."

6/10: "Wow that’s very green… Green dials are cool, but something I was kinda hoping would be left in 2023 if I’m being honest. Although I do like that shade. Another tourbillon though… while I can appreciate the complexity of that complication, it seems out of place in a sport watch IMO, and is a bit less impressive when it’s not a hand made movement. Not that I could afford either…"

3/10:"As per my post in the LVMH WW thread, the colour is lovely but not a fan of this model and the Tourbillon cut out just makes it look horrendous. 3/10 and that solely for the colour and alligator strap."

8/10: "Well, I am gonna be on the contrary side and said it is 8/10. It just one of those watch I think one need to see in person to appreciate it."

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