FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Date Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde

 

At last year's Watches and Wonders TAG Heuer released two new Carrera Plasma models: one was an even more blingy version of the previously released 44mm Carrera that overstepped the line where good taste ends and just kept on running... at the same time they released a much less gauche Carrera in 36mm, which featured a pink lab-grown diamond crown and a pink lab-grown TAG Heuer shield on the (lab grown diamond) dial.

It was pretty cool actually, and this year they've given it a make over by switching out the pink elements for yellow and putting it on a white alligator strap. Unlike Beaverbrooks while I can't honestly say I'm 'obsessed' with the 1.3 carat diamond crown, it is undeniably cool. The white strap I'm not so sure about and like most of the Council of Considered Opinion I think overall this looks 'nice' but perhaps slightly less 'nice' than the previous version. Or perhaps it just doesn't have the same impact second time around?

Still, not everyone likes pink and black so it's good to see that there are more options available, especially as TAG Heuer consider these 36mm Carreras 'unisex'. Not sure on the price, previous version was somewhere around £90,000 if I remember correctly, but these are more like POA pieces. 

And that's all there really is to say about this one, so let's find out what the C.O.C.O. have to say this time...

6/10: "I prefer it in pink."

8/10: "I love designers who have free rein!"

3/10: "Good Lord. This is the stuff that makes people say “oh I hate TAG” I’m sure it’s quite striking in person, but holy gaudy… I’m voting 3, and I’m off to the doctor to have my eyes removed."

5/10: "Not bad, but not good."

7/10: "Cool finish to the dial, like last years. 0.5 marks knocked off as the Pink fake diamond TH logo was cooler. Prefer it on the black strap too. Just checked and I gave it 7.5 before, so…7/10 this time."

7/10: "I slightly prefer it to the previous iteration. Can't remember what I gave it, but this one gets 7/10."

6/10: "I like the previous version WBN2340.BC0005 much more, and I gave a 8/10 to it. So it’s a 6/10 for this 2024 version."

4/10: "Too many colours, finishes going on?"

9/10: "This is so much fun, I love it when rich people are presented with opportunities to burn money on things like this for a short moment of joy. The logo, the crown and that cool dial, what is there not to like! The precious version with pink details was slightly better looking but I still give this new one a solid 9."

4/10: "Last year, I've seen this 2024 version watch, but it was kind of lonely."