FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz 'Indy 500' Special Edition

CAZ101AW.BA0842

At some point I should probably write a post about the many Indy 500 watches TAG Heuer have produced, but for now let's concentrate on this brand new model released last week at Watches & Wonders 2024. TAG Heuer have been pretty consistently releasing Indy 500 watches for the last few years, some of them really nice and some of them not so much. From the renders this one looks to be one of the better ones, perhaps bested only by the CAZ101AD released in 2020 with its black case, asphalt dial and red brick stripe.

The asphalt dial is present here once again, complete with a bright red minute track and of course the Indianapolis Speedway wings and tyres logo - which due to its shape is always a challenge to incorporate nicely onto a watch dial. Here it's not too badly done, but it could have been just slightly smaller to get it slightly away from the edges of the white subdial.

I've scoured the TAG Heuer website for information as to why the '11' numeral is highlighted in red, but I can't find a thing. The 100th Indy 500 took place in 2016 so it's not the 111th yet, as to what else it could mean I am afraid I am so far unable to clarify. Perhaps one of our American readers can help, I am not all that familiar with Indy 500 lore so it's perhaps quite obvious to a fan?

*see the comments for one theory!

All in all I think this is quite a nice looking watch and I appreciate the liberal splashes of colour deployed around the dial. It's certainly an improvement on the last two rather underwhelming models, although some might be surprised that the bezel insert is still old-school aluminium on a £2100 watch. I just hope it's not a rare case of a render looking better than the real thing...

Okay, let's find out what the quartz lovin' Council of Considered Opinion have to say about this one!

5.5/10. "You pretty much know what your going to get with the Indy 500. It's not for me but its a solid looking watch and a great watch for Indy 500 fans."

6/10. "Doesn't do anything for me."

7/10. "Is it really much different than those before it? Nice on its own... 7/10."

3/10. "It looks more like a mall watch, yet I understand the aim of this one, just not for me."

7/10. "I like it more than the previous (CAZ101AU.BA0842) 2023 Indy 500."

7/10. "I'm still trying to figure out why the "11" is in red. An improvement over the past few Indy 500 models. But my all time favourite is still the 2020 model CAZ101AD."

5/10. "It's fine."

7/10. "Love that dial but the logo at 6 is bugging me, LOL."

7.5/10. "If I was looking for a new F1, this one would be a good candidate."

5/10. "Not bad. I don't like the Indy 500 logo on the dial - I imagine they put it in a white subdial because it would have looked even worse in one with a dark background. And I'm sure there is a relevance to having the 11 o-clock number in red, but I have a problem with it. All in all, I much prefer the blue Red Bull F1."

5/10.  It's not my cup of tea, I am afraid."

5/10. "Nicer Indy 500 versions have been made."

7/10. "For the annual Indy500."

5/10. "Not a fan of the Indy logo, plus the tarmac dial doesn’t do it for me either, having seen the Porsche Carrera use it. Middle of the road overall, so a 5/10 from me."