I've now lost count of all the Porsche branded TAG Heuer watches we've seen over the last few years, I want to say it was 10 or 11 prior to this, but I'm not 100% sure. Seems like the time is ripe for a 'Feature' post detailing them all, don't you think? Well, I'll get on it, but for now we have a new (and perhaps slightly controversial) new steel cased tourbillon co-branded with both Porsche and Panamericana; after the famous rally held in the early 1950s.
The watch itself is hardly 'retro' in its styling, but it does take 'inspiration' from the Porsche 550 which competed in said rally; mainly the yellow of the racing numerals used on the car for the hands, the wheels which are the basis of the unique-to-this-watch open dial design and the paint finish which has inspired the speckled look found on both the subdials and the main dial - a unique touch for sure.
Aside from that there's a nice 'Spyder' engraving on the left hand side of the case and a sparkle effect on the subdials and dial which is supposed to recall the paint on the original car. I'm not sure about that... to be honest it looks more like stars in the sky, but I must admit it is quite appealing all the same. The 42mm glassbox also features Porsche branding on the inner bezel and a unique yellow backed racing strap finished with a steel deployant clasp.
My first glimpse of the watch came on TAG Heuer's Instagram page, and I must say I do wish they would stop presenting their watches in this moody way that makes it look as if they are DLC coated. I get that it looks sexy, but the problem is when I saw the actual watch I was like 'Oh, it's NOT black! Damn.' Or maybe it's just a clever marketing ploy and next year they bring out a black one and everyone has to buy all over again, hahaha.
To be honest I'm not a fan of the glassbox design (though I think it works better in the 42mm variant than the 39mm) and I'm not that keen on tourbillons either, so this is a hard sell for me. I like the colour scheme though, and real world photos suggest a decent looking addition to the Porsche collection, even if it's not one I will personally be losing sleep over.
Like with the stunning Orange Lava Racing model that I swooned over a couple of years ago (my Watch of the Year 2023 if I remember correctly), I have major reservations about owning a 'Porsche' branded watch if one doesn't actually own one of the cars, but even if I did really love this one I'm afraid there's one massive reason why I wouldn't be buying one.
There are times, we must admit, when TAG Heuer do things that we cannot understand. Sometimes it's design, sometimes it's collaborations, and sometimes it's their pricing. Actually, it's mostly their pricing. Now, I'm not stupid and I understand how the luxury market works and I get that sometimes luxury brands price goods higher to make them more desirable to the target audience.
And this works. It's a proven fact.
But even if we accept this, it's hard to understand how it can possibly cost over £30,000 for this steel cased tourbillon. I mean, yes it has a unique (sort of skeleton) dial, along with 'Porsche' and 'Panamericana' branding, and for that I accept there will be some additional cost. But when you can buy what is basically the same watch in its standard configuration for a little over £20,000, well honestly it feels a little bit like they are taking the p*ss.
Even if this particular TH20-09 tourbillon is COSC certified.
But then a wise man (Ariel Adams of 'A Blog to Watch' fame) once said 'If the price of a watch doesn't make sense to you, then it's probably not aimed at you'... and I'm reminded of this as I look at this new piece. Because for sure, it's not aimed at me. I wouldn't pretend I would buy it at £20,000 (or even £10,000), so my opinion is of little value to TAG Heuer. But if I know one thing about rich people it's that they really like to feel that they get value for their money and they really, really don't like feeling that they are being ripped off.
So potentially TAG Heuer are walking a dangerous line here, especially when this is priced higher than a (mostly) solid rose gold Carrera Extreme Sports tourbillon. But the one thing they do have on their side is 'exclusivity', and I imagine that's going to be how these are presented. After all, the person who decides the prices of each new watch, does so on the basis of 'how much can we achieve given that we have this many to sell'. If there's 300+ people (perhaps primarily Porsche enthusiasts) out there in the big wide world who are going to want one (and are in a position to buy) then maybe the price is essentially 'right'?
Yeah, you can see why I thought this was DLC, eh!
But for us watch nerds, who are perhaps more aware of what a steel tourbillon usually costs, it's hard to overlook the fact that for £30,000 you could buy a pre-owned Porsche instead...
Which puts things into perspective perhaps?
Anyway, some of the C.O.C.O. members are actual Porsche owners (and watch nerds, obviously), so I think it's time we turn this one over to them and see what they make of it.
7/10: "I've had this on the wrist. It's a nice watch but legibility I find difficult. Price I find ridiculous."
5/10: "I have gone back and forth on this one but after seeing some real life photos I have decided I don't like it. The movement finishing is embarrassing for this price point. The skeletonisation is more of an open dial than a skeleton dial. Strong 5/10."
7/10: "Great looking watch, laughable price, would buy an actual Porsche instead. Or a PD watch."
4/10: "Why is this steel watch $10k more than the other titanium and even gold tourbillons? Smacks of a FOMO cash grab. I would be shocked if anyone who actually owns a 550 Spyder would wear this."
9/10: "Wow. just wow."
7/10: "Nice looking watch, but way overpriced."
5/10: "Whilst on one hand it’s a readable skeleton watch, I find Tourbillon pointless, plus the more I see the internal tachymetre scale under the glass on these glass boxes, the more I think they look odd."
6/10: "Reminds me of Bane. As to my opinion and scoring, I like the colour scheme and it is one of the better of the new glass box models…but I am still not a fan of that design. Tourbillon cut out is horrendous yet again."
5.5/10: "It's refreshing to see a new design like this from TAG. Best part for me is the 'Spyder' script on the side of the case. The rest of it is quite interesting to look at, but not something I would buy even for $10k. So, the outrageous $35k price negates the positives of this watch for me."
5/10: "It's getting increasingly hard to keep up with all these LEs… 😵💫 This one looks like the bastard child between a glass box and the new Carrera Extreme. I'm not sure this is a huge success design-wise (Commercially even less)…"
7/10: "I like the name Panamericana on a Carrera, also the strap, and also that this is a properly numbered LE… but price is a joke for a steel watch, even for a Tourbillon movement, so it’s just a 7/10 for me (still not loving the bezel style of these new glassboxes)."
6/10: "Not overly keen on skeleton tourbillons, but this is definitely one of the nicest I've seen from Tag. Of course the price is a problem, but ignoring that, I like it."
5/10:"Glass box appearance is nice. The colour scheme is also okay. But still this watch is over the top. (tourbillon makes me dizzy! 🤮)"
6/10: "It's decent looking but the price is hilarious. And word is that there's a Senna watch coming that's even more expensive! With a carbon bezel FFS! TAG's current business plan seems to be 'let's go upmarket simply by doubling our prices', cos people are too stupid to realise."
5/10: "Nice combination of colours, but the tourbillon detracts from the overall aesthetics. Price is absurd. A generous score of 5/10."
5/10: "I think it's a 5/10 for me too. It's not horrible, in fact, the dial and colour scheme are good, but the glass box. FFS, TAG Heuer! Stop using the ruddy glassbox on modern watches."
2/10: "Too expensive."
8/10: "Would it match these Cars? I would say Yes! Although I don't think a tourbillon is really needed while driving!"
2/10: "Genuinely surprised Porsche signed this off. Except text nothing is Porsche related as far as I can tell. It’s just a watch with logos."
2/10: "At this price point, I wonder what's their cut? I find it overpriced, unreasonable, and unattractive."
8/10: "As with most comments-price is too steep. I think it’s a good looking watch."
6/10: "Not a fan of these ‘busy’ faces, maybe the minute/hour hands should have been yellow to be easily read, £30k? Rather buy a ‘proper Porsche for that. So…..clever time piece. But! 6/10. Think I have seen perpetual calendar faces that are clearer at a glance."
6/10: "I like it! But it’s so far out of my price range that I can’t even fathom wearing it lol. Too bad it’s a tourbillion."
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