FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm Calibre 7 with Diamond Hour Markers

 

One of the more unexpected success stories of recent times seems to have been the pink 36mm Carrera (otherwise known as 'The Barbie'). This model has found favour with men and women alike despite it's diminutive size and indeed our Swedish correspondent Jim Dollares has recently taken delivery of one himself (Buying Experience for that incoming...). 

Ever since the launch Jim was waiting to see if TAG Heuer brought the watch out in a larger size, say 39mm, but eventually he started to worry that the 36mm might be discontinued and he took the plunge. Literally one day after he picked up his new watch TAG Heuer released the same watch with diamond hour markers - which, while annoying for Jim, probably means they aren't about to release it in 39mm.

Personally I'm not sure the diamonds are an improvement on the pink version. The pink is such a statement on its own that it feels a bit like a case of gilding the lily. However, I do rather like them on the more subdued green dial as it feels like it adds something to the overall aesthetic, especially with the touches of gold around each individual hour marker. 

These new diamond dial Carreras both cost £3800, which is a £950 premium over the standard models and they are available now. Let's see what the C.O.C.O. has to say about these shall we...

Pink 8.5/10, Green 5/10: "Pink is cool but the Green has nothing about it."

Pink 5/10, Green 3/10: "Diamond hour markers. Yuk. It looks tacky and detracts from, rather than adds to, the pinkness."

Pink 6/10, Green 6.5/10: "Both have diamonds on them, so I don't think they are particularly new. It's a little luxurious one."

Pink 6.5/10, Green 5.5/10: "The green is very elegant and the green and gold work very well together. As for the pink, the diamonds really add that extra bling to the stunning dial. A lovely watch!"

Pink 6.5/10, Green 5/10: "Diamonds again… 😏"

Pink 5/10, Green. 5.5/10: "Wife would rather have the diamonds in one lump and in a bit of bling."

Pink 10/10, Green 7/10: "My wife likes diamonds, so she gives the pink a 10/10. Same score she gave to the original Barbie. Green isn't her colour, so it gets a 7/10 from her."

Pink 7/10, Green 7/10: "It's a Carrera, it's mechanical and has diamonds."

Pink 7/10, Green 7/10: "Those are fun! One with subtle style and one with bold sass."

Pink 6/10, Green 8/10: "The pink could have been nice, but it's just a bit too much."

Pink 6/10, Green 6/10: "Fun watches that would most likely sell well."

Pink 5/10, Green 7/10: "I think the diamonds and gold accents on the green dial work really well. But I'm not so keen on the pink - the colour is already so vibrant the diamonds don't really add anything and make it look a bit 'fashion' watch. Hence the score of 5."