VIDEO: TAG Heuer 6000 Series Quartz Watch by Birth Year Watches

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 Searacer Velcro Strap

 

Years ago I managed to get hold of a leaflet for the 2000 Searacer, which showed that the watch could be purchased either on a bracelet or on a black sailcloth strap, but also that there was a red velcro strap available which came in a pouch with a strap changing tool. I remember a long time ago I enquired about the black sailcloth strap and being told that it had been discontinued. I don't think I ever asked about the red velcro strap as I thought that there was zero chance of that still being available...

But then a few weeks ago a new forum member at TH Forums contacted me and told me that she had ordered a 2000 Searacer from Japan and that she had already got hold of the red velcro strap for it directly from TAG Heuer. Interesting!

This piqued my interest and the next day I contacted my favourite boutique (Meadowhall, Sheffield) and asked if it really was still available. To my surprise they came back and said that both the red velcro and the black sailcloth straps were available (though there was no mention of a pouch and strap changing tool) and I decided to order both since they were not overly expensive. A couple of weeks later the boutique contacted me to say that TAG Heuer had cancelled the order for the black sailcloth strap as it had been discontinued, but that the red velcro strap was on its way.

So a few days later it arrived and I chuckled to myself as I looked at it in the packet. What have I bought now? I mean, I thought it might at least have had a TAG Heuer logo on it somewhere (well it does have 'TAG Heuer' embossed into the leather back, to be fair) but no, to all intents and purposes it's a plain red velcro strap. But still, it was only £65 so what can you expect (ho ho ho).

If I'm honest, as soon as I ordered it I kinda wished I hadn't. I honestly thought I would get it, put it on the watch, take a few pictures and quickly put it back on the bracelet. But to my absolute surprise I really like it. I really like the look, and it's pretty comfortable on the wrist too. Sure, it does sit a little bit higher as the strap goes under the watch twice, but it's really not that noticeable somehow.

Certain friends of mine have taken great delight in pointing out that 'you detest NATOs' and that's true, but this isn't a NATO at all. For a start, my biggest gripe with NATOs is that big roll of pointless spare strap that ends up flapping about near the head of the watch, and the other thing I hate about them is the clunky, oversized keepers. This is also a problem with TAG Heuer's 'fabric' straps, like the one that came with my orange Formula 1 and also the camouflage Aquaracer that I always wanted to buy; horrible things, and sharp to boot!

But this doesn't have either. Funnily enough I had a Gull watch in my younger days (which was a bit of a classic F1 clone) and that came on a red and yellow velcro strap and I don't think I've owned one since. Granted, it's hardly the height of Swiss luxury, but it's a welcome splash of colour in my watch box and it really brings out the red on the dial. Plus it's a rather cool bit of history and worth every penny I reckon!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Ladies Link by Birth Year Watches

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by Daniel Lo

Welcome to the latest in our series celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the TAG Heuer Formula 1. Last year Daniel interviewed me for his website 'grandprixwatches.com', so when I came up with the idea of doing this 'Top Ten Formula 1s' thing, and seeing that Daniel is a rabid Formula 1 fan, who better to ask to join in than him? 

So without further ado, it's over to you Daniel... and don't forget you can find all the 'Formula1@40' posts by clicking on the banner at the foot of this post. 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2011/2012

 

NOT BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Link Calibre S Chronograph

Considering how many watches I've owned over the last ten years (70+ all of which have been TAG Heuers) it's perhaps somewhat remarkable that I've only ever owned one Link. I mean, that's one more than the number of Autavias I've owned... or Monacos... or Monzas, Silverstones, Airlines, Titaniums, 1000 Series or indeed Connecteds. But given how freely available affordable quartz Links are (and have been) on eBay since I got into the hobby it still feels a little odd that I've only owned one. 

That was a Link Searacer that I searched high and low for and eventually found for a bargain price on the H&T website, having dropped from £995 to £750 and finally to £495 (IIRC) when I finally snapped it up. It was an odd watch, which is probably what I liked about it, but for some reason I never really 'loved' it. It was rather bulky somehow and the lack of micro adjustment bothered me as the bracelet was always too tight or too lose and while sometimes I liked its dial, sometimes the weird layout looked kinda ugly. I eventually parted with it for around the same price as I paid for it... so perhaps it wasn't that great of a bargain after all!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 1500 Series Quartz by Birth Year Watches

 

INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer 2000 CK111R Searacer

Recently I was talking to someone about the CK111R they had just bought and offered to send them a scan of my booklet, only to find when I dug it out that it was only printed in Japanese! This made some sense as I imported the watch from Japan a few years ago and since I had already owned the Link Searacer I didn't need to use the manual myself. So while I'm sure I would have looked at it when I opened it, I never needed to refer to it so I forgot all about it.

I tried looking for a copy online, but to no avail (though I did at least find out that the movement is a modified version of the ETA 251.262 called the 251.262R). 

Using my booklet for another watch which contains the normal 251.262 and my knowledge of using the Link and 2000 Series Searacers, I have compiled these notes which I hope will prove helpful to someone in the future, since this another one of those watches which must be very confusing if you don't have a manual!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'David Guetta' Special Edition Quartz GMT by The 1916 Watch Company Reviews

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer 41mm Carreras, F1 Solargraph and Day/Date Carrera

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 23rd January 2026

Another visit to my favourite TAG Heuer boutique and, well... as we'll see in a moment it was 'interesting' but hardly what I'd call 'exciting'. And honestly, it was a bit of a turning point for me perhaps. Because standing in that boutique with about £20,000 of watches on the desk in front of me it really made me question (once again) the point of this blog. As I've said before, I am not a rich man. I now own half a (struggling) business but I'm not remotely rich, in fact I'd probably be better off working for someone else. 

So honestly, the chances of me buying a glassbox Carrera for £6700 are quite literally ZERO. I wouldn't buy any watch for £6700. I wouldn't buy a watch for more than £5000 at the absolute max (not unless my financial situation vastly improved) and the most I have ever spent on a watch to date is £3300. Sure I could sell my entire collection and I would be able to buy three or four watches at £6700, but today it feels to me like what you're getting for that money is what TAG Heuer basically consider a run of the mill Carrera chronograph.

Well no, I guess the run of the mill Carrera chronograph would be the Calibre 16, but even so if I was parting with the best part of £7000 I would want to feel like I was picking up something 'special', and sadly I just don't feel that way about these. At the same time, I've recently been speaking to someone who lives in America, who was excited to tell me about the limited edition 'Caribbean' watches she'd been hunting down and it really made me think about how much fun I used to get from this hobby when it was more about chasing old F1s and 90s S/ELs...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 2083 1/1000min Stopwatch by Birth Year Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Seafarer'

 

Predictably, when TAG Heuer launched their black dial limited edition Seafarer in 2024, I wasn't much of a fan. Aside from the 'retro' aesthetic, it looked way too blingy and the 'Tide' button looked way too big to me. Also, at 42mm it didn't really seem to make a lot of sense, given that it was most likely aimed at trying to attract attention from vintage Heuer enthusiasts (who naturally prefer 'vintage' sizing). Perhaps that's why it's still available to this day, despite being a limited edition collaboration with Hodinkee? And that also tells you something pertinent about Hodinkee's 'pulling power' in the mid 2020s... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Classic Formula 1 Restoration by Watch Fanatic

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by The Highwayman

Today, we are joined by the newest member of the Council of Considered Opinion 'Dave The Highwayman', for the second of our '40 Years of the Formula 1' celebratory posts. Dave is the newest member of the C.O.C.O. and a valuable addition given his thoughtful and insightful comments, so I'm interested to see what his top ten Formula 1s might be...

DTH: When Rob asked me to write a piece about my top ten F1's, I really had to delve into the memory bank. Trying to recall what I thought of them at the time, and importantly, what I was actually wearing in the second half of the 80's.

I remember the original F1 watches very well, I was not however a customer at the time. In truth, they really didn't appeal to me. I was...and still am a man entirely untouched by fashion trends! One could argue I was very much the target market, I was young, I had a little money and I was into motorsport. They just didn't hit my spot though, I wore a suit for work and wanted a “serious” business-like daily watch. 

I chose to wear a well used 70's steel Omega Geneve. That watch was actually my first “deal”, bought for £50 from a colleague and later sold back to the same guy for a £100. I still feel slightly bad about that one.. The F1's were quirky, small, colourful and in my mind at the time.. something of a novelty, throwaway item. I looked at them but didn't seriously consider buying one.

I did however buy an example of the totally forgotten Avia “Turbo” for weekends. In black and red,it matched my black XR3i with red bumper inserts.. Ahh, those were the days, before the inevitable, crushing disappointment of adult life set in !

Looking back, that Avia was clearly intended as a cheaper F1 alternative, aimed squarely at the same market. Multiple bright colours, racing stripes and “Turbo” printed on the rubber strap. They also shared the same ETA movement as the F1 for about a quarter of the price, nothing changes does it..

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Astronomer' Limited Edition by Random Rob

CATALOGUES: Heuer Catalogue (1985/1986)

You can now access a HUGE library of TAG Heuer / Heuer catalogues direct on the blog by clicking the 'CATALOGUES' tab at the top (in the drop down menu on a phone/tablet) or clicking the link at the bottom of this page.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Circuit Board and Battery Replacement by Solim BD

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 41mm Glassbox Chronographs

 

As you probably know by now, I'm not a huge fan of the second generation of glassbox Carreras, especially the 39mm ones which look tiny on my 7.5" wrist. I actually don't mind some of the 42mm models and it's a shame they don't offer the purple dial, for example, in the larger case as that one is rather nice. So it's not that I'm completely 'anti-glassbox' and I do have some 37mm watches in my collection (so it's not purely the size). I think it's a combination of the diameter, the glass dome and the thin 'not-a-bezel' visible under the crystal conspiring to make it feel a bit dinky and a wee bit feminine (honestly). 

But perhaps I'm not the only one with reservations? Perhaps TAG Heuer themselves realise that maybe they went a little bit small, because at LVMH Watch Week they released three new glassbox chronographs in a larger (41mm) diameter. Yay, for common sense!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sport Calibre TH20-02 'Twin Time' Chronograph by The 1916 Company

 

FEATURE: CEO Antoine Pin Leaves TAG Heuer

Antoine Pin

Aside from being the 40th anniversary of the Formula 1 this year, it's also the 10th anniversary of the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blogspot. Can you believe I've been doing this for ten years already? And in that time how many CEOs do you think TAG Heuer has had? Well if you guessed five, well done. First we had Jean Claude Biver (2014-2018), then Stephan Bianchi (2019-2020), Frederic Arnault (2020-2023), Julien Tornare (2024) and finally Antoine Pin (2024-25/26). Which means TAG Heuer heads into 'LVMH Watch Week 2026' without a CEO.

Prior to this Jean Christophe Babin ran the company from 2000 until 2013 and then Stéphane Linder briefly took over until Jean Claude Biver was persuaded to sprinkle some of that famous 'Biver' magic on the brand. I guess I am biased since I really fell in love with TAG Heuer when Mr Biver was in control (I even named one of my cats 'Mr Biver' believe it or not) but I've never really felt any of the gentleman that followed him really spoke to me the way he did.

But then Mr Biver is one of a kind. A giant of the Swiss watch industry, who has the success (and personal wealth) behind him to forge his own path. I somehow doubt Mr Biver was looking over his shoulder the whole time he was in control of TAG Heuer.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at LVMH Watch Week by Time & Tide Watches

 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List (January 2026)

 

It's time for another look at the TAG Heuer website and how the prices have changed over the last six months. Almost nothing has left the catalogue since July, in fact the only watches that have disappeared from the website are the Goodwood Festival of Speed Carrera, the stainless 'Year of the Dragon' Carrera and the Aquaracer Superdiver (which can currently be had at a rather tasty discount from the Bicester Village outlet).

There has been a price rise (as usual these are marked in blue) and while it's never welcome it doesn't seem to have been as horrendous as I was led to believe it was going to be. In fact it's pretty similar to what we've seen in recent times with increases of between £50 and £200 on most references. I did chuckle to myself when I saw that TAG Heuer had added another £900 to the tourbillons... you know, the ones that went up £9000 last year. The bizarre thing there is that the pre-owned market for TH tourbillons doesn't seem to have risen at all and you can find these £30k+ watches for around £11k, which doesn't seem very sustainable.

There was one watch which actually dropped by £100, I don't know if it was a mistake or what, but I've marked it in green.

Items marked in red are new since the last price list I did back in July. Most of these are genuinely new items, but there are a few random older models that have reappeared on the website for some reason. 

Interestingly, the Monaco range seems to have emerged fairly unscathed, with most of the prices staying the same. Perhaps the thought of pushing those DLC coated skeletons over the £10,000 threshold gave them pause for thought? Oddly though the basic blue dial Heuer 02 Monaco increased by £250 on the bracelet (and £300 on the strap, work that out!) while the black dial versions remained the same. Interesting.

As one of the longest standing models in the catalogue the 'Steve McQueen' Monaco has long been a barometer for pricing, and here again we see another £200 added to the price. This doesn't really surprise me to be honest, since the majority of watch collectors who want to buy a Monaco gravitate towards the left hand crown 'Heuer' branded version... and what's another £200 when you're spending this kind of money? 🤣  

Anyway, that's this job done for another six months... enjoy! And if you want more price lists then click the 'Price Lists' tab at the top of the page or click on the banner at the bottom of this post.

If you click on the pages they should open up larger, if you still can't read them I suggest opening them in a new tab.

VIDEO: Heuer Autavia 'Viceroy' Calibre Heuer 02 Limited Edition Chronograph by The 1916 Watch Company Reviews

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by Shane Paradis

 

As you can see from the banner above, this year we are celebrating forty years of the TAG Heuer Formula 1. I'd like to hope TAG Heuer themselves would do the same, but... we'll see. TAG usually reserve anniversaries for their 'Heuer' models, but the Formula 1 is enjoying a surge in popularity so it would be nice if they did acknowledge it this year. I mean, they celebrated 40 years of the Monaco and it was only in production for about 20 of those, hahaha.

So I thought, what better way to celebrate this very special birthday than to invite some fellow 'TAG Heuer Formula 1' enthusiasts to share their favourite models with us. Just like in 2024, with the Aquaracer's 20th anniversary, each month we'll have a 'Top Ten' and (assuming we get some kind of consensus and not just 110 different models) at the end of the year we can crown the top ten TH F1's ever.

First up we have Shane Paradis... and straight off the bat I have to say I don't think I would have predicted these particular references. I think this is going to be an interesting project!

VIDEO: Producer Michael Visits TAG Heuer in Las Vegas

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraphs and Calibre 16 Chronograph

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 31st October 2025

Due to the ridiculous number of watches released at the end of last year this has been delayed quite considerably, hence it might seem a bit out of date! 

So finally the last two of the original nine Formula 1 Solargraphs are here and it could perhaps be said that they saved the best for last. Right from the start I thought if I was going to buy any of these new models it was either going to be the white/red one or the black/yellow one (both of which I owned previously in their 35mm incarnation). Well the white/red one came out in September and it didn't prompt me to reach for my credit card and so far this one hasn't yet either. I definitely think it's one of the best of the nine, possibly even top two, and I appreciate that it has a black DLC steel case (which seems to imbue it with a touch more 'substance') but does it really cut it?

VIDEO: Putting the TAG back in TAG Heuer by Monochrome Watches

 

FEATURE: Keeping Track of Wrist Time (2025 Edition)

Happy New Year fellow TAG Heuer Enthusiasts and welcome to 2026. I am hopeful for a great year of new watches and interesting posts, but we'll have to wait and see I guess (...on both counts 🤣).

With the 'Crazy Year of Watch Buying' posts well and truly a thing of the past, it's time for my only truly self-indulgent post of the year... my annual 'Keeping Track of Wrist Time' update. So this year, like every year for the last several years I have kept a daily record of which watches I wear (usually one or two a day - one to work, one in the evening) and now I can present to you the results.

But first, it's time to quickly update you on the (fairly minimal) comings and goings of my collection. As you probably remember I have been slowly whittling away at my collection, trying to get it down to a sensible number. Twenty perhaps? Well, I'm still a way off that, but it is coming down and I have earmarked several pieces for sale in the near future, but we'll see if that actually comes about.