THIRD QUARTER ROUND UP: New Pieces (Aug/Sep)

As I included July in the second quarter round up, we just have watches released in August and September to look at here, but there's still plenty of new pieces on offer. In fact I've just noticed they've added another new piece, or rather an existing piece on a new strap, but it's not terribly exciting so I'll save myself some aggravation and post that one next time.

FORMULA 1

Just one new F1 this time, and it's a Solargraph that's previously been available on an orange rubber strap. Now it's available as a 'limited edition' on a bracelet, which has it's own part number to differentiate it from the rubber version. As far as I can see the watch heads are identical, so while technically you can't distort the limited status by clipping a bracelet to an existing model, no one will be able to tell the difference (on the wrist) if you did.

WBY111L.BA0042: 38mm, Solargraph, Dutch GP Limited Edition (1000 Pieces)

AQUARACER

Yay, it's time for more mother of pearl, diamonds and gold. How fascinating. Well, as much as we like to say this over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, clearly women do like mother of pearl, diamonds and gold, because if they didn't then TAG Heuer wouldn't make so bloody many of them, would they? 

EDIT: Thankfully TAG Heuer have just released a much more exciting Aquaracer which we'll look at in due course.

WBP1327.BB0004: 34mm, Solargraph, Mother of Pearl Dial, Two Tone Case and Bracelet

WBP1420.BB0006: 28mm, Solargraph, Mother of Pear Dial, Diamond Bezel, Two Tone

WBP1423.BB0006: 28mm, Solargraph, Mother of Pearl Dial, Two Tone Case and Bracelet

CARRERA

Just twelve new Carreras today... six of which are the new 42mm Sport models. I really don't like these much. I loved the old 44mm models, especially the 160th Anniversary pieces, but these... I don't like the (printed) numberals and they wear much smaller than 42mm. The last one is a limited edition for the (dreadfully tedious) Spanish GP, made by attaching an existing strap (from the Porsche Panamericana Tourbillon) to the new CB110. And it looks like it. Thankfully it comes in a fancy box, which is something.

We also have the new Watches of Switzerland Limited Edition in a sort of metallic Tiffany blue. It's quite nice, and it's good to see TAG Heuer offering some brighter watch dials in the larger 41mm size. We also have a bunch of existing watches with gold accents added to the bracelets (but oddly not the bezels) and this year's Team Ikuzawa Limited Edition. Last year's model was one of the best looking new releases of 2025; here the design is a lot more fussy, with an odd looking subdial and of course it's a glassbox, which is an instant 2 point deduction as far as I'm concerned.

CDB2110.BA0054: 42mm, Calibre TH20-00 Chrono, Black Dial, Steel Case & Bracelet

CDB2111.BA0054: 42mm, Calibre TH20-00 Chrono, Blue Dial, Steel Case & Bracelet

CDB2111.FC8378: 42mm, Calibre TH20-00 Chrono, Blue Dial, Steel Case, Leather Strap 

CDB2113.BA0054: 42mm, Calibre TH20-00 Chrono, Silver Dial, Steel Case & Bracelet

CDB2112.BA0054: 42mm, Calibre TH20-00 Chrono, Green Dial, Steel Case & Bracelet

CDB2110.FC6571: 42mm, Rabat / Spanish GP Limited Edition (60 Pieces)

CBS221M.EB0435: 39mm, Team Ikuzawa Limited Edition (150 Pieces)

WBN2416.BA0621: 29mm, Powdery Pink Dial, Calibre 9, Steel Case & Bracelet

WBN231E.BA0001: 36mm, MOP Dial, Diamond Bezel, Calibre 7 Steel Case & Bracelet

WBN2311.BD0000: 36mm, Blue Dial, Calibre 7, Steel Case, Two Tone Bracelet

WBN2317.BD0000: 36mm, Green Dial. Calibre 7, Steel Case, Two Tone Bracelet

WDA2117.BA0043: 41mm, Watches of Switzerland Limited Edition (250 Pieces)

MONACO

Just the one Monaco this time, and it's a rare bird, made for the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Albeit somehow it wasn't ready for the Festival itself, which seems like a bit of a fail. It certainly has that kind of old racing car vibe, but personally I have an irrational hatred of brown watch straps so not for me. Just 71 pieces were made and the cost is a pretty reasonable (compared to other Monacos) £7750.

CBL211C.FC8392: 39mm, Goodwood Festival of Speed Limited Edition (71 Pieces)

MONZA

Our final watch this time around is the 50th Anniversary carbon cased Monza chronograph. For me, it's a bit confusing. It feels like they slapped a solid dial on the Monza skeleton and lopped £4k off the price, but left the skeleton date intact. Not terrible, but nor is it a truly great way to celebrate 50 years of the Monza. 

 

CR5092.FC8372: 42mm, 50th Anniversary Limited Edition (500 Pieces)

Okay well that's it for now, we are into the final quarter of the year and before you know it I'll be polling the Council for their 'Watch of the Year' votes. That's always a highlight of the year for me. Not sure where my vote is going yet, but I do think this year's watches have been particularly uninspiring so I could end up voting for something I scored a 7 or an 8. Wow. Or perhaps my pick hasn't even been released yet? We usually get some bangers at the tail end of the year I think...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monza 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Chronograph

According to the information on the TAG Heuer website, the Monza was originally positioned as a budget alternative to the Carrera, costing just $219 compared with the Carrera, Jarama and Cortina models, which were in the $345 to $365 range. $219 in 1977 equates to about $1200 today. So of course this latest carbon cased Monza costs a frankly hilarious £11300... because what are you, poor?

Okay, so leaving aside the comical price tag, is this a nice watch? Well, kind of. My first positive is that I really like the white hands and markers. One of my biggest criticisms of the otherwise very lovely 40th Anniversary Monza was the 'fauxtina' and I haven't changed my mind on that. Frankly it's abominable and shouldn't be allowed, but some people do like it and I must admit sometimes it works (my friend Rich has an LHD Pelagos and it works there because the white on the black and blue models is so white that it desperately needs toning down) but on the Monza 40th red, white and black became red, black and... pale brown. 😞

So that's a good start, right! Yes, and while the perforated strap looks oddly shiny and cheap, and like it somehow doesn't quite go with the rest of the watch at least it doesn't have dirty great holes cut out of it, so that's another plus. I also like the dial, on the whole... but I HATE the date window, Not only do I hate the shape of it but it also looks squashed up against the minute track.

And while we're on the subject of the date. You might notice something a little strange about it... this watch has a skeleton date wheel. As far as I know this is the first time TAG Heuer have ever used a skeleton date wheel on a solid dialed watch, and maybe it's their intention to do this with every watch in the future, after all, what could be more avant garde? But actually you can't help feeling that all this really is is a Monza skeleton with a solid dial. Which probably explains the poor positioning of the date window. If it had a date wheel they could have moved it 0.5mm to the right and it would have looked much better.

Which then begs the question why is it so much cheaper? Both carbon, both the same movement, I can't see the actual costs being that much different really. And then when you take into account that Watchfinder currently have a Monza skeleton for £7500, you start to wonder where this one will land from it's £11,300 starting point. £6000? At that price it would make a much more appealing package.

Some have taken issue with the three lines of text next to the date window, but it honestly doesn't bother me. Better something's filling that empty space than nothing and it doesn't annoy me anything like as much as that weird date window. But still it didn't take long for the THF Forum to come up with alternative designs, which of course switched out the TAG Heuer logo for the classic Heuer one, dispensed with the text, added a red cap to the top pusher and corrected the shape of the date window.

A future Bamford Special?

Honestly they looked pretty great, and switching out the marbled carbon case for a DLC titanium one was a pretty dramatic improvement. Those guys should be doing consulting work for TAG Heuer if you ask me (although I'm not entirely sure about that red date wheel).

The other thing that bothers me about this watch, at least in the renders, is that it looks like you could drive a bus between the end of the strap and the case. I really don't like that at all. I think I'm so used to nicely fitting straps with shaped ends now that that just looks really crappy. A bit like the 'printed' hour markers on an £11k watch... hmm.

So yeah, it's not bad, but I really don't like the case at all and the price is just way off. Sure it's a flyback, but we had a flyback Autavia for like £6k not that long ago. It just seems like they're plucking prices out of thin air at this point. I guess it makes a lot more sense than the prices for the Rattrapante Monacos at least.

Oh well, I'm sure the more classically minded Council of Considered Opinion will give this a more positive review and I wouldn't be surprised if this didn't feature in the conversation when it comes to the C.O.C.O. Watch of the Year. 

 

7.5/10: "Anniversary editions are important so I'm glad TAG Heuer issued this Monza for its 50th."

7/10: "Too thick and too expensive for me to seriously consider buying one. It's a nice looking Monza, but I'd get the vintage original or the 40th anniversary over this one. I think TAG Heuer has had a better track record with all their 40th anniversary heritage pieces vs 50th. I.e. 40th Carrera > 50th Carrera, 40th Monaco > any of the five 50th Monacos, and 40th Monza > 50th Monza."

7/10: "It's ok, nice looking watch. I'm not a fan of carbon cases though. Since it harks back to the 70's, I'd have preferred something a bit different and historically more relevant like a magnesium alloy case. Price is... what we expect these days."

8/10: "I’m not a huge fan of carbon cases either. That said, looking back it’s worth remembering that the original 1976 Monza was also black. So in a way this limited carbon version continues that dark look in a modern form. I particularly like the red accents and the red column wheel visible through the caseback. Overall, this combination of black and red gives the watch a strong character. If I already owned an original 1976 or the 2016 anniversary model, I’d definitely want to be one of the 500 people who get this new piece."

5/10: "At first glance, it looks nice; however, the more I examine it, the more things I do not like stick out to me. The skeleton date wheel looks like a leftover part, and I'm indifferent to the carbon case. The price, as is often the case, is ambitious."

8/10: "Little disappointed with with the unnecessary text near rhe date window. But all in all its a lovely watch. One of the best so far in 2026."

8/10: "Not a huge fan of cushion cases, but this is a nice, cohesive design and the forged carbon is an interesting touch. A bit on the expensive side, though."

6/10: "WOTY? Well it’s been a shitty year so far. This is the most I have dialed back a rating after initially falling for a release. I quite like this, the combination of carbon and the retro inspiration makes a great blend, much more so than the skeleton Monza that I just couldn’t fall for. But as with everything released in the last couple of years, it’s hard to see past the pricing. Initially it was a seven, but I just deducted a point for the skeleton date!"

9.5/10: "Wow - Home run 9.5/10 - I like the whole package!"

7/10: "I quite like it, and it's nice to see Tag honour their heritage well and at the same time introduce something new. But I'd rather save the £11k and purchase a lovely original 70s Monza. I'd have plenty of spare change I suspect."

6.5/10: "Viewed as a standalone watch, I like this Monza 50th Anniversary CR5092… the problem arises when comparing it to its predecessor, the 40th Anniversary CR2080 (a winner at the 2016 GPHG), which is an unavoidable comparison. While both have the same diameter and case design, I prefer the 40th Anniversary's look (black titanium grade 5 with a double finish: polished and brushed), its Heuer logo, the layout and sunray finish of its dial, its strap, its reduced thickness (13.5mm vs. 15.2mm), its launch price (€4,950 in 2016 vs. €13,350 for the new model)… and although I don’t like to see in the new CR5092 the same skeleton date wheel as in the 2023 Monza Flyback Skeleton CR5090 (with which it also shares the carbon case) the truth is that I like the 50th Anniversary version much more than the Monza Flyback Skeleton (I gave a 3/10 to that one), so the CR5092 is a 6.5/10 for me."

7/10: "It’s ok but I’d prefer a uniform titanium finished case, price is more than I would really pay for a TH, if in the market for a Monza I’d just buy a standard model."

6/10: "I love the Monza and I want to love this one but it's hard. I'm not overly keen on the date window on the left hand side, let alone the window itself. The carbon case feels forced to justify the high price and yes okay it's a flyback movement, but still the price to me feels a little bit over the top, but maybe its just me. Give me the 40th anniversary Monza over this any day of the week."

5/10: "I don't get excited about the exotic carbon. The nod to the present with this choice does not work for me. It is to dominant."

6/10: "That is very cool! As always, pricing is a joke but kudos to LVMH if they can find 500 idiots willing to pay what is being asked here. Strap looks a bit cheap too or like it doesn't really match the watch style."

9/10: "I’m ignoring the price! This watch is absolutely awesome!!! Fantastic movement: chronometer-certified, flyback. The design is top-notch. Pulsometer and tachymeter scales. Beautiful carbon case. Proper individual numbering. The downsides for me are the printed indices. Sure, they fit the vintage look, but at this price point they could have added some nice applied indices. Also, only 100m of water resistance - that almost makes me afraid to wear the watch in the rain. 😅 What I really love is that they’re keeping the Monza design alive, with only a very limited number of variations. That’s a refreshing contrast to the countless “limited” editions in some of the other collections."

6/10: "I'm not keen on the 'marbling / textured' effect on the case as I think it would have been better as just black. Apart from that it's OK."

9/10: "I do love a Monza, I just don’t like the price tag."

7/10: "Big fan of Carbon and a big fan of the Monza too…but this sadly lacking as it’s just too safe after the great Flyback Monza skeleton. Not terrible but not standing out either, which is a shame at this price point."

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver by Hour Striker

 

FEATURE: My Top 10 Formula 1s by Thingziliketoo

 

Today we are joined by COCO member and THF Forum regular 'Thingziliketoo', who accepted my invitation to choose his top ten Formula 1's way back at the start of the year. As we get closer to the end of the year I'm interested to see which F1 will turn out to be the C.O.C.O's favourite. I'll be bringing you that in December, but we still have a few more top tens to get through before we get to that, including mine.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Team Ikuzawa Carrera Unboxing by CasualDudeReviews

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraphs and 42mm Carrera Sports

It's been a little while since I've visited a TAG Heuer boutique, so I was expecting to see lots of new and exciting things... well, maybe that was a little optimistic (what with so many new things being limited editions), but I did see the new Formula 1 Solargraph for the Dutch GP, which looked quite cool. I also saw the new 'Watches of Switzerland exclusive' 41mm Carrera with the metallic Tiffanyish dial. 

That's a bit of a mystery that one, the UK website claims it is a limited edition of 250, but the US site makes no such claim. Talking to other people about this I've heard it's not limited by number but by production so who knows. It looked okay, but a bit too shiny for my liking. Still I'm pleased that they are starting to make this kind of dial in more wearable sizes (not just 36mm).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monza 50th Anniversary Chronograph by Monochrome Watches

 

FEATURE: The Watch I Will Never Sell (Part 2)

Welcome to the second part of this interesting two part series, it's always nice to read about other people's watch experiences, especially when they are so personal and meaningful. Thank you to everyone who took the time to contribute, it is, as always, much appreciated. 

Aqua-G / Rob

I’m going to have to pick two watches sorry, the first is my McQueen Monaco, I wanted a Monaco from the time I first saw the square watch in a jewellers window, I tried on a few times, if memory serves it was black faced version, and then later whilst trying on a McQueen in a local dealer they offered me a deal that was very good, I slipped out and called my friendly AD who had a cancelled order sitting and beat the offered price by a lot, deal done over the phone. That was two of my must haves scored, the watch and my Honda S2000, both still in my possession now.

The second is my Disney Tigger watch, my daughter bought it for me on a trip with friends to Euro Disney, first thing she bought me solely by herself without help from mum or granny, it wasn’t for a special occasion just a “love you dad” moment, I’ll treasure that forever.

Pitfitter446

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer - Calibre 5 My A$$ by Chronoglide Watchmaking Academy

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Speed 12' Limited Edition

Way back when I first started getting into 'luxury' watches I used to buy a wonderful English magazine called 'QP'. This was my introduction to countless watch brands and in one particular issue it featured a Louis Vuitton Tambour Regatta which used rotating cubes with different coloured sides to indicate a ten minute countdown. This was before I was a confirmed TAG Heuer fanboi, and thinking it was pretty cool I contemplated purchasing one of these, I mean how much could it cost?

Well quite a bit more than I thought as it turned out... haha! Ah the joy of naivety! So... obviously that went out of the window (along with the white dial Omega Speedmaster Snoopy!), but when I saw this new Monaco Speed 12 I immediately knew where the movement had come from, despite TAG Heuer giving it their own calibre nomenclature (TH84-00).  

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph by Time & Tide

 

COMMENT: New 42mm Carrera Sports Coming Soon... Or Already Here?

I'm writing this post on the 7th of August having just received this email from TAG Heuer. Now whether you are excited by the prospect of a new 'smaller' Carrera Sports or not (and I know some of you are), the most notable thing about this email is that these watches are already on the TAG Heuer website and have been for several days. So far from being a chance to 'witness the unveiling', unfortunately on the 7th September there's actually very little left to 'unveil'.

I really don't understand why it's so difficult to co-ordinate a release, surely everyone puts a date on their calendar and that's it. Isn't it? But now we have the bizarre situation where people are being asked to remove 'leaked' images from their social media despite the fact that you can already visit the website and buy the watches. Well, I don't know for sure that you can, but you can certainly put them in the basket and they aren't listed as 'coming soon' or 'sign up to be notified'.

*EDIT: Not only are these on the website, the watches are available in boutiques all over the world. 

While bringing this up may seem a little petty on my part, there is a point to this beyond simply trying to embarrass TAG Heuer. Understandably TAG do not like it when people post 'leaked' images on the internet before they are officially released (indeed Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck has been fairly vocal about what he thinks of people who do) and as a rule, out of respect for the brand, I try not to leak images of unreleased watches (actually, these days I rarely get to see anything pre-release) but if I can't trust the website then how am I supposed to know what is and isn't under embargo? I'm not a mind reader after all. 

So I really don't know what's going on here, but it looks very unprofessional. As for the watches themselves, I imagine they will be quite popular, especially with contrasting subdials and a smaller 42mm case. But me, I'll stick with my 44mm Dato 160 Anniversary. 🙂

FEATURE: My Top 10 Formula 1s by Imagwai

Today we are joined by THF Forum alumni 'Imagwai', who has contributed to the blog occasionally since its inception and was one of the first members of the Council of Considered Opinion. 

IMAGWAI: As a general comment… this was quite tough. There are so many F1s, and so many different styles that it almost doesn’t seem like the same watch. You’ll notice quite a lot of blue in my choices, though!

SECOND QUARTER ROUND UP: New Pieces (Apr/Jul)

As promised, here is the second 'quarterly' round up. As it's a bit late I've included July releases in it too, well honestly I included everything I knew about and only when I finished I realised that I should have stopped at the end of Jun. Oh well, never mind.... there's certainly a lot more to talk about this time than last time anyway!

I'm undecided at the moment but I may switch to monthly release reports as from August to keep it a little more up to date.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Please Read!

A surprisingly accurate render of myself and Panda by Mr Jim Dollare$

This is just about the only AI you will find on this blog thank you very much!

Hello my faithful fellow TAG Heuer Enthusiasts. As many of you are no doubt aware, I have been writing this blog for almost ten years now and it's been a brilliant experience, from starting out, joining the THF Forum (or Calibre 11 as it was then) to visiting Switzerland and the TAG Heuer manufacture at La Chaux De Fonds, to getting my first million views (not really all that long ago, and now we're at 4.3M! That's crazy.), it's all been rewarding (if a lot harder work than you probably imagine).

But now I find myself at a bit of a crossroads. My enthusiasm for watches in general has started to wane. I still love the watches I own and I will keep nearly all of them, but generally speaking I just can't bring myself to care the way I used to. Partly it's the prices, the prices are just ridiculous and it makes the idea of owning a brand new watch something of a joke. I cannot spend two month's salary on a Solar Aquaracer, I just can't.

And okay, I've never bought many new watches, the vast majority of the watches I have bought have been pre-owned, and I'm sure if I do purchase any more, they will probably also be pre-owned, because I'm not taking a 40-50% loss on a watch, not when the starting price is so ridiculously high.

I'm not singling out TAG Heuer here, I know the entire watch industry is moving 'up market', well that's fine, but it will have to do it without me, because I can't afford it. Even with no mortgage I can't afford it. Or maybe I could, if I wanted it badly enough... and clearly I don't.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer S/EL Chronograph by Birth Year Watches

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List (June 2026)

Once again it's time for us (or me, specifically) to scour the TAG Heuer website for price changes, new models, etc... So I'm pleased to report that there has been only one price change since January, and that is again for the CBS2215 pink dial Carrera chronograph, which has had another £100 shaved off its retail price (price marked in green).

Other than that we've seen a slew of new models (here marked in blue), including six new Monacos and a bunch of Formula 1's, Aquaracers and Carreras. Needless to say the Link range remains completely static... but then you weren't expecting anything else, were you?

Notable deletions include the original titanium Aquaracer Solargraph (boo!) which has been replaced by that new one with the weird looking bezel. Also gone are two of the Formula 1 chronographs (the nicest two!), the black/blue one and the black/lime one, which here in the UK at least were sold as jewellery store exclusives.

And of course, the most notable deletion of all is the Heuer branded CAW211P (Steve McQueen) Monaco which has been replaced by a new TAG Heuer branded piece. 

We live in strange times... 🤣

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Indy 500' Limited Edition Solargraph

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraphs

As the more observant of you might have noticed when you perused the June 2026 price list I posted a week or so ago, TAG Heuer have deleted from the catalogue a bunch of Aquaracer Solargraphs (most notably the original titanium version, but NOT yet the super cool black DLC / carbon bezel one). But fear not, TAG Heuer isn't giving up on the Aquaracer Solargraph, it's just time for a refresh. And by refresh, I mean lets slap a weird new bezel on it that makes it look like a Breitling... or something.

VIDEO: Every TAG Heuer Monaco in the Current Line-Up by Time & Tide

 

My Top 10 Formula 1s by Matt P

Today we have another TOP 10 Formula 1 selection for you, again from a C.O.C.O. member and THF forum regular. Please welcome to the T.H.E. blog Matt P.

MATT: Hi Rob. Here is my top 10. It was fun to make. I’m happy to be one of those 3.5 million visitors and that I can be part of it. Cheers!

Reissue, modern range or the originals? It has become a nice bunch of those F1 models. All the more fun to get a top 10 out of it!

I myself had a false start with the F1s. I fell, 35 years ago, for a series 3000. This was on the advice of a friend who was also a diver. He owned a 980.113.  My best mate bought an F1. (370.513)  Nice but my 3000 was much tougher! Over the years that followed, I got more sympathy for the F1s. Partly because of the association with Formula 1 that I followed. Oddly enough never bought one. I was faithful to my 3000 I think.

At the beginning of the LMVH era, I didn’t look back at the F1s. Of course, occasionally something nice came on the market, but it didn’t appeal to me. In my opinion, they should have put the original F1 in a newer look much earlier.

Now many years later I own two F1s. My 372.513 will always remain. NOS bought a few years ago. The solar WBY1112  is a nod to the 370.513 my friend once had. I think I was a little jealous of his watch at the time..😉

For the younger readers among us, I don’t want to come across as an old TH collector with his nonsense, but my advice, keep an eye on those old ones. Someday you’re going to like them! 

So, TAG Heuer, keep those F1s coming please. On to another 40 years!

FEATURE: The Watch I Will Never Sell (Part 1)

A few weeks ago I saw a post on the 'WatchUWant' forum on this very topic. I didn't actually read the post but it sparked an idea in my head and by the end of the day I had fired off a message to several members of the THF Forum. Here we have the first nine replies to those messages, with more to follow...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 Limited Edition

For a long. long time I've been meaning to write a post about all the 'Indy 500' watches that TAG Heuer have released over the years, but I've still never quite gotten around to it... and here we are again with the latest addition to that particular collection. 

So, the obvious question is where does this one sit in the pantheon of TAG Heuer Indy 500 watches? I'd say it's one of the better ones, but there have been some real mingers over the years so let's not get too excited just yet. The overriding problem any Indy 500 watch has to overcome is the distinctive (but distinctly awkward) shape of the Indy 500 logo itself. Over the years it's been squashed into various subdials with limited success, so it's nice to see it here with plenty of space to breath and printed at a size where it's easy to see the details. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph by Brent Miller Time

FEATURE: TAG Heuer Carrera Miami Grand Prix 2026 Limited Edition Tourbillon

Trying to find out information about new models, especially limited edition / regionally released models can be a real pain. But now with access to AI it should be a doddle right? Well I couldn't find out much about the limited edition Carrera that was released for the Miami Grand Prix, so I asked Meta AI and it told me it couldn't find any reference to it from official channels. It didn't tell me it didn't exist, it just told me it couldn't find it, which is a fair answer. Google AI on the other hand had a complete meltdown, which was just too good not to share...

TLDR: Google AI tells me the watch doesn't exist, then it does, then it doesn't and it made it up, then tells me my photograph is an AI fake, then backtracks on that. Then it tells me I shouldn't pay to use AI because it's useless and that SpaceX is overvalued (I guess it got that right). Then it backtracks and tells me the IPO hasn't happened yet, and that it's hallucinating it's own hallucinations and finally that yes the Carrera CBU5088 does exist in a limited edition of 30 pieces that was only sold to VIPs in the paddock at the race. F.F.S.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Pastels' Limited Edtiion Solargraphs by Brent Miller Time

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph

In the real world, by which I mean not in the 'luxury' world, if someone came up with a way to revolutionise and simplify a complex, expensive machine one might presume that it would turn out 'cheaper'. Otherwise... what's the point? I mean, yeah, okay you might save a few quid on servicing, but why would I pay more than twice as much in the first place? Well, if that's your thought process then the luxury watch world probably isn't for you...

Don't get me wrong, I've marvelled at the ingenuity of the V4 Monaco of old, with it's tiny rubber belts and linear 'rotor', I can see that it must have taken hours and hours of painstaking work to perfect (well, kinda - I gather it was still not exactly 100% even when they stopped making it) and for something like that I'd probably gladly drop £50k on one (if I had £50k to spend) but for some reason this new Evergraph movement just doesn't give me the same sense of awe and wonder.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Indy 500' Limited Edition Solargraph by Brent Miller Time

 

My Top 10 Formula 1s by Jim Dollare$

We are blessed with an abundance of guests here at the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blogspot of course, but only one contributor gets his own LABEL! I speak of course about our absolute favourite (some might even say 'special') Swedish person, Mr Jim Dollare$. 

JIM: What up bromigos? What a lovely thing that Rob is acknowledging and celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Formula 1. This is yet another example of why the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Blog is the one and only site where honest opinions and true watch journalism happens. 

As all TAG Heuer fans know, the Formula 1 started out as a tiny, colourful children's watch in a plastic like material making it look like it was sold for $35 at the local petrol station. Luckily it has matured and developed a lot since then and transformed into a proper watch but still super affordable with attractive designs, often becoming the first TAG Heuer for new collectors. 

My first TAG was my Red Bull chrono, a mega sexy watch with excellent design but on a thick, sharp super-cheap bracelet and lousy clasp reminding you that this is a 'cheap' TAG. Anyway, lets get into the ultimate number one most perfect top ten Formula 1 list I have personally ever seen.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 by Casual Dude Reviews

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 Series Quartz

You know, I kinda thought my days of buying cheap, quartz powered eBay bargains were over, especially since I'd gone to the trouble of cleansing my collection in order to raise to funds to buy bigger and better things. But, sometimes you just want to buy something new, and after the massive disappointment of the 'grey' dial Link Calibre S I turned to eBay for a quick fix of silver dial perfection.

Y'see, a few weeks back I caught sight of (what I'm 99% sure was) a WK1112 in the window of my local H&T and it looked jolly nice. I don't really remember the finer details, but I think it was one of the later ones with the polished '12' rather than the lumed '12', but mostly I remember the silver dial sparkling in the sunlight. In fact my first port of call was the H&T website, but the watch in question had been sold, and so I turned to eBay.

Now as we all know, Ebay buying is fraught with problems, especially if you want something newer and especially if it costs less than £1500. That price point is the threshold where eBay's authenticity service kicks in. Now whether you trust it or not is another matter, but the fact that it exists at all is enough to deter some fakers and it's funny how many £3000+ watches you can buy on eBay for under £1500.... but I wasn't anticipating spending anything like that and since older fake 2000s are pretty terrible I wasn't too worried.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300 Professional by Casual Watch Reviews

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver

 

Back in 2022 TAG Heuer relaunched their hard-core dive watch in the guise of the 'Superdiver', a 45mm Aquaracer with a grade 5 titanium case, 1000M of water resistance, an integrated helium escape valve and a fancy crown mechanism. On top of all that it came complete with a Kenissi manufactured (sort of) in-house movement (the TH30-00, which is carried over into these models incidentally).

It looked pretty cool, but at 45mm it was absolutely HUGE on the wrist and also very expensive (only those short lived solid gold Aquaracers cost more IIRC) both of which negatively impacted its sales potential. First they tried giving away an orange rubber strap to stimulate interest and then it started falling in price (something practically unheard of in the Swiss watch world), but seemingly to no avail, and after a few short years in the catalogue it was sent to Bicester and deleted from the website.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Link Quartz by Birth Year Watches

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 & Pastel Formula 1 Solargraphs

TAG Heuer Boutique / Leicester, 4th May 2026

It's been a while since I'd visited the Leicester TAG Heuer boutique, and if I remember correctly last time it felt like a bit of a waste of time (compared to Sheffield and Milton Keynes) as it's quite small and generally doesn't seem to get the new watches very quickly. So I was quite surprised to find they had all five of the new limited edition 'pastel' Formula 1 Solargraphs and the new left-hand crown, titanium cased Monacos in stock (two out of three anyway), even if the watches I really wanted to try on (the latest versions of the Super Diver) were nowhere to be seen.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Seafarer Review by Casual Dude Review

FEATURE: My Top Ten Formula 1s by Albert AMG

Today we are joined by another 'Council of Considered Opinion' member, Albert AMG (who is currently on a high as his beloved Mercedes F1 team are crushing the WCC with Kimi Antonelli also leading the driver's championship). Albert is a moderator at the excellent THF Forum, has a splendid assemblage of TAG Heuer watches and is just one tourbillon module away from completing the entire Connected MKII collection! I'm sure he'll get there one day, but in the meantime here's Albert's TOP 10 Formula 1s...

ALBERT: Hi Rob, thanks for inviting me to take part. It was really difficult to choose just 10 models, others that I also really like didn't make the cut. Since Ayrton Senna is my all-time favourite driver, and the reason my passion for TAG Heuer started (because of his S/el), it's perhaps not surprising that the top 4 on the list are Senna Special Editions!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Random Rob

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 'Pastel' Limited Editions

Some time last year I was talking to a sales rep in the Milton Keynes TAG Heuer boutique and he told me (in that way that you can pretty much tell that what he was saying is 'the official company line') that the brand just make watches in different sizes and anyone can wear them regardless of sex. That's fine, of course. But these new pastel 38mm Formula 1s are quite 'feminine' looking and historically TAG Heuer mostly made their pastel Formula 1s in the 28mm 'ladies' size... so the temptation to brand these new Formula 1s 'ladies' watches is strong.

But with a diameter of 38mm, they are rather large for a lot of ladies and, by the bye, I can't help think that the fact that they've released this collection in these colours now rather puts the kybosh on any hope that maybe TAG Heuer were planning to release a smaller version of the F1 Solargraph any time soon... because if they were, you'd think they would have kept these colourways back for that wouldn't you?

  

So it's quite difficult to look at these objectively, because I'm not sure if they are supposed to appeal to me or if I should look at them as 'ladies' pieces? I mean I've covered plenty of 'ladies' pieces before and my wife has lots of beautiful watches that I can admire while knowing that they wouldn't suit me. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph by Birth Year Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre TH20-11 Chronographs

And so Watches & Wonders 2026 came around and to literally no one's great surprise it turned out that those Monaco wall clocks that we'd seen in the F1 paddocks were indeed 'leaks in plain sight' just as expected! But how would the Heueristas react to this? A new 'Calibre 11' style (read - left hand crown) movement and reshaped case but now wearing a TAG Heuer badge. 

Sacre bleu indeed! 

Not that it bothered me of course, in fact I'd always preferred the Calibre 12 Monaco because of the TAG Heuer branding and the right hand crown (yes, really), but I always wished it had the horizontal hour markers from the Calibre 11 instead of the weird (radial) batons. So now I've got two out of three, but the crown is still on the wrong side of the case. Hey ho.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 1000 Series Quartz by Birth Year Watches

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Japanese Cherry Blossom' Limited Editions

I've always rather liked black mother of pearl dials, indeed I recall seeing a Calibre 16 Carrera with a black MOP dial at Bicester Village many years ago and being rather taken with it. But it always struck me as a dial for someone with a decent sized watch collection, because I don't think I'd want one if I only had a few watches. But each to their own of course, if you only have one watch and it's got a black MOP dial and you love it then more power to you! I do remember not that long ago a lovely black MOP dial Carrera appearing on the Watchfinder website, I must admit I was rather tempted but at the time I was saving for my Carrera 160 and I think the Carrera was 39mm not 41mm too, so I let it go.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Night Diver' by The 1916 Watch Co Reviews

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'Harrods' Limited Edition Chronograph

  

TAG Heuer Boutique / Harrods, London 19th March 2026

The TAG Heuer 'boutique' in the Harrods department store is like no other that I've ever been in. In fact it doesn't really feel like you're in a TAG Heuer boutique at all because it lacks most of the usual stylings of other TH boutiques: the Monaco wall clock, the Steve McQueen pictures, the racing helmets and books, etc. Additionally, unlike the flashy AP, Rolex, Vacheron and Hublot boutiques found nearby it shares a small room with other brands such as Zenith, Tudor and (gasp) Bremont! And oddly, even though it was redone recently, it still feels kind of temporary somehow. Which is weird; like a store cupboard that's been turned into additional retail space or something... 

Anyway, I hadn't actually planned to go to Harrods today, but I found myself with a couple of hours to kill between appointments and decided to head there as it was near where I had lunch (The Scarsdale Tavern in Edwardes Square, not bad at all and ideally situated if you happen to be visiting the Design Museum). At first I didn't really see anything very interesting, certainly nothing like the array of treats you generally find in the 'flagship' Oxford Street store, but then I caught sight of the new 'beige' Seafarer (not for me, that one) and much more interestingly the Harrods Limited Edition Carrera that I wrote about last year.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox 41mm by Bruce Williams

 

FEATURE: My Top 10 Formula 1s by Mspeedster

Today we have a visual treat in store as we once again invite a guest to share their 'TOP 10' Formula 1s. Mspeedster is a regular over at THF Forums and the fourth person to share their picks so far and we're certainly seeing some variety! Which is great, though it might make it a bit tricky to assemble an ultimate top ten (though it's early days yet, I will worry about that nearer to Christmas). 

Don't forget, if you'd like to see the other posts in this series honouring the 40th anniversary of the Formula 1 you can do so simply by clicking on the banner at the bottom of this page.

Over to you, Mspeedster:

VIDEO: Heuer Monza '40th Anniversary' Chronograph by The 1916 Watch Co Reviews

FIRST QUARTER ROUND UP: New Pieces (Jan/Mar)

 

By this time next week we'll be knee deep in Watches & Wonders and presumably we'll know for sure whether or not those slightly odd looking, left hand crown, TAG Heuer branded Monaco clocks they keep putting up in the Grand Prix paddocks were a massive (hiding in plain sight) leak or just a weird way of advertising a watch that doesn't actually exist. My feeling is (and has been for some time) that it is the former, because why on Earth would you do that otherwise?

Well, soon the truth will be known and doubtless there will be tons of other new models released that need looking at too. But as I have said many times before I simply cannot keep spending all my time looking at new watches and ignoring the rich and varied history of the brand, so I will be very selective about which ones are featured and given C.O.C.O. 'First Impressions' scores... otherwise we'll be reading about nothing else until June!

But obviously I still want to make sure everything is covered, so to combat this overload of 'new release' posts I've decided to do quarterly round ups (rather than just one 'half-year' one) to keep you up to speed. So with that said, let's start by looking at the watches that we haven't previously spoken about...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 'Mastering Time' Book... Hard Pass by Hobby of Hours

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Wempe' Limited Edition Chronograph

One of the nicer Carreras of recent times has to have been the 'Swiss Alps' tourbillon that came out in a limited run of fifty pieces back in 2024. Despite being hampered by being a 'glassbox' this one fared rather well with the 'Council of Considered Opinion', scoring a creditable 6.5 on release (falling slightly to a 6.3 at the end of the year) and to me it was a no brainer that the blue/silver 'panda' would return at some point... and hopefully without the dirty great hole in the dial needed for the tourbillon. 

And sure enough, here it is (kind of), albeit once again in a limited run of fifty for the German luxury watch retailer 'Wempe'. Which seems a little odd to me, because surely it's easier to sell 50x 39mm chronographs than 50x tourbillons, no?*

*And no, it's not just 50x watches in Germany because I am reliably informed that Wempe operates in the US too.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Skipper' by Random Rob

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Glassbox' Rattrapante Chronograph

I guess this was inevitable wasn't it? Having engineered a new Rattrapante movement for the Monaco a couple of years ago it was an obvious move to slide it into a Carrera case at some point and here it is. Are you excited? Does it make your balls tingle? What if I tell you that it costs in excess of £100,000? No, I don't understand why either... but we'll gloss over that, because what's the point of moaning about it. It wouldn't make any difference if it was half that, I still couldn't afford to buy it and given there's no real reason a split seconds chronograph should cost this kind of money given that you can get them for a fraction of the cost from other manufacturers, we have to kind of treat these watches as TAG Heuer's 'Richard Mille' models. Strategically overpriced to appeal to the kind of people that will only buy a watch if they know other people can't afford them...

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!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Ladies Link by Birth Year Watches