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. 😞

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

 

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. 🙂

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 Carrera Seafarer Review by Casual Dude Review

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.

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...

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!

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... 

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Porsche 1964' Limited Edition Chronosprint

 

Way back at the start of the year TAG Heuer dropped two new Porsche Chronosprint models celebrating some race where Porsche came 2nd (or 5th, depending on how you read it) which I found very difficult to understand honestly. These watches were very popular though and the gold version sold out very quickly (albeit only 11 were made... because '911') so I suppose it's no great surprise to see this slightly different take on the same model coming out now. And it's surely indicative of the level of demand that this new rose gold version is limited to a slightly more accessible sixty four pieces (because 1964, of course.... do keep up).

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VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 42mm Chronograph Review by A Blog to Watch

 

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

Okay, let's get this out of the way right off the bat.... why is this a 'Spotlight On' post and not a 'First Impressions' post? The answer is simply that 'First Impressions' posts are for watches that have just been released, and somehow it seems this watch was released last year without anyone in my circle knowing about it. Nobody told me, nobody posted it on the THF forum, literally did not have a clue and as such it was not included in last years 'Watch of the Year' voting procedure. In fact the only reason I found about this one at all is because I spotted it on Watchfinder and thought 'what the hell is that!' 

And that's a bit of a shame if you ask me because I feel like this one could have garnered a vote or two. First off it's that crowd pleasing 42mm size (well, crowd pleasing is maybe a touch generous, but it's not 44mm so... a few more people will like it) and crucially it isn't yet another bloody glassbox, and that immediately kicks it up a notch in my opinion. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'French' Limited Edition Chronograph

 

A couple of years ago TAG Heuer released one of the nicest watches in their recent history, the blue dial 'French' limited edition 42mm Carrera (part number CBN201B). There were 200 of these made (one of which is currently available via Watchfinder I notice) and if I remember correctly it was in my top three watches of 2023. Ultimately it placed fifth in the COCO Watch of the Year poll, but oddly was the only watch besides that year's winner to score an 8/10 (voting was massively affected in 2023 by the all conquering Panda Glassbox it must be remembered). Big shoes to follow then, and while this is another pretty nice 42mm Carrera, I don't think it's quite as good as it's predecessor. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' Calibre TH20-00 Limited Edition Chronograph

 

Way back in the dark ages I remember seeing various 'Goodwood Festival of Speed' limited edition Carreras in the TAG Heuer outlet at Bicester Village. It always struck me as slightly odd that watches that were limited to such small quantities (125 / 250 pieces) should remain unsold, and perhaps that's why we haven't seen any in recent years...? 

But with TAG Heuer doubling down on their commitment to motorsport I guess it shouldn't be a massive surprise to see this new limited edition of 100 pieces. Initially released to members of the Goodwood club, the model is now available on the TAG Heuer website for £6450, which given it has rather a unique look to it, doesn't seem too bad.

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ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Panamericana Rallye Limited Edition Tourbillon

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 15th March 2025

When I walked into the Meadowhall boutique a couple of weeks ago it never for one second entered my head that they might have the TAG Heuer x Porsche Carrera Panamerican Rallye Tourbillon in stock. Not for one second! With only 255 pieces worldwide, I figured this would much more likely be found in the flagship Oxford Street store down in London, but after looking at the new blue dial Solargraph I turned around and there it was. Crikey!

I suppose given my surprise I should have been more excited, but honestly I wasn't actually that fussed. Nevertheless I decided I ought to at least have a look and see how it felt to wear a £30,000 Porsche tourbillon on the wrist and, well... yeah. It's okay I guess.

My feelings about the glassbox Carrera are well established by now (which is probably not good for me, because I can imagine there's going to be plenty more of the bloody things and probably starting tomorrow on the first day of Watches & Wonders 2025), at least this one is in the 42mm case so it doesn't look like a child's toy on my 7.1/2" wrist.