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...

Firstly, I have to tell you that this one actually came out in the dying days of December 2025, but it was too late to be included in the '2025 COCO Watch of the Year' poll so I'm including it here. First impression for me was that it was much nicer than the limited edition 'Silverstone GP' F1 that came out earlier last year. Switching the dial ring from green to black conveniently negates the problem of colour matching, but also just looks 'better', and the orange second hand really pops against that white dial. However when I saw it in person that rich green bezel looked washed out (again) and I still don't like the case shape or the mottled finish to the steel. 

Next up we have the two tone 41mm day/date Carrera that was launched at LVMH Watch Week back in January. The dial looks silver here, which is slightly misleading. The TAG Heuer website tells me it's actually 'beige' and in person it definitely has a 'warmth' to it that works with the bezel. I'm not going to rag on TAG Heuer for the price of this watch because it has a gold bezel and one ounce of gold now costs almost as much as one ounce of printer ink so what can they do? I did actually cover this one in an 'On the Wrist' post HERE. For me it's just not that interesting, honestly.

Finally we have this new Aquaracer Solargraph, which is clearly taking inspiration from 2024's C.O.C.O. Watch of the Year, the 'Time & Tide' limited edition and is itself a limited edition of 300 pieces for the UK market. Where the 'T&T' Aquaracer was cast in titanium and came on a green textile strap, this one is just normal stainless steel (with a super impractical polished centre link bracelet for you desk divers) but still manages to look quite classy and elegant and is easily my pick out of these three and definitely in my top two for 2026 so far.

There have been two other watches released in the first quarter of the year, but they are already in the process of being scored and a 'First Impressions' post about those will follow very soon, so for now it's just nine pieces in total. 

Which one is your favourite so far?

FORMULA 1

Just the one Solargraph so far, and that was actually released in December... not a very promising start for the Formula 1's 40th anniversary year is it? I wonder if they will actually present a 40th birthday watch for the model at Watches & Wonders? If they do, my money is on a titanium cased Solargraph with a carbon effect dial that costs about £4000. Or maybe a solar chronograph... or a combination of those things? No idea, honestly - I'm just pulling ideas out my ass here, and that seems kind of logical. Think Kirium Ti5. They already stole the grooved strap idea from that one hey... 

WBY111E.BA0042: 38mm Solargraph

AQUARACER

Again, just one piece released so far and one of only two limited editions we've seen this year (well, there are four actually as the other two watches I mentioned are limited edition Carreras). I don't really know what to expect from Watches & Wonders for the Aquaracer, except we did see some blurry images in a 'Time & Tide' video a few weeks back which appeared to show a black Aquaracer with an orange ring around the dial. That definitely sounds interesting, but only if it's 42mm not 36mm.

WBP1119.BA0000: 40mm Solargraph (300 piece UK limited edition)

MONACO

No new Monacos so far this year (no Links, Monzas or Autavias either of course, but you probably weren't expecting any), but I'm pretty sure we'll be getting at least one at Watches & Wonders, so watch this space.

CARRERA

Seven Carreras so far (nine if we include the two LEs that are 'in progress') which seems par for the course these days, but then since the Carrera name has been completely abused and now means literally anything that isn't a dive watch (from a 27mm ladies three hander to a 45mm skeleton tourbillon) why bother with other names? To be fair, it's not just TAG Heuer doing this, in fact most brands seem to be doing the same thing and the watch enthusiasts aren't helping matters with their attitude to anything 'new' being generally 'dismissive'. So there you go, more Carreras... and six glassboxes (you lucky people). 

CBS2113.BA0053: 41mm Glassbox Automatic Chronograph 

CBS2114.BA0053: 41mm Glassbox Automatic Chronograph

CBS2115.BA0053: 41mm Glassbox Automatic Chronograph

CBS2016.EB0430: 42mm Seafarer Automatic Chronograph

WDA2150.BA0043: 41mm Automatic Day/Date

CDD2180.FT8120: 42mm Glassbox Automatic Rattrapante Chronograph

CBS221G.FC8367: 39mm Automatic Chronograph (Wempe Limited Edition)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS POSTS

CARRERA GLASSBOX WEMPE LIMITED EDITION

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2026/04/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

CARRERA GLASSBOX 'RATTRAPANTE' CHRONOGRAPH

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2026/03/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

CARRERA GLASSBOX 'SEAFARER' CHRONOGRAPH 

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2026/02/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera_01614624660.html

CARRERA GLASSBOX 41MM CHRONOGRAPHS

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2026/02/first-impressions-tag-heuer-carrera.html

FEATURE: The TAG Heuer Releases of 2025

 

At the start of the year I confidently (some might say foolishly) stated that this year things would be different and that I would write more about older watches, do more feature posts and generally write less about every single new release. Well.... that didn't exactly pan out like I hoped did it? I did avoid writing about a number of new watches, but TAG Heuer released so many watches this year (and so many limited editions) that it became almost impossible to keep things to a sensible balance. 

So once again I will have to have a long hard think over Christmas about exactly how I'm going to manage the blog in 2026. If TAG Heuer are going to continue to release 80, 90, 100 watches a year then I need to find a way to include more of them without giving each one a 'First Impressions' post and score. It's just not sustainable, especially as next year I want to focus (at least a little) on the 40th birthday of the Formula 1 - and as it happens I already have plans for that.

Maybe next year I will do a 'release round up' every month or two (which was an idea I pondered last year), I don't know... but I will come back to this soon. For now it's time to focus on the work that's already been done and the watches that have already been released...

Generally speaking it's been a bit of a 'meh' year from my perspective and there's been very few watches that have really caught my attention. In fact the only watches that I would really like to own have all been Monacos and sadly all three of those are too expensive for me to consider at present. Ah well, there's always next year - thank God TAG Heuer keep on moving, at least you know there's always the possibility of something exciting just around the corner!

But if the watches of 2025 have been a little disappointing, the blog itself has gone from strength to strength. I know I can't really trust the page view statistics (1.46m views over the last 12 months... for a single brand blog?) but I have seen a dramatic increase in comments left, so I know that more and more people are visiting, and that's really nice to see. Honestly this blog is a lot of work to keep up to date, maintain and improve and there's so much more I'd like to do if only I had the time... so thank you all for your comments and I hope I've helped people where I could.

Okay let's take a look at the 2025 watches and as you probably guessed there were no new Autavias or Links again this year. Honestly I don't know why they don't just dump the existing Links in the outlets and knock it on the head (or start again?), it's getting a little bit embarrassing at this point!

As usual, I've given you the scores for most of the watches but I've held back the top scorers for the big reveal on the 27th when this year's 'Council of Considered Opinion's Watch of the Year' will be announced.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Full Collection Tour by Vintage Vega

 

NEW RELEASES: TAG Heuer Aquaracer LE, Carrera Extreme and the New Balance Collaboration

 

There's been a flurry of new releases of late, some of which the Council of Considered Opinion are currently mulling over... however there are also some which aren't really 'C.O.C.O.' worthy, but which are still worth bringing to your attention... and so I hit on the idea of combining them into a 'New Releases' post.

So the first thing I want to talk about today is the collaboration with New Balance that launched a few days ago. These are pretty cool looking trainers, but my personal experience of ordering New Balance online was that they were way smaller and way narrower than expected, which was a shame because I did find some really cool designs but unfortunately I was a bit late to the party and they didn't have them in bigger sizes for me to reorder. 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco Limited Edition, Carrera Extreme Sports Chronograph & Aquaracer 'Beaverbrooks Exclusive' Solargraph

 

Beaverbrooks / Meadowhall, Sheffield 6th September 2025

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 6th September 2025

Well my last 'On the Wrist' post was a bit negative wasn't it? So let's redress the balance slightly with this one, which also focuses on watches I tried out on the same day in Sheffield.

First of all, my wife and I visited Beaverbrooks where she was eager to see the new 'Beaverbrooks Exclusive' Aquaracer in... turquoise (or Tiffany blue, if you prefer) and since I've already made my reservations about the new 34mm Aquaracers clear (mainly the ugly-ass bezel!) I decided to keep my mouth well and truly shut and let her make up her own mind. 

Well she certainly liked the colour (although it wasn't quite as striking as she'd hoped), we know she likes diamond hour markers, the bezel didn't seem to be an issue for her and she loves the idea of a 15 year battery (and speaking as the person who ends up changing all her batteries for her, so do I!) but in the end she concluded that £2700 was a lot of money that could buy her something more exciting from Watchfinder. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 by Random Rob

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Variations on the Titanium Solargraph and the 2021 39mm Carrera

We seem to be reaching the point of the year where TAG Heuer aren't actually releasing new watches so much as putting straps on existing models and trying to generate excitement about them by calling them 'Online Exclusives'... which is something I've never really understood. 'Boutique Editions' I understand (watches you can only obtain by travelling to a particular boutique, possibly in an exotic location like Monaco), but suggesting that something is 'exclusive' because you can 'only' buy it on the internet makes so little sense that I feel like I would need the world's most powerful microscope to measure it!

Anyway, I feel somewhat duty bound to at least show you a picture of these most elusive timepieces, but I really don't think there's any need to trouble the C.O.C.O. with either of them. After all, they'll still get to score them at the end of the year.

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Glacier Express' Limited Edition Automatic Watch

 

It never ceases to amaze me how even though I think I must have uncovered 99.9% of all the watches that TAG Heuer have made over the last 40 years, I still manage to find references that I've never come across before. This Aquaracer was actually the by-product of hunting for information on a different watch (another limited edition that I hadn't seen before, a 2015 'Swiss' Aquaracer) that I was trying to find a part number for. Google images threw this one at me, presumably because it is also a silver dial limited edition Aquaracer... and, well, I kinda like it!

The watch is currently on eBay, being sold from Australia for approximately £1985. If that seems a lot (it did to me too) even for a properly numbered 250 piece limited edition, one thing to point out from the off is that this watch isn't a quartz as I assumed it would be, but a Calibre 5. Even so, I doubt the seller will achieve that figure very easily. In fact the watch was previously up for £900 more, which was really reaching! 

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer's 2025 Releases (Jan/Jun)

Once again we've reached the mid-point of the year and presumably passed the halfway point of TAG Heuer's 2025 release schedule. So it's time to refresh your memory and give you an insight as to what could be in the running for the COCO Watch of the Year award come December.

It's amazing, everywhere you look you hear 'TAG is back', indeed it's become a slogan for TAG Heuer themselves since they took over from Rolex as the official timekeeper of Formula 1. As an aside, if you are an F1 fan, don't you absolutely hate it when people say 'The F1'? Isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard? Or am I just an angry old man who hates change and gets upset about the stupidest things?

Well, maybe!

Which is kind of funny because, how can I put this.... everyone loves TAG Heuer's new direction, the endless glassbox Carreras, the new 38mm F1s and.... and.... I just don't! Initially I really wanted to like the new F1s, in fact I was even mentally setting aside the money to buy the red 'Italian' GP one, but having tried on a few of them now, I just find them slightly odd. 

Maybe it's because I've owned a ton of the original models and I'm still hung up on how they 'used to be', but while making them larger seemed like a great idea, it just doesn't seem to have translated somehow. The lume pots are too chunky, the hands are too small and thin, the case around the lugs is just weird and, well, I could go on... the rubber straps are extremely cool, I'll give them that, but I'm not buying a watch just for a cool strap (...again).

So yes, my excitement level this year is pretty low, in fact I'd say right now I'm struggling to think of a watch release this year that I'd actually want to own, save perhaps for the Monaco Gulf. I must admit I do quite like the black/lime Calibre 16 Formula 1, but in person it's not quite as exciting as I'd hoped. I'd rather get an old 500M Aquaracer in the same colour scheme for less than half the money.

Ah yes, money. It always comes back to money doesn't it? But how can it not. Prices are still rising at ridiculous levels and contributors to the THF Forums are one by one switching brands or simply stating that they've bought their last 'new' TAG Heuer. I have to agree. I can't honestly see myself buying anything else at 'full price', unless my circumstances change drastically, not when you see the 'real' market value of the current watches when they appear pre-owned on Watchfinder, etc within a few months. Now that's depressing!  

But, you know, when I got into this hobby I couldn't afford to buy new watches, and then for a while I could (just about) and now thanks to my stagnant wages and TAG Heuer's price rises I can't again. Whatever. Maybe in five years I will be buying a pre-owned 2025 watch at a fraction of the price it cost new? Or maybe thanks to the lunatics in Silicon Valley I'll be looking for food in the bottom of a dumpster while trying to avoid getting shot by security drones... 

Anyway, let's have a look back at what TAG Heuer have presented so far this year:

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M Professional by Bruce Williams

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 36mm 'Coloured Dials' Calibre 5 Watches

 

Three new 36mm Calibre 5 Aquaracers for you today, and while I wouldn't dream of labelling them 'ladies' watches, they definitely tend to fall into that general category due to sizing, diamond hour markers and general colour choices. I must admit when I first saw them the one that caught my eye was the purple dial, but the more I look at it the more I'm unsure how successful it actually is. I applaud TAG Heuer for embracing a new colour in this range and maybe it looks fantastic in person, but as of right now I'm definitely on the fence.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver Calibre TH30-00 by The 1916 Company

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer x Porsche Carrera Chronosprint Rallye

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 1st February 2025

On the same day that I got to try on the first three new Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronographs, I was also able to get my hands on this recent limited edition Porsche Carrera Chronosprint Rallye. Limited to 911 pieces (because, Porsche) and coming in at a hefty £8950 this one costs a notable £900 more than the original (unlimited) Porsche Chronosprint.

Oddly, despite 'knowing' that this is a 42mm model, I still had to check with the guy in the boutique because it just doesn't look it. Once I put it against one of the 39mm models in the case I could see the difference, but even with a bracelet this watch wears nothing like a 42mm. I'm not crazy about the bracelet actually, it looks like a slightly melted version of the old Grand Carrera bracelet and just like those it has no micro adjustment, which is a shame in a watch at this price point. Saying that I've never had a problem with my Grand Carreras just using the half links, so it's probably not a massive dealbreaker. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraphs

TAG Heuer continue to roll out their Aquaracer Solargraphs with two new pieces, a dusky pink 34mm and an 'Ice Blue' 40mm. You may remember that TAG Heuer released an 'Ice Blue' quartz chronograph a couple of years ago (actually I thought they had been discontinued, but the mid-blue and ice blue versions are still available on the TH website; oddly it was the silver and black dial models that were deleted) and this looks like the sun-powered, three handed version of that. 

From the pictures we've seen so far though, this looks like it might be the first coloured-dial Solargraph that actually looks better than it's non-solar equivalent. The chronograph had a definite lilac edge to it in person, whereas this looks like more of a pure blue. I hope so anyway, I guess we'll have to wait until it hits the stores to be sure. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 300M by Bruce Williams

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre S Regatta Chronograph

 

While it's a noble endeavour of mine to try to turn my rather large collection of (mostly) cheaper TAG Heuers into a smaller collection of 'less cheaper' TAG Heuers, it does rather take the fun out of the experience. Sure I was a little slow to cotton on to the fact that watches are not inanimate objects and they are liable to break and need repairing, but sometimes I really miss those heady days of 2019-2022 when every other month brought at least one new Ebay bargain to my door. Sigh...

Now, having sold approximately half of my collection, I have used most of that money to buy some nicer watches like my Grand Carrera Caliper Calibre 36, my Grand Carrera Chronograph Calibre 17, my SLR Calibre S and my Aquaracer Solargraph and I don't regret doing that, however I still get the urge to buy 'something cheaper' now and again. Truthfully, spending big money* on watches is still not something I am really comfortable doing, and since I only really like one watch brand most of the things I end up looking at are usually variations of things I already own or things that are still a bit out of my comfort-zone price-wise, even when pre-owned.

*My idea of 'big money' being anything over £2000 honestly...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Blue Dial Aquaracers by Brent Miller Time

SPOTLIGHT ON: Latest Additions to the Bicester Village Stock List

 

It's been a little while since I did one of these posts, so I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of what is currently available from the Bicester Village outlet... apologies to readers from outside the UK as this is obviously a little irrelevant to you.

I really used to love visiting the Bicester outlet before the pandemic, it was always exciting to see what weird and wonderful new pieces had been found in Swiss cupboards and to chat with Even, Tom and Liam. I got to see so many cool limited editions on my various visits, Monaco 24's, mother of pearl dial Calibre 16 Carreras, even a shark dial Aquaracer! Sadly these days the stock is a little more generic, but there are still interesting things to be found... it's just that the good stuff tends to come and go rather quickly, so it's pot luck what you see when you get there.

I'm sure some of you are aware, but if you aren't already it is possible to request a link to the outlet's WhatsApp list which will keep you up to date with the latest stock. All you need to do is contact Evan at Bicester Village (01869 249008) and request to be put on the list, and don't worry if you don't live near Bicester or Cheshire Oaks as they can send watches anywhere in the UK.

As always, there is limited stock and some of the deals are better than others, but I know in the past I've picked up some very nice watches from Bicester (most recently my wife's black and gold ceramic Aquaracer WAY1355) at extremely reasonable prices. The great thing about buying direct from the brand is that you can be sure that you're getting a genuine product and of course you still get your 2 or 5 year warranty (depending on the movement).

Okay, let's take a look at a few of their current offerings... and this really is only a snapshot of what's available, when I last looked there were 97 different watches listed; so well worth a look I think!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Green Dial Aquaracers by Brent Miller Time

 

FEATURE: Keeping Track of Wrist Time 2024

 

Happy New Year to all my readers! I hope you've all enjoyed the break (if you're lucky enough to get a break at Christmas of course) and you're ready to start another year of TAG Heuer enthusiasm with me?

So, obviously, it's that time again... where I reveal the REAL winners and losers of 2024. 🤣

I'm talking of course about which watches spent the most (and least) time on my wrist, and this year it's safe to say it was a bit of a walkover...