BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Caliper Chronograph

 

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A few weeks ago I asked my good friend Jim Dollares how I should celebrate hitting one million views on my blog? I was thinking a special post, or a new header that would replace the 'Aquaracer@20' one for a week or so, but instead Jim said 'you should buy a new watch'. Great idea! Of course I didn't just go out and buy a watch just for the sake of it, I was already sort of, kinda, in the process of looking into a second go at the CAV5115... I mean sure, the timing was nice, but I wasn't going to spend this kind of money on a whim. 

And when I say a second go... please don't misunderstand, I've never owned a CAV5115 before but some of you may remember that I visited Watchfinder's 'Avery Row' branch last September to view one that was on a bracelet. Of course that was before the watch market softened and so even with a damaged dial and the red paint missing off the second crown it was being sold at £3750 (and when I asked to negotiate they said that was cheap because of the condition), things are different now...

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Grand Carrera 'Caliper' Calibre 36 Chronograph

 

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Watchfinder & Co Boutique / Avery Row, London, 5th September 2023

Still smarting from the missed opportunity that was the H&T £1700 Grand Carrera Caliper, my attention returned to the steel CAV5115 and more specifically the one on offer on the Watchfinder website. Price wise this one was a much more realistic £3850, but... and it's a big but, it had some problems. Firstly the bezel has some marks, which is not a massive deal and in all honesty may be a good thing since I am more likely to actually wear it if I don't start with a 'perfect' watch.

Second of all, the red stripe is missing from around the left hand crown that operates the timing 'Caliper'. This I don't really understand since I assumed this red was paint, so how it's fallen off is a mystery to me. For me this isn't a massive issue either and again is something that could be rectified (presumably) relatively easily. Also I think there should be a small rubber o-ring around the crown, but I bet most of those disappear sooner or later - that one I really wasn't worried about at all. 

 

FEATURE: Trying (and Failing) to Buy a Ridiculously Cheap Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Chronograph

 
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A few weeks ago I noticed that EST1897 (now called H&T) had a CAV5185 Grand Carrera Caliper in black PVD on their site priced around the £2500 mark. I remember looking at it and thinking 'that's quite cool, but I don't know if I want another black PVD watch'. Which, in hindsight was very, very stupid on my part. 

Why? Because that price was exceptionally cheap for a PVD coated, titanium cased Grand Carrera 'Caliper' with a Calibre 36 (or as it's otherwise known Zenith 'El Primero') movement inside. But I foolishly left it and didn't think about it again until a couple of weeks later when I got an email from H&T inviting me to peruse their wonderful sale, which featured (amongst other brands) over 600 TAG Heuer watches, all of which were substantially reduced.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 24 Calibre 36 Chronograph by WatchBox Reviews

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 24 'Racing' Calibre 36 Chronograph by WatchBox Studios

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Chronograph Review by WatchBox Studios

FEATURE: My Top Five Monacos (Again...)

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Way back in May 2018 I posted what I thought would be the first of a regular series of posts featuring my 'Top 5' watches from each TAG Heuer model range. But somehow it never got off the ground, and so I thought a good way to resurrect the idea would be to revisit the Monaco and see if my opinions have changed? After all, there's been a good few Monacos released in the last eighteen months and I've discovered more that I never knew about back then... and this time I will make sure to continue the series, with possibly the Grand Carrera being my next port of call.

As it happens I don't own a Monaco, but I've decided that when it comes to model ranges I do own I will include watches that I have alongside watches that I don't, otherwise it will be rather silly; even if that means my 'Top 5' Aquaracers ends up being largely familiar - which it could well do.

For this one though I am excluding the 'fantasy' watches like the Monaco V4 in all it's various guises since they are all way beyond my price bracket and it's far more interesting I think to muse on models that we can all aspire to own. On the other hand, I've decided to include the Monaco 24 and Monaco 24 cased models in the pool this time...

#5. CAW211M - ACM Limited Edition

To be honest it was a toss-up whether to go for this or the new blue dial Heuer 02 Monaco, but this one won out in the end. I do like the new CBL2111, I think it's the best looking blue dial Monaco yet, but for me it's still a bit of a 'safe' option and I don't really do 'safe'.

I do remember trying this one on many moons ago and I had very mixed feelings about it. It seemed very odd on the wrist as I'm not used to the very square 'traditional' Monacos, and I think the black PVD coating only made it worse. 

But, that black case still looks really cool and I really like how far away this is from the obvious blue dial Calibre 11 'Steve McQueen' Monaco and for that reason, it's still (just) in the top five.

#4. CAW2117 - Singapore Grand Prix Limited Edition

Ahem, like I said... I really don't go the traditional route and I really like the green highlights and stitching on this 400 piece limited edition. Other than that it's pretty standard, but I think those unusual flashes of colour set this one apart. It also strikes me it would be quite cool to have a little collection of 'Singapore Grand Prix' watches; I know there's at least three others (a Carrera, a Grand Carrera and - of course - a Formula 1) which all share this interesting colour scheme.

#3. CAW2119 - Carbon Dial Limited Edition

This one came out on top last time around, but of course that was then and this is now... it's still the top rated 'traditional' Monaco though, which means that none of the 50th Anniversary pieces have made it into my list. I'm quite surprised about that as I thought the first three (and particularly numbers 2 and 3) were pretty cool, but there we are.

This is another one I've had on my wrist, a long time ago in a Watchfinder boutique. I imagine the price of this will have gone up in the meantime if anything, I mean what's not to like - carbon dial, red stitching, red highlights... this is perhaps the ultimate 'traditional' Monaco for the non-traditional Monaco enthusiast!

#2. CAL2113 - Calibre 12 Boutique Edition

I tried this on last year I think, in the Cheshire Oaks Outlet... and ever since it's been right at the top of my 'potential' Monaco purchases list. It's not quite the 'dream' Monaco, but it's right up there. It definitely ticks a lot of boxes and realistically it's likely to be a good bit more affordable than my number one choice.

Admittedly it's kind of a half-way house between what I really want and what I can potentially afford, so it does have the stigma of possibly ending up as a 'compromise' watch; but for the money you are getting that awesome Monaco 24 style case (which I really like), albeit with 'just' a regular Calibre 12 movement inside.

I have to say though, I did find the chronograph pushers just a tiny bit tacky. Maybe if I get in the position to buy this one, I should keep saving and go all out?

#1. CAL5113 - Monaco 24 Calibre 36

Long term readers of this blog will probably not be overly surprised by my choice to put this at number one, God knows I've bleated on about this one often enough, albeit not recently. A couple of years ago these regular passed through the outlets and then one day I was told that all the Monaco 24s were gone. Oh the regret I felt that day, especially since these seem to sell for more pre-owned than they cost new in the outlets... but then earlier this year I was told that another black Monaco 24 had been and gone, so perhaps all is not completely lost.

I do love this one, although I'm not totally sold on the strap. I don't know what kind of strap I'd like to put it on, but it needs something a bit more 'interesting'. Or maybe just something a bit more substantial; the watch itself is very chunky and this delicate strap doesn't seem quite right to me. Ah, first world problems eh? I guess if I ever get my sticky mitts on one of these I'm sure I'll manage to work something out.

But with second hand values starting at around the £6k mark, unfortunately this one is likely to remain just as much of a fantasy as the V4s for some time to come...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 24 Review by CM M

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 'Racing' Flyback Chronograh

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 19th September 2019

I remember trying this watch on years and years ago, way before my blog was even an idea. Back then these were a good bit dearer, I believe the list price might even have been as high as £8000 back then, but there was a period a few years ago when these and the other flyback Carreras had a repositioning of price which meant the prices dropped considerably. This means that today you can pick one of these up brand new with a two year warranty for just £4200.

As you can see from my photo, this one gives the impression of being quite a big, imposing watch, but it's actually only 43mm in diameter and 14.5mm thick. Big enough for most people admittedly but still a good bit smaller than the original Heuer 01s. I've always loved the Arabic 'minute' numerals that feature on some TAG Heuer Carreras, but here, like on some other watches I've mentioned in the past, we have them finished with reflective surfaces which make them all but useless in many lights. The hands too aren't exactly legible, which is a pity, but then if you enjoy a semi-phantom aesthetic then this could definitely be one for you.

Inside the case, the watch features the Calibre 36 movement, otherwise known as the 'Zenith El Primero' and in this instance not only is this a chronograph, but it's also a flyback chronograph. I can't really think why I would ever need a flyback chronograph, but it's undeniably cool to watch the hand fly back and start timing the next event immediately as soon as you press the lower of the two pushers mounted on the right hand side of the case.

As far as I can tell the strap is unique to this particular model and it's pretty stylish, bringing to mind the sort of texturing you might find on a seat in a high end Porsche or other European supercar. I must admit the all black look is quite cool, with just a few tiny details picked out on red on the dial. It doesn't feel particularly Carreraish though, it's more of a stand alone product to me. Even more than the standard Calibre 36 Flyback models, which themselves have something of a unique and instantly recognisable design about them.

I like this, but I want to like it more than I actually do. I think this watch is probably more suited to someone who is more into the functionality and technological prowess of a watch, whereas I am much more swayed by the design and aesthetic. Hard to believe, but I find this one just a little too black... I'm itching to switch out the hands and hour markers for some bright white ones even though I know it would probably look an absolute dogs dinner.

If you are taken with it though, I'm sure the good people at TAG Heuer's Bicester Village outlet would be more than happy to furnish you with one, and you can contact them on 01869 249008

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 24 Gulf Review by Edinburgh Watch Co

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 36 Flyback Racing by WatchBox Studios

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36RS Caliper Chronograph

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 11th March 2019

Not the first time I've tried on this particular Grand Carrera I'm sure, but it still can't fail to catch my eye... you really can't go wrong with that colour scheme, can you? This particular Grand Carrera features TAG Heuer's complicated but effective 'caliper' system which allows you to read off recorded time to one tenth of a second, eventually. I say eventually, because it's not a quick process and so it's not going to be usable for quickly repeated timings, but for one off measurements, it's fine.

I've posted a video before which tells you how to use the caliper system and I will re-post it here for your perusal. As you will see, it's not exactly user friendly, but then I doubt many people will ever actually use it anyway, so does it actually matter? That's for you to decide.

Whether you like it or not, the caliper system definitely adds to the Grand Carrera's unique look, especially with the Cotes de Geneve striping on the plate in the middle of the dial. I must admit I don't know what that part is actually for, or why it is on top of the dial. I suspect it's more for decoration than for any practical purpose, or at least any practical purpose that couldn't have been achieved in a more conventional manner. Still, it looks pretty cool  and that's a good enough reason for it to be there I guess!

I think this is one of, if not my absolute favourite of the 'black' Grand Carreras, I really love the yellow highlights and the yellow stitched alligator strap sets it off perfectly. As you'd expect these come with a deployment clasp, albeit it is not coated, which I find a shame and as I've said before a bit of a pet hate of mine. The yellow backing on the strap is a nice touch as well and as with all Grand Carreras you get the usual split display window allowing you to see (some of) the Calibre 36RS movement. 

So we've established that I like this one, but of course there is a sticking point, and sadly that is the price. The list price for this one is a whopping £8900, and even with a generous 35% being offered in the outlets these still come out at £5790, which is a lot of money. But then, you are getting an El Primerio movement and a very unique looking watch from a big name Swiss manufacturer. Personally I think this is the sort of watch that's bought with the heart rather than the head, because logically it doesn't really make sense when you think what else that money could buy you, but if you see it and just love it (and you can afford it), then does it matter? 

As with all these coated Grand Carreras finding minty pre-owned pieces seems to be like finding a needle in a haystack, so given the discount on offer the outlet is probably your best option... and of course you also get your two year warranty, which is worth having on a movement like this for sure.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monza Rose Gold Limited Edition Review by Paul Pluta

FEATURE: The TAG Heuer Enthusiast Wishlist...

Last week I started writing a blog post, it began as a means of debating with myself whether I wanted to keep saving for the Monaco 24, or if I wanted to spend the money I'd already saved on some cheaper options... I never got around to finishing this post and now it seems kind of redundant so I'm rewriting it from scratch.

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The Monaco 24 is a superb looking watch, and I really, really like it. I've really, really liked it for a very long time, but I'm just not 100% sure it's for me. With the current price at the outlet standing at £5100, that means I still need another £2700 before I can buy this watch and I'm not sure that I really want it bad enough to warrant the waiting, and then there's the other problem. Other watches...

This week something popped up on eBay, it's not hugely expensive (in fact it looks like a bit of a bargain) and it hasn't ripped a huge hole in my budget, but it did kind of give me pause for thought. Especially when I thought someone else had bought it because I couldn't find the listing, that was definitely a turning point where I knew I wanted this watch. I'm not going to reveal what that watch is just yet (I'm interested to see if anyone can guess) but the more I thought about it the more things came into focus and so here is my 'definitive' wishlist (as of right now anyway...)

1. TAG HEUER Formula One Calibre S 

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This isn't something I've ever actually seen in the metal, but from the pictures this is one that would suit me down to the ground. It's a bit big (44mm), but I can live that with since I believe this is based on the same case as my CAU2012 (which suggests my BT0717 rubber strap would fit too) and that's fine.

It also ticks a box with the Calibre S movement, which I haven't got as yet, and I would like to add to the the collection in some form. Watchfinder currently have one of these on offer for just shy of £1000 which is, I must admit, rather tempting.

2. TAG HEUER Formula One Chronotimer 

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I've long admired the WK111A 2000 Series Multigraph, but having owned a 2000 Series and ultimately sold it because it felt a little too small, owning another one never seemed like an option, however cool I thought it looked... but then I came across this F1 Chronotimer which I believe it a much more acceptable 40mm in diameter. True it doesn't quite have the WK111As good looks, but it's still handsome in a beefy Mac Truck kind of way.

Again this isn't something I've come across, and worryingly a scout through eBay seems to reveal more than you would expect with damaged dials. Again I don't know if this is a delicate watch or if it's a watch that particularly attracts clumsy thugs? I assume the movement is somewhat similar to the one inside my Formula One Kirum, I just love that plain black dial with the silver hands... but then again, I already have the F1 Kirium so is it a bit of a pointless buy? I'm not sure...

3. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre S

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Long term readers may remember that I've talked about this watch before, indeed I very nearly bought one for a ridiculously good price (£945 in Bicester Village last year) but at the last second the CAU2012 appeared and I plumped for that instead.

This one ticks a lot of boxes as well, for a start I still haven't got an Aquaracer in the collection (an Aquagraph yes, but that's really a 2000 Series), the yellow dial again is something new as is the Calibre S movement. The watch comes on either a bracelet or the rubber strap pictured above and I think the rubber strap sets off the yellow better, but I wouldn't be averse to buying it on the bracelet and buying the rubber strap as an alternative. The other thing I like about this watch is the split bezel with the black inner ring, which again sets off the yellow dial very nicely.

4. TAG Heuer Aquaracer Chronotimer

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This one also comes either on a black rubber strap or a bracelet, and this time I think I'd prefer the bracelet. These seem to be fairly readily available for about £950-£1050, indeed I've already located a couple of options, and this could well be the first of this list to arrive into the collection.

Realistically, my current budget will buy me two of these watches and I'm thinking the most likely is the Aquaracer Chronotimer and the Aquaracer Calibre S (if I can find one), the F1 Chronotimer is a bit of a wild card and while the F1 Calibre S is neat, I think I'd prefer the yellow Calibre S Aquaracer. But longer term I'd like to pick that one up too, Watchfinder currently have one but its a little beat up around the edges.

You may have noticed that the Grand Carreras are notable by their absence from my list, and well... I tried on a red Grand Carrera (the one with the rubber strap) last week at Bicester Village and it just didn't do it for me. It was £3800 I think, something like that anyway, and it just looked kinda dull somehow...

Also notably absent from this list is the WAY208C Aquaracer, which I've been banging on about forever... and, well, having looked into this model yet again, there are just too many question marks (not least the cyclops - although, that said, my latest acquisition does have a cyclops), so for the time being I'm putting that one on the back burner. Maybe one will pop up somewhere and give me reason to rethink, but for now I'm concentrating on getting the two Aquaracers into my collection I think.

Tomorrow I should be posting about my recent visit to Bicester and another purchase, a very important purchase actually, as it is to celebrate my 25th Wedding Anniversary in October. Kind of early I know, but when you read the post it will become clear why I had to buy it without delay.

VIDEO: Watches TV Feature Breaking Down the El Primero (Calibre 36) Movement

VIDEO: Carrera Calibre 36 Racing Chronograph review by A Blog to Watch

VIDEO: Jeff Stein on the TAG Heuer Flyback Carrera

ON THE WRIST: Monaco 24 Calibre 36 Chronograph

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TAG Heuer Outlet / Bicester Village 4th February 2017

Strangely I don't seem to have written a post about trying this watch on even though I know I've tried it on at least three times in the last six months or so. How very odd. Sure, I have mentioned it more than a few times on this blog, but a search brings up no dedicated posts.

This watch is class, it just made everything else in the shop look second grade. Which it should, after all this is a watch which costs nearly £11,000 in an AD. I absolutely love the Monaco 24 case, and I really don't think I will ever settle for a normal Monaco, this is just too much nicer to do that and be genuinely happy. The strap is simple, subtle and the watch is darker than it looks in the picture above. On the wrist it has enormous presence and wears bigger than it's 40.5mm size. The dial is perfect, in fact I think I prefer it to the Gulf concept version because it's more adaptable and less obviously 'shouty'.

This watch is stunning, just stunning. And it gives me something of a dilemma. In a way I almost hoped that trying it on again today might sew a few seeds of doubt, or maybe even turn me off it altogether, but alas getting on the wrist only made me want it more. Even my wife (who isn't entirely on board with the idea of spending over £6000 on one watch, even if it represents a colossal £4500+ saving on the list price) confessed that she can see why I'm slightly obsessed with it. But still, it is an enormous amount of money for a watch and is making me wonder where I should go with my collecting now.

My article on eBay got me thinking that maybe I should explore the second hand market a bit more and try and pick up some pre-owned TAGs, but also today I tried on a Maurice Lacroix Pontos S Extreme, which was very cool and 'only' £2500 (albeit reduced from £3800 or something).

Maybe it wouldn't hurt to widen my collection to include other brands...? (Insert sharp intake of breath here). I mean I don't know much about Maurice Lacroix to be honest, but it was a cool watch, and I have to say their nylon strap is WAY better than the one TAG are fitting to the Aquaracer.

Also today my wife picked up an Oris Atelier Skeleton with a 70 diamond bezel for £1740, which is absolutely stunning and again this gave me slight pause for thought... after all, I am ambivalent about a lot of TAGs watches and while I do like the purity of a single make collection, maybe there are bargains to be had out there from makes whose watches don't hold their value quite as well as TAG?

Far from providing answers, today has opened up a whole new can of questions. Before it was just, do I really want to buy the Monaco 24 or not, and now it's a whole lot more confusing!

ON THE WRIST: Monaco 24 Calibre 36 Concept

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TAG Boutique / Bicester Village 1st August 2015

The Holy Grail of TAG Heuer for me at this point, I can't quite believe I ever had one of these on my wrist, even if it was only for a few minutes. As you can see, this was some time ago now, but I remember the price was around £7,500 which was a great saving but still a hell of a lot of money. Strangely I seem to remember being not that impressed at the time, but I think I must have been subconsciously tempering my enthusiasm owing to the price and the infinitesimal chances of me ever owning one! Fast forward a year and a bit and this is right up there for me in my top three most desirable TAG Heuers. 

I just love the Monaco 24, and the more I think about it the more I want one. It probably won't be this one, but I would 'settle' for the CAL5113, which I have seen in the outlet for £6,100, which is still a hell of a lot of money, but a considerable saving on it's £10,000+ list price (and it's still stunning).

The problem is my TAG fund currently stands at £2200, so I'm a long way off £6100, and by the time I get there they could be long gone and then I would end up paying roughly the same for a second hand piece (I have seen one on Watchfinder for about £6500), which seems annoying.

But back to the CAL5110, it really is stunning, although my one reservation is that the pushers and crown are silver on an otherwise completely black watch. I can't decide whether that's a plus or a minus, but it's certainly not a deal breaker. That dial though, Wow...! 

These do show up on eBay of course, but this watch must be one of the most faked TAG Heuers out there, and I'm not really confident enough (or knowledgeable enough) to risk paying out £3,5-4,000 for one that could end up being junk.

Of course, the retail price of this watch is such that you could now get a Carrera Heuer 02T for not much more, but honestly I think I would take the Monaco 24. I don't find the Heuer 02 particularly appealing, other than the fact that it has the tourbillon (which is admittedly extremely cool). 

Oh well, keep saving - keep dreaming.

http://www.calibre11.com/review-monaco-24/

SPOTLIGHT ON: Carrera Chronograph Calibre 36 Flyback

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When I first caught sight of this on the internet I thought 'Wow! Now there's a watch I'd like to get my hands on', because as you can see in the picture above it looks super cool. I really like the minute markings (as seen on some other versions of the Carrera) and the red touches are subtle but oh so right, not to mention the crown which looks knurled but I think it's actually a rubber insert similar to the one on the Heuer 01. 

But then I saw the price, a whopping £7500! Now, I appreciate that this does have the super-dooper Calibre 36 movement inside (which is the Zenith El Primero if I'm not mistaken) not to mention the flyback feature (which means that if you are using the chronograph when you reset it it automatically starts again), but even so, that's a hell of a lot of money. 

As luck would have it, I saw one of these in the TAG boutique in Bicester Village and to be honest, it looks a little flat. They were selling it for £4000 I think, maybe even less, but I didn't even bother to try it on because it really doesn't have the wow factor that the pictures promise. I don't really know why that is, but I was tremendously underwhelmed by it.

Which, in a way was a relief, since I already have one super expensive TAG to lust after and I don't really need another one...