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

VIDEO: Producer Michael Visits TAG Heuer in Las Vegas

 

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

 

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.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Rattrapante 'Air 1' Limited Edition

 

I'll admit I haven't exactly been complimentary about the previous Monaco Rattrapantes. Obviously I haven't seen one in person and it's entirely possible that they are one of those watches that just doesn't photograph well (much like the Grand Carrera), but until now I've found them spectacularly unappealing, despite several different colour combinations being released. But now TAG Heuer have given us this new $150,000 limited edition (30pcs) and if nothing else they've certainly improved it's kerb appeal.

But it's more than just a new colour combo (and black and gold is almost always a winner), because this one has been redesigned to mimic the look of an imaginary supercar, taking design cues from said car including all the grilles and shapes you'd expect to find on a Lamborghini cum Ferrari cum Aston Martin.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco & Carrera Extreme Sports 'Las Vegas' Limited Edition Chronographs

 

Believe it or not we're pretty much set for 'First Impressions' posts all the way up to Christmas now. As you can see from the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Gallery we still have a ton of new watches to look at and I keep hearing there's still more to come. Quite why they've decided to release like TWENTY watches in November and December is beyond me! Anyway, we'll do what we can, and if I have to post more frequently to get through them all then that's what I'll do. So long as the Council get their fingers out and send me their scores fast enough of course! 🤣

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Las Vegas' Limited Edition Chronograph by Armbanduhren

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera and Monaco TH-Carbonspring Limited Editions

Hello dear reader! As you can see from the blog header above we are about to celebrate nine years of the TAG Heuer Enthusiast. Quite an achievement you might think, but as the late, great Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister once said when asked how he managed to keep Motorhead going for forty years, the key to keeping going is simple - don't stop. Wise words indeed. And as it happens, I may well be paying homage to the great man as you read this as I intend to visit Stoke on Trent this week to see the statue they've erected there for him. Not that most of you are Motorhead fans I'm sure, but my very first gig ever was Motorhead in 1983, so Lemmy will always have a special place in my heart. 

Anyway, you didn't come here to read about my teenage exploits did you? So let's turn our attention to the matter in hand, namely carbon hairsprings. Now, I'm sure some of you will remember about seven years ago TAG Heuer launched the Carrera Nanograph, a funky looking thing that was covered in hexagons and topped with lime green accents... I loved it, but unfortunately at £26000 it was definitely out of my reach (currently there's one on Watchfinder though for about half that, if you're interested).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera and Monaco TH-Carbonspring by Time & Tide Watches

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 Carbon Monaco and Carrera Tourbillon by Revolution Watches

 

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 Monaco Gulf and 'Stopwatch' Limited Editions by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Heuer Monaco 'Stopwatch' Calibre 11 Limited Edition

Of course the 'Gulf' Monaco wasn't the only Monaco TAG Heuer launched at the (somewhat anachronistic) Monaco Grand Prix, in fact it was only one of three. There was also a new colour variation on the eye-wateringly expensive 41mm rattrapante that literally no one paid any attention to, and then there was this black DLC coated titanium cased Calibre 11 'Heuer' Monaco that seems to have garnered almost as much attention as the Gulf. Which kinda makes you wonder why they released them both at the same time honestly, given that they are probably aimed at a similar buyer. Oh well, I'm sure TAG Heuer know what they are doing... perhaps the cache of launching it at the Monaco GP outweighs the conflict and perhaps some well heeled harbour-dwellers will take both?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Gulf' Limited Edition Calibre 11 Chronograph

There's always quite a lot of excitement when TAG Heuer announce a new 'Gulf' branded Monaco and even I (someone completely untouched by the romance of Le Mans, Steve McQueen, etc) am not immune to the lure of the striped, square dial. However I did find the most recent regular 'Gulf' model a little disappointing (for me it was perhaps the least interesting of all the 'Gulf' models we've seen to date) so it's nice to see a really good one this time around, even if it is a limited edition.

For the 2025 edition we've gone right back to the start with another white dial Monaco embellished with red and blue stripes (as seen on Steve McQueen's race suit in the film Le Mans). It's funny but every time we get a new Gulf Monaco it always descends into a debate about how they never use the right shade of pale blue (with most agreeing that the 2018 limited edition of 50 pieces was the most accurate from that point of view), but thankfully here we don't have to worry about that, phew!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2025 by Time & Tide

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Rattrapante 'Formula 1 75th Anniversary' Limited Edition

 

When TAG Heuer launched the Monaco Rattrapante last year the media was all over it, meanwhile in the real world all I heard was people grumbling and throwing out comments like... why would I pay £121,000 for that when I could buy an IWC Rattrapante for a tenth of the price. Well, you have to admit it's a good question. After all, the rattrapante complication is nothing genuinely new in the watch world and while the construction of the Monaco may be impressive and high tech, it let itself down in one incredibly important respect. Yes kids, the truth is it's ugly as all hell.

This (alongside the astronomically high asking price) was reflected in the end of year scoring and the Council of Considered Opinion eventually handed the pair of them an embarrassing 4.4/10 (blue) and 4.7/10 (red) respectively, making them the second and third least liked Monacos since the C.O.C.O. began back in 2020 (only the truly hideous Monaco Riviera rated worse!).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2025 by Revolution Watch

 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2025 W&W Releases by The Watch Society

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Las Vegas' Monaco Calibre TH20-00 Chronograph

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield, 30th November 2024 

Another fruitful visit to the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield on this November morning, not only did I get to try on this 'Las Vegas' Monaco and the Porsche 963 Extreme Sports Carrera, but I also got to handle the limited edition Hodinkee Carrera Seafarer. More on that another time though... today we will concentrate on this DLC coated Monaco, and well if you've tried on any recent black Monaco you'll have a good idea how this wears.