FEATURE: It Seems Like Maybe TAG Heuer Really ARE Bringing Back the Classic Formula 1...

You may remember I wrote a post a while back referencing an article on 'Hodinkee' about the idea of bringing back the original Formula 1. Well now we have another article appearing on Time & Tide about how TAG Heuer should bring back the original Formula 1. This is surely no coincidence... any more than Hodinkee lauding the Heuer Skipper and Solid Gold Carrera 1158CHN as the best Carreras ever earlier this year - just you wait and see. These guys are in TAG Heuer's pocket and they know what's coming, their job is to sow the seeds of interest, and in the process make themselves look like they have their finger on the pulse.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2023 Releases with Frederic Arnault by Wristcheck

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Sports 'Green' Heuer 02 Chronograph

 

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Considering it's supposed to be the 'Year of the Carrera', it seems like the 44mm 'Sports' range has been rather ignored in 2023. But here, finally, we have something new for those of you with a larger diameter wrist, with this green dial and bezel Heuer 02 powered chronograph. 

There has of course already been a green dial / steel bezel 44mm Sports, but this is a much darker shade with a hint of teal about it and while I am only now writing my First Impressions post, the truth is I have already tried this watch on.

VIDEO: Why TAG Heuer's Glassbox is a Breakthrough by ID Guy

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Two-Tone' Calibre 5 & 9 Watches

 

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Spitalfields, London 15th April 2023

Spitalfields isn't an area of London I know all that well; I remember going there a few years ago to visit a gallery for Nathan Sawaya's 'Art of the Brick' show, but I hadn't been back since and the only reason I was back there now was because I had tickets to the Dali Immersive Experience in Brick Lane. However, somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that there was a TAG Heuer boutique in the area, and as we turned up way too early for our 12:30pm ticket time my wife and I decided to go check it out.

The store is a bit anonymous from the pavement to be honest, and it's not exactly on the busiest street either... which all seems a bit strange. But once inside it's very nice and cosy and we were greeted warmly by Rafiq and his crew who had several new pieces for us to try on.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Titan' Titanium Calibre 11 Chronograph by Swiss Watch Expo

 

FEATURE: Should TAG Heuer Revert to Using the 'Heuer' Name?

 

Back when he took over the reigns of TAG Heuer in 2015, the ever quotable Jean Claude Biver said that he would love to change the name back to what it once was, but that it was 'too late' to do so. And yet the name is to this day a thorn in the side of the company, since it provides an all too easy stick for the detractors to beat the brand with; Heuer = Good, TAG = Bad. 

It's an argument that is as stupid as it is oversimplified, because in a lot cases what people are really saying is 'I like vintage style, I don't like modern (large) watches', this could apply to other watch brands of course but there isn't an easy way to say it. For instance you may favour the style of the Railmaster over the Planet Ocean but because they both wear the same 'Omega' branding the distinction is harder to make.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 Chronograph by Brent Miller Time

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Dark Lord' Tribute Special Edition Heuer 02 Chronograph

 

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 22nd April 2023

It's almost a year since the release of the TAG Heuer Monaco 'Dark Lord Tribute' and to my great shock and surprise a few weeks ago I finally got to see one! In fact, in the weeks since I saw this particular one in the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield's Meadowhall centre, I've seen another one - this time in the flagship boutique in Oxford Street (London). I guess Dark Lord's really are like buses huh?

I suppose I shouldn't be quite so surprised, since after all the 'Dark Lord' is a limited release model, rather than a blink-and-you'll-miss-it-never-to-be-seen-again limited edition of 600pcs like the purple and green dial Monacos, and now that the initial rush of interest has abated they are slowly starting to appear on the high street. But even so it's hard not to be somewhat in awe of this long awaited legend of a watch, or at least the 2023 interpretation of it.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Classic F1s by Birth Year Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Hawaii' Limited Edition Calibre 5 Watch

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Credit where it's due, this one was flagged up by THF Forum & C.O.C.O. member 'Mspeedster', who spotted this new Limited Edition while vacationing in Hawaii. Who knows when or if, we would ever have found out about this one otherwise since Googling the part number and 'Aquaracer Hawaii' has drawn an absolute blank. So huge thanks to Michael for bringing it to our attention and also for the great pictures!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2023 36mm Carreras by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Indy 500' Limited Edition Quartz Chronograph

  

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In 2020, TAG Heuer released one of the best 'Indy 500' branded watches they've ever produced (for me, of course, the Heuer 01 skeletons are the pinnacle of the genre), a black PVD coated model on a rubber strap with red bricks covering part of the dial which garnered a very respectable 6.5/10 from the Council of Considered Opinion in the big end of year vote. 

For some reason, perhaps due to Covid(?) the 2021 race didn't get a watch, but last year TAG Heuer released a rather underwhelming black and gold model featuring the supposedly 'iconic' control tower. Frankly it didn't inspire much positive comment from anywhere much and seemed to disappear without trace. I've still never seen one and I don't suppose I ever shall now. I don't even know for sure how many pieces it was limited to, I heard 500 although that seems a bit unlikely.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Releases for 2023 by About Effing Time

 

FEATURE: Watches & Wonders Part 3: Cartier, Chanel, Baume & Mercier, Tudor & Hublot (with Jim Dollares)

 

It's finally time for the third and final part of our irreverent look at Watches and Wonders 2023, this time we are focusing on Cartier, Tudor, Hublot, Baume & Mercier and Chanel.

ROB: Okay, let's continue with something completely left field... the Chanel J12 Cybernetic. I'm torn on this one because as a Chanel I expect it to be elegant and tasteful, but this is neither. On the other hand I kind of like it because it reminds me of artworks by Salvador Dali (who I like a lot). I don't know, it just seems a bit too gimmicky, especially at a cost of £12,000.

JIM: If you hadn't shown this to me I never would have even noticed it. I think it is a very cool piece for ladies. The design is definitely 'out there' but for this one I think it somehow works. It looks very glossy, is it made from ceramic?

VIDEO: Heuer 73325T Chronograph by Birth Year Watches

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera '39mm Glassbox' Calibre TH20 Chronograph

 

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TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 22nd April 2023

Oh boy, I am kinda dreading writing this post to be honest. So, it's fair to say that in some quarters I have a somewhat 'undeserved' reputation for hating Heuer... which is not true. Yes I am mainly interested in TAG Heuer, but mostly I just don't buy into the accepted watch-community narrative that 'Heuer is better' and at times I have probably voiced this opinion in ways that have rubbed people up the wrong way and given the impression that I hate everything that came before 1986. Since I own and have owned several watches that originate in the time before Heuer became TAG Heuer this is clearly not true.

These people are probably expecting me to hate these new 'classically inspired' 39mm Glassbox Carreras just as I hated the old 39mm 'Glassbox' Carreras. Except I didn't 'hate' the old ones. I didn't hate them at all. I don't think I've ever scored a 'Glassbox' Carrera less than a 6, and in fact I'm pretty sure I scored one of them as high as an 8.5. Because while they weren't my style I could still appreciate them for what they were. And sadly, I feel like I need to lay this out because otherwise people are just going to dismiss what I'm about to say as the rantings of a 'Heuer-hater' (which again, I'm not).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Dark Lord Tribute' Calibre Heuer 02 Chronograph by WatchBox Reviews

MAGAZINE FEATURE: Interview with Jack Heuer from QP Magazine 2010

 

FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH...

Jack Heuer tells QP of his surprise that the brand founded by his great-grandfather is still thriving in 2010.

"To be quite honest with you, I never thought I would see this moment - not because I wouldn't be here, but because I didn't think the brand would survive this long." 

So says Jack Heuer of this year's 150th anniversary of the watch firm founded by his great grandfather, Edouard Heuer, that established its credentials as one of the world's leading producers of sports-orientated timekeepers back in 1916 when it created the astonishing Micrograph stop watch that could record elapsed times down to an accuracy of 100th of a second.

MAGAZINE FEATURE: The Latest TAG Line - 150th Anniversary Feature in QP Magazine

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Early in 2010, the decidedly 21st-century McLaren Technology Centre proved the perfect venue for TAG Heuer's launch of its 150th anniversary celebrations. QP was there to hear the speeches, toast the future, witness the rebirth of a classic watch - and see Lewis Hamilton being sent home for an early night...

Yes I'm as cynical as the next hack. But that didn't stop a lump arriving in my throat when out of the black of a rain-soaked Surrey night a 1986 McLaren Formula One car - spectacularly illuminated by pink fibre optics - came snaking along the approach road to the front door of the MCT. It didn't take long to work out that the driver was Lewis Hamilton and suspicions were confirmed when he pulled off his logo-bedecked crash helmet to reveal an expression of pure delight at having experienced an albeit short drive in the actual car that helped Alain Prost win the F1 World Championship for the second time.

Hamilton is paid to talk at events such as this - but for a few seconds he seemed genuinely lost for words, marveling at how different Grand Prix racing must have been before electronics played a pivotal role in motorsport. He is also likely to have been reflecting on the fact that he was not even one year old when Prost last drove the car in anger.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 Professional Green Dial Automatic Watch

 

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Long term readers (and THF Forum members) will be painfully aware of my... obsession with the original green dial / steel bezel Aquaracer which was released back in 2019. When it was released I kept waiting for it to turn up in stores and it just never did. The Oxford Street boutique told me they had a grand total of two, which were sold within hours of going on display, and despite me asking in lots of ADs on my travels, I just could not find one. 

Of course, back in 2019 I was a bit less savvy than I am now and rest assured I would be a lot more pro-active about finding a watch I was that interested in these days. But frankly it was always the one that got away, and it never did turn up at Bicester Village (as far as I know - unlike my other dream Aquaracer, the WAY208C), so I was a little surprised the other day when our Swedish correspondent Jim Dollares told me that he saw one back then in some backwater town in Sweden!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 42mm Chronographs & Tourbillon

 

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More than a month on and we're still trawling through the watches that TAG Heuer dropped on us at Watches & Wonders 2023, unbelievable! Still, this is the last of the W&W23 related 'First Impressions' posts and to be honest it's taken so long to get here that I've actually already tried on one of these watches. But we might as well stick with the format, besides we want to hear what the Council of Considered Opinion have to say don't we?

Okay, so for the sake of our sanity, most of all mine, I decided to group these three 42mm Carreras together although I perhaps should have grouped the tourbillon in with the 39mm Carreras seeing that they have more similarities in design (although two of these watches do share the same boring strap). Nevertheless these three are all 42mm and indeed this marks the first time that TAG Heuer have put their Swiss made Heuer 02 tourbillon into a case smaller than 45mm.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Night Diver' Calibre 5 Watch by Shah Lusso

INFO: TAG Heuer Catalogue Link is Down

I know some of you are experiencing problems trying to access the catalogues from the link to the right of the screen, unfortunately the site where the catalogues are hosted is down at the moment, but I'm told it should be back online on the 5th of May, sorry for the inconvenience. 

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FEATURE: Heuer Monaco 'Steve McQueen' Calibre 11 Chronograph by CHAT GPT

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Cards on the table, I have had a lot on lately and a lot of late nights. I honestly sat down at 11:30 last night and tried to write a post but I was just too tired. So I did what any self respecting journalist would do in this position; I asked 'CHAT GPT' to write a post for me. And here it is...

The Steve McQueen Monaco watch is a timeless classic that has become an icon in the world of horology. Named after the legendary actor and racing enthusiast, Steve McQueen, this watch has a unique design and history that sets it apart from other timepieces.

The Monaco watch was originally introduced by TAG Heuer in 1969, and it was the first square-shaped waterproof chronograph in the world. Its unconventional design was a result of the company's desire to create a watch that could stand out from the traditional round watches that were popular at the time. The watch was an instant success and quickly became a favorite among watch enthusiasts and racing aficionados alike.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Quartz Watch by Brent Miller Time

 

FEATURE: Watches & Wonders 2023 - Part 2: IWC, Oris, Rolex & Chopard (with Jim Dollares)

 

Welcome back to the second part of our irreverent coverage of Watches & Wonders 2023. For part one (which was totally devoted to TAG Heuer, of course) click the link below:

https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2023/04/feature-watches-wonders-2023-part-1-tag.html

ROB: Welcome back Jim, so where shall we begin?

JIM: Well, how about we start by bashing that hyped and insanely priced IWC Ingeneur?

ROB: Oh yes, a great place to start. Yeah I mean, people have been saying that we are moving into a new era of nostalgia, the 60s is done to death so lets rehash the 70s and possibly the 80s too... and this watch sure looks like it should have come out in the 70s don't it? Though I have to say, I do quite like the funky dial.

JIM: You like it? And you say you never like what everyone else loves! I think it is a decent watch but I am no big fan of integrated bracelet models like this one. And is there anything unique to this watch? When I first saw it, my first thought was that it might as well say Baume & Mercier, Frederique Constant or Tissot on the dial. But just because it says IWC on the dial, the price for this steel watch is set to something crazy like 11k! Can you believe that? I mean, hats off to IWC if they can fool their moronic fans to pay that much, but still. Crazy!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heritage 'Panda' Heuer 02 Chronograph by Average Bros

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Gulf' Special Edition Quartz Chronograph

 

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It seems like rumours of a new, updated Formula 1 have been swirling around for months if not years now, but to me it seems pretty clear that the Formula 1 has been refreshed with a new look (if not a new case) and so I fully expect this new style of Formula 1 to be around for a while yet. Personally I quite like it; I'll admit I found the 'Red Bull' a bit busy on release, but overall the new watches definitely seem a bit more 'on it' (although to be clear I'm definitely not talking about the dreadful tri-colour F1s here) and for me one which was hanging around and in desperate need of a makeover was the Gulf F1 edition.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer - Watches and Wonders 2023 by Watches TV

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer 36mm Carrera Ladies/Unisex Watches

 

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Given my recent post about supposedly 'unisex' watches, you may be expecting a rant about how these new 36mm Carrera watches are too feminine to be 'unisex', but what would be the point? You only have to look at them to see that they are large women's watches. Nothing to stop men wearing them if they want to, but I really can't consider them 'unisex'. So, sorry TAG Heuer, I know you are trying to be on-trend and everything, but if you truly want 'Unisex' watches this ain't working.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 5 Watch by WatchBox Reviews

 

FEATURE: Watches & Wonders 2023 - Part 1: TAG Heuer (with Jim Dollares)

 

I thought we'd take a break from the W&W/C.O.C.O. scores (still a few left to do and now the green Aquaracer has come out too!), so today I invited our very special Swedish contributor Jim Dollares to join me in casting a critical glance over the new releases at W&W and of course we had to start with TAG Heuer. Part two is in the works, but for now let's take a irreverential look at what our favourite watch brand brought to Geneva this year.

ROB: Hej Jimbo!

JIM: Hey Rob! Good to hear from you. I have landed in my opinions on this year's Watches and Wonders and I think we have some awesome releases to talk about. How about kicking things off with something that perhaps is not the most awesome thing this year, the Plasma tourbillion?

ROB: Right you are... oh yeah, I really wasn't expecting them to make another Plasma Carrera, although funnily enough I did notice that Capsoul Diamonds Instagram account suddenly started becoming active again a couple of weeks before W&W. The funny thing for me was that when the first one came out last year, I barely noticed the diamonds set into the case, because I was distracted by the diamond crown and dial. It's a different story this year huh? Can`t really miss them this time... and, well.... it's a nice idea, and it's very clever. But it is it attractive?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carreras at Watches & Wonders 2023 by Monochrome Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solid Gold & Two Tone Automatic Watches

 

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I think it's fair to say that gold, and two-tone in particular, is not everyone's cup of tea. So I just knew that certain members of the C.O.C.O. Council would fire back some pretty low scores when I sent these out for scoring. However, I personally own two or three two-tone watches (I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go and check) so I can appreciate them for what they are, though I have to admit I don't think I would ever buy one brand new.

The problem is though, trying to find a pre-owned two-tone watch in good condition is tough, because gold is very soft and so no matter how careful you are it will always pick up scratches. And for some reason people who sell their two-tone watches always seem to be clumsy types, or maybe they sell them because they didn't realise how easily they were gonna scratch up? Who knows, but it feels like these have been a long time coming. Maybe they had big stocks of the previous two-tone blue dial Aquaracer they needed to shift before letting these out of the box? 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Mario Kart' Heuer 02T Limited Edition Chronograph by Thaipoopiest

 

Buying Experience: TAG Heuer Aquaracer WBP201C by Jim Dollares

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Today we welcome back our Swedish correspondent Jim Dollares who is back to tell you all about the time he went to a shop to buy an Aquaracer, and this time he actually did buy an Aquaracer... eventually.

JIM DOLLARES: In 2021 I wrote a story for the TAG Heuer Enthusiast blog about my pocket full of money and me being on my way to an authorised dealer to buy my very first Aquaracer. On that day I ended up ordering the Tudor Black Bay 58, but let me tell you, the Aquaracer line of watches never left my thoughts or my heart.

A New Aquaracer Design

It is funny when I think back on my emotional journey with the Aquaracer watches. I remember the WAY211B being one of my first true watch loves and obsessions. I spent hours and hours staring at photos of that watch. In 2021 when Frederic presented the updated Aquaracer design I was outraged. How could they ruin the unique and perfect design of the Aquaracer? What is this nonsense with the weirdly shaped indices and the round cyclops? 

Fast forward one year and I had warmed up to the new design and I could sense that familiar tingle in the balls that we all get from a perfect watch. Eventually I tried on the new ones and found myself wanting to go back multiple times just to experience the WBP series of Aquaracer on wrist. But, what initially sold me on the new generation was not the design, it was how it felt in the hand and on wrist. This new generation is what the Aquaracer should have always been; well built, nicely finished and luxurious in hand.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 39mm Chronographs by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 39mm Calibre TH20-00 Chronographs

 

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I almost feel like I should preface this post by saying that when you read my comments you should probably bear in mind that this new line of 39mm Carreras is at least partially aimed at the type of customer who bought the so called 'Glassbox' vintage style Carreras of the last few years (most, if not all, of which were limited editions...) and as such this model isn't really aimed at me.

But having said that, it feels like TAG Heuer have tried their best to keep enough DNA from the aforementioned 'Glassbox' Carreras to satisfy the vintage Heuer fans, while giving these a veneer of modernity, hopefully sufficient that it might increase the spectrum of appeal to people who didn't lust after or perhaps never even saw the previous 39mm Carreras. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2023 Watches & Wonders Releases by Watchfinder & Co