OWNED: The Good, the Bad and the eBay...

As we all know, eBay can be a treacherous place to buy if you don't know your onions, or indeed if you find an onion you haven't seen before and there aren't any other onions of a similar type to compare... and so it was that I paid a slightly over the top price for this Grand Carrera catalogue.

I'd never seen it before and there weren't any others available to compare prices, and after I made an initial offer of £20 (the asking price was £30) we settled on a compromise of £26. Well all I can say is they must have been laughing all the way to the bank. In the weeks since I bought this two more have appeared, one is not selling at £24 and one is not selling at £3.99.... seriously, I paid £26 for something I could have bought for £3.99. Not happy!

Still it's a nice catalogue, albeit it doesn't have any of the coated models in it, just the original wave. It's also quite a big book, about a foot across and considerably larger than I was expecting (knowing the size of most of the landscape TAG catalogues I own).

A couple of days later I came across what looked like the same catalogue but in portrait form going for £10. I messaged the seller asking them what was inside, I was intrigued because not only did I not understand why TAG would print the same catalogue in landscape and portrait but also this one came with a dustcover.

I got no response from the seller and decided to go for it, and was rather surprised when it arrived to find that it wasn't the same catalogue at all but a proper sized coffee table book containing photos and bios for a huge number of TAG Heuer ambassadors.

To be completely honest, I could have done with a few more watch pics in there... but it's still a cool thing to own and a bargain at £10.

My next purchase was a watch stand, I've seen many of these on eBay, but they always seem to be the type with the very small base - designed to fit into a retaining hole in the main display I should imagine - and I always thought they would most likely fall over at the drop of a hat, especially with a heavy-ish' watch balanced precariously on top. So when I saw this one with a very substantial base and another stand thrown in, I couldn't resist. I paid about £30 for this set, which was a close call as I bid right at the very last second and won. I won't use it everyday, but it will come in handy for photographing my watches and I plan to update all the photos of my watches using this very soon.

Finally I picked up this small form, 16 page booklet on the new Lady Link series. It wasn't something I was desperate to buy but for £1.50 I couldn't turn it down. It just goes to show not everything collectible has to cost a fortune.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Interview - Europa Star @ Baselworld 2016

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 43mm Review by Horology Middle East

This is a nice looking watch, I do like the blue bezel and 43mm or 45mm wouldn't really bother me. I also like that this piece has the rubberised crown which my original Heuer01 has, because I really don't like the silver crown on some of these variants. The thing I don't like is when he turns the watch sideways and it's just steel, I certainly wouldn't swap my titanium case with the black coating and the red feature line for that, but still it's not the end of the world I guess...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Grand Date Chrono Review by Troy Fransisco

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The 2018 Link Calibre 17 Chronograph

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A few weeks ago I tried on the three hand Link for the first time and while it was a nice enough watch, it didn't really excite me. The dial seems a little bit empty and I'm not used to wearing watches without bezels so it didn't quite gel with me. Now, from their SIHH adjacent boat, TAG have launched this new chronograph version and I must admit it definitely appeals to me more than the basic version.

One of the things that's getting people excited is the use of the Calibre 17 movement which gives a dial configuration of 3-6-9, rather than the more usual 6-9-12 configuration you get with the Calibre 16 movement. I can't say this is quite that exciting to me because a) I already have a 3-6-9 dial watch in the Aquagraph, and b) I quite like the 6-9-12 dials, although I can understand that the 3-6-9 gives more symmetry and puts the logo at the top of the watch rather than the 3 position, which can sometimes look a little clumsy especially as there's usually a date fighting for the same real estate.

There doesn't seem to be much point talking about the case and bracelet as I've already covered this and unusually the chronograph model comes in the same 41mm size as the three hander which means everything should be identical to the Calibre 5 model in that regard. Having said that, there's no mention regarding the thickness of the case, and it would be unusual for a chronograph to fit into the same case as a non-chronograph (and TAG's website doesn't give detailed case information unfortunately).

I think the only reservation I have about the new dial is the text printed across the 6 O'clock sub dial. It doesn't help that that sub-dial is the smallest of the three and it definitely looks a little cramped, I get that the owner would likely want Calibre 17 on the dial as it marks the watch out as something a little special but the 'Automatic' line seems a little unnecessary, especially when space is at a premium.

The other thing worthy of mention is the date window, for some reason they've gone for white on black on the black dial model but black on white on the blue dial. I might not have noticed if they hadn't been presented together, but once you notice the white background on the blue model it looks kind of wrong, or perhaps 'cheap' (in comparison). However, on their official website, the pictures show a white background on the black dial watch as well, so it's unclear as to which the watch will actually come with.

Prices for the new chronograph are £3900, which is a £1600 premium over the Calibre 5 model. Also, TAG have launched diamond bezel and diamond bezel / bracelet versions of the 41mm Calibre 5 three hand model. It's not clear whether these are aimed at women or men, but since Cara Delavigne's TAG Heuer was of a similar size I'm guessing they are treating them as unisex. The diamond bezel version costs £5,100 while the bezel/bracelet version costs considerably more at £16,700.

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You can find many more pictures on Calibre 11
https://www.calibre11.com/new-for-2018-tag-heuer-link-chronograph/

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

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 Review by Watches on You

FEATURE: Why Does TAG Heuer Get so Much Hate?

It seems that some people never tire of talking trash about TAG Heuer, be it internet forumites, vloggers, and in some cases even other watch companies! To be honest I shouldn't let it bother me but it's so hard not to get annoyed by it. Usually when you read the comments under these kinds of videos you tend to get the same three opinions..

1) I've get three TAG Heuers and I love them
2) TAGs are overpriced shit, buy an Omega.
3) TAG is awful but Heuers are awesome.

I don't know whether I find 2 or 3 more tiresome to be honest, Omegas are hardly offering a great value for money product in comparison to TAG and frankly anyone who believes that Heuer are better than TAG Heuer with no distinction is probably just parroting what they've heard elsewhere or buying into the hype that's fuelling the rise in Heuer prices. How long before some awful looking 80s models with cross head screws holding the bezel on start going through the roof I wonder?

The funny thing is that people like 'The Time Teller' openly admit that they've never owned a TAG, but seemingly 'everyone they know' has had one and they all had problems. How likely is that, really? Are his friends that stupid that they all bought the same watch brand knowing their friends had issues? I doubt it. It smacks to me of someone who at the start of their 'career' read somewhere that TAG suck and assumed that opinion as their own with nothing to back it up, then when challenged on it, admitted that they'd never actually owned one.. but added as a caveat that they 'know someone' who had and had a dreadful experience with it, and so the bullshit feeds and grows.

Then we have C H Moser, who recently published a humourous video for a 'Swiss Icons' watch, with at least some of the barbs being aimed at TAG Heuer. Strangely Moser withdraw the watch and the video campaign (the one off watch was designed to be sold at auction with the proceeds donated to a watchmaking fund) and put out a press release claiming their message had been 'misunderstood'.

(Fair's fair though, this is actually quite funny)

The people who shout the loudest about TAG being awful tend to fall into two categories, those who push Omega/Rolex and those who point out that you can get the same/better quality from smaller brands like Fortis for half the price.

Personally I have no experience of Fortis whatsoever, I've never seen one let alone held one, so I am not truly able to agree or disagree with this. However, the fact is, a good percentage of the value of a TAG goes into marketing, it's obvious. So you have to make a choice, you probably can get a watch of a similar quality for less money, but it won't be a TAG. And part of what you are paying for is the branding. If you don't think it's worth the premium then fair enough, but that's a choice you make. Buy your Fortis chronograph, it's probably great, but don't expect the man on the street to know the difference between that and a watch that looks like it but costs £150 from Argos. Maybe that matters to you, maybe it doesn't... or maybe you just prefer the design of the TAG, again you have to make the choice to pay or not to pay, it's really up to you.

It seems to me that there are plenty of other watch companies who make watches that are overpriced, but for some reason TAG is always the target. I do wonder if it isn't a case of visibility though, after all TAG are one of the most visible watch brands out there AND they are firmly aimed at the entry level end of the market, which is a formula for hate if ever there was one. What better way for the 'learned' watch enthusiast to confirm their new-found 'cognoscenti' status than to dis the watch that (potentially) got them in to Swiss watches in the first place. To me, it's a bit like someone getting into extreme metal via Slipknot and then wanting to disassociate themselves from that band because they're 'too popular, too mainstream', despite the fact that to 95% of the population they are a bloody racket! I mean, if I had a pound for every time I read 'I used to like TAG Heuer until I learned about watches and then I lost interest in them', I'd have more than enough to buy myself a TAG Heuer strap. Possibly.

So anyway, I think the thing is, I don't honestly think this is ever going to change. The watch snobs need a whipping boy and TAG Heuer for reasons that probably stem from the gaudy watches and the name change in the 80s are stuck with it and that's the way it's going to be. And don't they love it... any possible chance to besmirch TAGs name is jumped upon, with people eager to make videos showing 'quality issues' with Grand Carreras, never mind that the watch is in fact 'fake'. Well I'm sorry but I can't see that it's TAG's fault if forgers don't make their watches to the appropriate standards and that you're too dumb to know when you've got a fake on your hands.

Like I said, I try not to get angry but it's not always easy to refrain from the odd acidic retort here and there... not that they probably take a blind bit of notice!

VIDEO: Jack Heuer of TAG Heuer 'Don't Crack Under Pressure' from A Blog to Watch

SPOTTED: A Selection of TAG Heuer Watches in a Pawn Shop Window

While out and about yesterday I was walking down a road that I don't usually walk down and I walked past a Pawn Shop. As I passed by the window something caught my eye and I turned back and rather unexpectedly and found a selection of TAG Heuers Omegas and Breitlings in front of me.

First off there was a ladies Aquaracer (pictured above) with a white dial which is currently reduced from £795 down to £557. I didn't study it but through the window it looked in nice condition and seems a pretty good deal at that price.

Next up they had a CAU1116.BA0858 Formula One Quartz Chronograph for a seemingly very cheap £347... again I didn't really study it but from the photo it looks decent and that price is getting to the point where it would be worth buying to re-sell.

I must admit, I am sorely tempted at that price, albeit it has the same shitty-clasp rubber strap that my current WAH1110-0 came on, but then again I could always pick up another BT0714 pin and buckle strap, but that would be another £45 and realistically it's too similar to the one I already have (and my orange Calibre 16 CAU2012).

*I've since walked by again and had another look, the watch seems to be in good condition and the chronograph is running, which is probably not great for the battery, but at least it works.

Moving on, we had a pair of Link models, one a quartz that's currently reduced to £557 from £795 and a nice looking Calibre 6 model that's not in the sale but is still less than a grand (£950). The Calibre 6 I did look at a bit more carefully (albeit through the window) and it looks in excellent condition.

From other brands they had a few Breitlings, including a nice looking Colt Ocean and a Chrono-Evo.

Finally, there was a couple of Omegas, a ladies (but probably actually mid-size) Seamaster and a dressy looking DeVille, which both seem decent prices.

Going back to the Formula One for a moment, while it is very tempting, I really don't want to be depleting my war chest as it's just about the cross the £2K threshold. I think if this watch was on a bracelet then I would have been more interested, because then not only would I not have needed to buy a replacement rubber strap but I could have switched and changed with my existing everyday wearer. But as it is, I think it's best left alone, bargain or no bargain.

VIDEO: Nemanja Vidic Visits TAG Heuer Manufacture

OWNED: QP Magazine

I've been reading QP (quantième perpétuelle) for a few years now and as is the way with these things, it didn't take me long to start 'collecting' them and buying the binders and (naturally) trying to pick up back issues from eBay. There's a lot to go at considering we're on issue #84 right now, but to me the really early ones are not so good. I had (I think) #7 which I read and then sold back on eBay, because it simply wasn't the same magazine to me. It was rather more 'technical' in the early days and more focused on articles about pinion wheels and the like, which is fine, but I really buy QP to drool over beautiful photographs of Roger Dubuis double tourbillons and other watches that I'll never own, and frankly the magazine has definitely come round to my way of thinking as it's now 95% watch porn.

I had collected all the magazines back to issue #60, and then a few prior to that, so I was rather happy to find someone selling pretty much every issue back to the early ones on eBay for £3.99 each (usual going rate seems to be about £6-8.00, and to be fair it costs about £3.00 to post one of these) and quickly bought an issue with the TAG Heuer Mikrograph on the cover and issue #4 (pictured above) only because it had the Monaco Sixty Nine on the cover, and I couldn't pass that up.

I also bought issue #40 because it had a rather lovely looking AP Royal Oak Offshore on the cover, and as it happens it also has an article about the TAG Heuer Monaco V4 in it, so that was a right result!

Having bought and paid for these three, the seller than contacted me and asked if I would be interested in buying more issues on a 'bulk' basis, so I decided to buy all the ones I was missing back to issue #40 and he offered me a very reasonable £30 for eleven issues. They arrived promptly and well packaged and I am very happy indeed with my purchase, although truth be told I have barely had a chance to look at them yet, but they are in excellent condition and that's the main thing (and honestly if I did decide to sell them on I would easily turn a profit, so I can't really lose here).

Q.P. is owned by The Telegraph group, and I really like it, but damn it is a frustrating magazine at times. For a start, it never seems to come out when it's supposed to, I remember picking issue #83 up at WH Smiths in mid September (my subscription had lapsed and they didn't contact me to ask me to renew it - I mean, what the hell, magazines usually prompt you months before your subs run out) so I made a note to look for it in mid-December. No luck... I tried several times and then emailed QP themselves to ask when the magazine would be in the shops and the email that came back beggared belief.

"Which issue are you looking for?"

As you can imagine, it took all of my resolve not to email back an extremely sarcastic reply ('Summer 2019 please...') and calmly stated 'Issue #84', to which I got this answer...

"It should be in the shops now, but if not it should be within a couple of weeks."

Excellent. I don't know what I would have done without you.

So I'm now reading issue #84, which I eventually got in very early January. One of the articles in the magazine is previewing a vintage watch auction due to take place at the end of November. Another, much larger part of the magazine is given over to promoting QP's own watch show in London in early December (Salon QP). The magazine was never going to come out before either of these events so what the hell is the point of that?

Let me just repeat that, they are promoting their own yearly London show, in a magazine that they know will come out after the show has finished. You couldn't make this up.

Also (I'm sorry to go on, but as much as I love this magazine it infuriates me... because if I was as shoddy as this in my job I would rightfully expect to be on my way!) the magazine is littered with mistakes, admittedly this month seems better than it has of late, but still there are mistakes. One of the most common mistakes they make is when the journalist has seemingly corrected a sentence but not done it properly and left both the original and the new word in the same sentence. For example, if you were to change "I sold my car" to "I sold our car" you would end up with "I sold my our car". And this happens a lot. I don't know who proof reads this magazine, but they are utter clownshoes.

The other mistake they tend to make is sentences just ending, and by that I mean they get to the bottom of the page and then when you start the next column it's a new sentence, who knows where the last part of the previous sentence went? Also, they do the same thing in the text under the heading, you know... the text that's MUCH BIGGER than the rest of the page, but not quite as big as the headline.

For example, in the current issue on page 30 there is an article about a new Bremont which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Royal Air Force with a trilogy of complicated limited

I presume the last word in that sentence was supposed to be 'editions'.

And honestly this is not me being picky and pointing out a rare mistake, this is just normal for QP unfortunately, which considering it's a magazine about a high-end product seems incredible to me. 

But still, I buy it, even though it really doesn't cover TAG Heuer very much at all, indeed even the recent issue with the Autavia on the cover was a bit of a disappointment as rather than an in depth look at the highly lauded new timepiece, it was merely part of an article focusing on a selection of watches that are inspired by auto racing. Hmm...

Well, I don't know about you, but I feel better having got all that of my chest!

Needless to say, issue #85 will be in the shops when it damned well feels like it and will no doubt feature a preview of both SIHH and Baselworld... which by then, of course, will be a distant memory. Still, since I've renewed my subscription, at least I won't be trolling around WH Smiths every day trying to find it!

VIDEO: Jean Claude Biver Talks About TAG Heuer Watches by Watch World Magazine

VIDEO: 6 Things I Love and Hate About the Monaco Calibre 12 by Jesse Reviews

VIDEO: This Week's Watches Ep 14 - Heuer Special by Amsterdam Vintage Watches

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Link Watch

WBC2112.BA0603

Goldsmiths, Milton Keynes / 28th December 2017

It occurred to me yesterday that I had never tried on one of the new Link watches, and since I was heading to Milton Keynes today for some retail therapy (not really, I spent more on parking than I did in the shops) I thought I should make a point of getting one on my wrist, if only so I could blog about it.

Because, in all honesty, the vast majority of the 'Link' watches don't really appeal to me all that much. There is a 'Searacer' I see pop up on Watchfinder now and again, which is based on a Link, which is okay... but mostly they seem a little understated for my tastes. In fact I'm not sure that I'd seen many Links until this year when there was a sudden glut of them at Bicester Village prior to these new ones coming out, and to be honest... seeing them en-masse, they all looked a bit... um, cheap. Actually, there's a better looking one in my local jewellers pre-owned, but they want nearly £3500 for that... I think it's a Calibre 17 or 18, it's the one with the black 'striped' dial anyway.

TAG Heuer Searacer / Link

So anyway, as I always seem to in Milton Keynes, I found myself outside Goldsmiths and re-acquainted myself with the salesman (I think his name is Ian, but I could be wrong), who sat me down and fetched me the blue dial Link I'd asked to see. One of the reasons I wanted to try it on was because in the window I noticed it looked massive, very 'platey' (like a dinner plate, flat and round, obviously) and I was curious to see if it looked different on the wrist.

Actually, I don't know whether it's some kind of illusion but all the watches seem to look big to me in the windows, I don't if it's because they seem to mix the ladies' models in with the mens' and thus they appear larger than they really are, oddly it seems to affect the Aquaracers and Links more than the Carreras. While I'm on the subject of Carreras, there was a very nice blue dial model in Ernest Jones, which I think is technically a ladies, but at 41mm it's big enough for most men to wear.

WAR1112.BA0601

So on the wrist, the Link appears much smaller, at 41mm it's not small, but I was wearing my CAU2012 Formula 1, which is 44mm and chunky, so it felt quite dainty by comparison. Not as dainty as that new Monaco, granted, but with no chronograph module it's fairly thin as well.

I chose the blue dial simply because I rather liked that 1500 Series that's on eBay at the moment (see previous post), but it didn't stand out like I thought it might. The colour seems a little muted, indeed from a lot of angles it looked grey or even black, and when I did get the light on it, it wasn't the nice jewel-blue I'd hoped for. And worse still when you could see the blue, was when the light shone on the dial so that the time was the least readable. 

WBC2110.BA0603

The watch is also available in black (of course) and white dials, and I think perhaps the white is the one I'd go for. It's certainly the most legible, but on the other hand it maybe looks the 'cheapest' of the three... but I don't currently have a white dial watch, and rather too many black dialed ones. While we are here we may as well mention the price, all three come in at £2300, with a Calibre 5 movement, which I guess is okay, although I think I'd rather have the Aquaracer 'Explorer II' WAY2013 and £650 in the pocket if I'm honest. I guess it's slightly unfair to compare a dive watch and a dress watch, but both have steel bracelets and the same movement.

WBC2111.BA0603

The bracelet is very shiny and comfortable, but by golly is it fiddly to do up. It's a long while since I've had a watch with a clasp like this (folding from both sides into the middle and giving the appearance of a solid bracelet) and I'm sure it would get easier with practice, but on first go it seems a bit of a mare. The bracelet seems to taper quite a lot as well, and appears quite narrow on the backside, which I know some people like... I don't particularly, but it's not a major issue.

It was at this point that the salesman started flicking through his dealer catalogue trying to find more information on my CAU2012, which rather distracted me... since any TAG catalogue is like catnip to me, especially a big glossy one that I haven't got (incidentally, I passed through Fraser Hart today and noticed a TAG catalogue on a desk with the words 'Haute Horlogerie' down the spine. I don't know what it was but if it's got Monaco V4s and Mikrographs in it then I want one! Come on eBay, don't let me down. Incidentally, I've had notification that I've acquired the catalogue I was bidding on yesterday, so I'm looking forward to receiving that sometime next week. :)

So where was I, oh yes, the Link has a display caseback, through which you can see the Calibre 5 movement. It's not the most exciting movement I've ever seen, but it's nice that it can be seen all the same, most of the Calibre 5 watches I've looked at have had solid backs I think (probably because they are generally dive watches). 

So, in summary, I think it looks better on the wrist than in the window. The case also appears more rounded when it's on the wrist, you don't really notice the slightly 'cushion' shaped case so much, but I must admit I preferred it when the Link had a bezel. I'm not really that keen on watches without bezels, Carreras aside, and if I was going to buy a Link, I think I would opt for something like the Searacer chronograph pictured above.

That said, if you want a smart looking watch to go with a suit for daily wear, I guess this is a reasonable shout. It's just not really my cup of tea. Still I'm glad I tried it on all the same.

OWNED: 'Action' Catalogue/Magazine by TAG Heuer

Like I said, I've been on eBay a fair bit these last few days... and this was a nice find. A large scale catalogue with over 100 pages in excellent condition, mine for less than a tenner including postage!

It's a bit hard to photograph the pages since the book has barely been opened, but you get the idea...

All the great icons from TAG Heuer history.... Steve McQueen

Mr Jack Heuer...

And... art provocateur Alec Monopoly.

The seller packed the item extremely well, which I must admit I was concerned about. Some people seem to think sticking an item like this in a regular paper envelope is adequate, thankfully my guy wrapped the catalogue in paper, sandwiched it between two sheets of cardboard and put it in a padded bag. What a gent.

I've put in a bid for another catalogue, but as yet I've had no response. Hopefully they will see sense and realise my offer is fair, if not then we'll have to see how I feel about increasing it.

SPOTLIGHT ON: 1500 Series Blue Dial Two Tone Watch

Personally, I've never been one of those people who get extremely excited over blue dial watches. I know there's a lot of people out there who really, really love them and can eulogize for hours about how amazing they are, and occasionally I have seen a blue dial watch and thought 'Yeah, okay... that is actually quite nice'. One which immediately springs to mind is the Air-K Carrera with the PVD case and bracelet from a couple of years ago, but mostly I can take them or leave them.

This however, is rather stunning. Again, as I commented in my previous post, I'm not much of a fan of two-tone watches, but this combined with the blue dial looks magnificent on this particular example. Annoyingly, the seller (who seems to possess some outstanding photography chops) has obscured the model number from the back of the case, perhaps wrongly thinking it was the serial number.

The watch looks in fabulous condition, so good in fact that it almost looks 'too good'... I imagine it's been through a fair amount of polishing, not to mention any number of photographic filters to make it look that good. But then again, maybe the previous owner was someone like me who likes to keep their collection in tip-top condition?

Alas, the watch is a scant 36mm across the case, which is too small for me. But I couldn't resist sharing these wonderful pictures of a very nice looking piece indeed. I've always rather liked these 1500 series models and there are always examples with the 'granite' style dial popping up on eBay for not much money, but this one takes things to a whole other level.

I think the difference between this, and say an Omega Planet Ocean with a blue dial, is the kind of blue. This 'jewel' effect blue is a world away from the flat darker mid-blue you get on your bog standard Planet Oceans, and really steps it up and sets of the gold elements of the bracelet and case perfectly.

Currently the auction has another six days to run and bidding on this quartz watch has already reached £350, and with 39 bids already I can well imagine this watch is going to go way, way above that. Truth be told, even if this was a larger size, being that it's on offer from the USA I would have to be mindful of import taxes, but if you live on the other side of the Atlantic this could well be one for you?

Here's a link to the acution if you are interested - BLUE DIAL 1500 SERIES TAG HEUER
And of course as always I should point out that I have no connection to this auction, nor can I vouch for the seller in any way.

SPOTLIGHT ON: 3000 Series Chronograph and Two Tone Three Hander

 

Rifling through eBay, one can't help but be drawn to some of the TAGs of old, especially since the prices seem so thoroughly reasonable. These two watches 237.406 & 934.213 were up for just a couple of hundred quid each, which is so very tempting to a watch magpie like me.

The bezel is a tad faded and the gold is mottled and rubbed, but this watch must be thirty years old now and still looks rather striking. I can't quite make up my mind what I think about the ball bearings (?) sticking out of the side of the bezel... I mean I don't quite get why they are there. Do they have a purpose or are they merely ornamental? I'm not too sure...

Early TAG Heuers used leftover 'Heuer' branded parts as we can see here on this well worn clasp.

237.406

I don't have any kind of gold watch, and I don't think the worn gold would bother me as much as PVD that had rubbed off (that seems to be a recurring stumbling block when it comes to looking at pre-owned Grand Carreras), and this one is the larger of these two, measuring 40mm (including the crown). Which is right on the edge of being 'acceptable' for me.

The chronograph looks considerably more chunky than the silver dial watch below as well, which might help matters, although it's a shame there's not more of a contrast between the dial and the subdials.

It's a shame the bezel is so scratched up, but I guess with gold being so soft there's bound to be some elements of wear on a watch this old that's been worn as intended.

Fans of slender watches rejoice, this looks far too delicate for a big lad like me... albeit probably a little too large for my wife. 

At 38mm including the crown this is definitely not something I would feel comfortable wearing, which is a shame because for once I actually don't mind the two-tone design. The unapologetic  dodecagon bezel is striking and reminiscent of the latest Aquaracer range, maybe it's a bit 'period' for some, but I rather like it. Such a shame it's too small for my wrist.

934.213

If you fancy a bid on the silver dial watch in the lower pictures, you can view the eBay auction HERE