NOT BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Kirium Quartz White Dial

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It's become something of a running joke that I have all these TAGs, but none of them have the classic red and green logo on the dial. So when this white faced quartz Kirium appeared on my radar (via eBay) it looked like a sure thing. I bid in the dying moments of the listing and secured this lovely little watch for £246, which isn't outrageously cheap, but it's definitely on the lower end of normal for this particular model.

The seller was away on business for a couple of days so I had to wait a little longer than normal to get my hands on it, but patience is a virtue and I was rewarded this morning when my post arrived. The outer box was a little knocked about but basically okay, however the inner barrel had decayed quite badly and everywhere I put the box down little black bits were left in it's wake. Slightly annoying admittedly, but the seller did state that the case wasn't in the best condition.

The watch came with three spare links (YES!) and I as I could barely get the watch over my hand I had two put in, only to realise that it was way too big and promptly had one taken out again. What a faff! But then it fitted nicely and considering the age of the watch the clasp was pretty decent too, certainly better than my blue dial 'chrono' Kirium anyway.

I was wearing my grey dial 500M Aquaracer today so of course my 'size' alert went off like a claxon, but I measured the case and it's exactly the same size as the aforementioned chrono and my F1 Kirium, so that put my mind at rest. It does look smaller somehow though, I don't know why. Maybe it's the small mirror finished Arabic numbers on the dial?

When the watch arrived it was about ten minutes fast, so I put it right and thought no more about it and then took this picture. Quite a difference from 43mm to 37mm isn't there? But still, I'm over that now, I know I can wear a 37mm Kirium, it's fine. Honest!

I gave the watch a damn good clean and noticed a couple of things, first the reference number is missing from the backplate, but I reckon it's just worn away. I've seen loads of photos of Kiriums with no markings (just the embossed TAG logo, which looked exactly as I'd expect) so that didn't raise any concerns with me. Secondly, it appears that the date wheel doesn't quite reach over as far as it should. The date numbers look a little tight to the left margin and there appears to be a gap at the right hand side.

If I wasn't so familiar with the Kirium range, this might have been cause for concern, but I'm pretty sure this is either a sub standard repair or maybe just a QC issue when the watch was made, I honestly don't believe this watch is a fake. If it is then it's an extremely good one.

So I popped it back in it's box and got on with my day and didn't get it out until about 9:30pm, by which time the watch had gained ten minutes again. Oh dear!

Damn you quartz movement!!!

To be fair, the seller has been brilliant. Not twenty minutes after I messaged him I'd received a pre-paid returns label and you can't say fairer than that. I am rather disappointed, but at the same time am I now looking for another WL1110 to fill the void? I don't think I am. Maybe if one comes along at the right price I might be tempted, but as it stands I won't be chasing one down.

I don't want to be negative about the watch at all, it was in great condition apart from the 'time-keeping' issue... and the applied markers and Arabics looked good, the lume was adequate.. the bracelet was in good condition and just as comfortable as my other Kiriums. But I kind of feel like I maybe bought it because it was cheap, rather than because I really liked it and I'm not quite sure that's enough any more, not with so many watches competing for wrist time.

I will be sorry to see it go though, since it was my first white dial TAG Heuer and of course because it means that once again my collection is devoid of a single piece bearing the classic logo. On the other hand, in a few days my TAG fund will be swelled to the tune of £246 once again, and so the thrill of chase resumes once more...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer01 Singapore Price and Review by Crown Watch Blog

FEATURE: Size Definitely Matters... (Part One)

Left-Right: F1 Kirium / Aquagraph / Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton 45mm / Microtimer

Aquarcer Chronotimer / 6000 Series Blue Dial / Aquaracer Calibre S / Grand Carrera GMT

Aquaracer 500M Grey Dial / Kirium Quartz Chronograph / 2000 Exclusive Two-Tone

You know, back before I got really into watches, it never occurred to me that the size of a watch was important, or that it even mattered. I literally wouldn't have given it a second thought unless it was comically oversized, or ridiculously petite. I bet my old yellow dial, red Velcro strap 'Gull' watch was in the mid 30s range and it didn't bother me in the slightest, but now that I have become 'aware', I am a man obsessed!

F1 Kirium CL111A (37mm)

My first TAG was the F1 Kirium, this never struck me as small until I bought my Aquagraph, which is not just bigger, but very chunky and very heavy. But even then I still never thought the Kirium was 'small' as such, just smaller than the Aquagraph, which is obviously very uncompromising in it's design.

Aquagraph CN211A (41mm)

Even so, I was rather shocked when I saw this photograph because I never felt it looked THIS big on my wrist (and by the way, just to say I have a 7.3/4" wrist, which is definitely on the larger side - and a bit of a pain when I'm trying to buy pre-owned as most watches seem to be sized to 7-7.1/2" and people rarely keep the extra links!). 

Despite this 'size' still wasn't something that was in my mind, so when I bought my first '2000 Series' from eBay I was more than a little disappointed when it arrived and was a tiny 35mm. I bought extra links for the bracelet and got it to fit my wrist, but it didn't really fit at all. It looked silly and worse still the clasp dug into my wrist. I tried moving the clasp so the curve moulded around the edge of my wrist better but it just didn't work and I ended up selling it.

I replaced this with another '2000 Series', which was slightly bigger (37mm) but still had issues with the bracelet and ended up buying a rubber strap for it (at an outrageous cost of £140!). I wore this for a year, but eventually became dissatisfied with the size and sold that too. I ended up replacing it with a 40mm quartz Formula 1 that I wore for 18 months, before again becoming dissatisfied with the size.

Carrera Heuer01 CAR2A1Z (45mm)

Conversely, I agonized over the Heuer 01 for months, worried that it was too big... but eventually I went for it and although it is a big piece, the design of the strap makes it seem just right. I love my Heuer 01, it is a gorgeous watch, but if I'd known there was going to be a 43mm would I have bought that instead? Well, perhaps not, because the 43mm doesn't have the titanium case and the red line around the edge, or the black pushers and I don't think it looks as nice. I'f I'd known they were going to make the 'Drive Timer' versions though, that might have been a tougher choice...

My next purchase was off the wall, and one my wife didn't initially approve of, but she's come around now and actually quite likes it. The Microtimer fits so well on the wrist, not only is the strap very wide but the case is curved and wears great with a shirt, indeed I don't really wear it in the Summer as I think it looks much better under a cuff.

Microtimer CS111C (38mm)

I know it's not for everyone (and that only adds to it's appeal in my eyes) but ergonomically it wears so much better than a classic Monaco, which I really struggle with. I just don't like the square shape on the wrist, which is why I really like the Monaco 24 with it's bevelled edges and indeed the Microtimer with it's full width rubber strap. Admittedly, it is a bit sweaty in the Summer, which is another reason why I tend to keep it for the cooler months.

My next purchase was my CAU2012 Calibre 16 Formula 1, which was 44mm in diameter and looked it. Unusually the black PVD coating didn't really make any difference. I was fine with the overall size, but ended up hating the way the pushers and crown stuck out so obnoxiously, so I ended up trading it in after a year, having barely worn it.

Aquaracer Chronotimer CAF1010 (43mm)

The 43mm Chronotimer was my first Aquaracer and again this photo makes it look bigger than it feels and looks to me generally. It feels chunky, right enough, and it has a lot of reflective surfaces which make it a bit marmite for me. I go through periods where I wonder if I should sell it, and then I wear it and decide that I like it again. I wouldn't be entirely surprised if I did end up selling it at some point though...

6000 Series WH1115-K1 (38mm) 

From one extreme to the other, this is my 38mm blue dial 6000 Series, which is only just big enough for my wrist. It looks worse than it feels to be honest, I don't think I need to buy another link, I think I just need to lose some 'pork' and it will be fine, but I certainly can't afford to get any fatter if I want to keep wearing this one in it's current form! This one is pretty thin, which makes it seem smaller, plus the case is bigger than the bezel which means the glass is smaller than you'd expect and again gives the impression of a smaller size watch. I love it though, actually, I'd like a few more 6000s, maybe the green or red dial versions...

Aquaracer Calibre S CAF7013 (43mm)

Again this one is 43mm and again this picture gives the impression of a BIG watch when it looks and feels just fine in person. I'm still not too sure about the rubber strap, I might switch it back to the bracelet at some point, but it's comfortable for the Summer, and does actually make it appear a little smaller (believe it or not). Especially when you consider that this shares the same case as the Chronotimer CAF1010 above!

Grand Carrera Calibre 8 GMT WAV5111 (43mm)

Next up we have the Grand Carrera GMT, which again is 43mm but appears larger. This is mainly due to the very thin bezel which leaves the dial filling much of that 43mm and without a chronograph to fill the space, it definitely creates the illusion of a bigger watch. I don't know if you've noticed or not but this shot clearly shows the irritating way watches seem to face away from me, I think it must be the way my wrist bone is placed - not much I can do about that I suppose!

Aquaracer 500M WAJ1111 (43mm)

Another chunky 43mm Aquaracer, but somehow it looks a touch smaller in this photo. I really love this watch, it's such a nice watch to wear and looks so different to all the black dial watches out there. The crown does appear to stick out and I did worry about that, but it's never bothered me in the slightest in actual fact. This watch looks the perfect size in this photo, it's funny to me that this is the same size as the Chronotimer, which appears much bigger, and 2mm bigger than than the Aquagraph, which looks HUGE in comparison! This one also seems to sit better on my wrist than some...

Kirium Chronograph CL1112 (37mm)

Now we come full circle back to a Kirium and this one is 37mm. I think it looks fine on the wrist, although I was very hesitant to buy it. Day to day it appears larger and smaller than my F1 Kirium, which is strange, but also part of my watch size craziness I think! On any given day I could think this was just right, or too small, but I'm trying to come to terms with this, and indeed now I find that I am having a similar problem with my larger watches, which is not helpful or enjoyable when I've invested so much money in them!

2000 Exclusive WN1153 (37mm)

Lastly we have my most recent purchase, the two-tone 2000 Exclusive I picked up from my local pawnbrokers last week. This one is 37mm, and while it's definitely on the smaller side, I think it looks fine on my wrist. It's odd how a few weeks ago I totally discounted this due to it's size, even though I really liked it's design. It worked out for me on the price, but it seems silly now that I thought it was too small for me. 

Just looking at these pictures I find it absolutely astonishing that the Aquagraph is only 41mm (and I've measured it myself, so that is not a mistake!). It just goes to show the importance of getting a watch on your wrist and seeing how it would look. My friend Rich has a Tudor Pelagos, which is 42mm, and he reckons that's his absolute maximum, but he's said before he couldn't wear the Aquagraph, even though he really likes it. I think he will be shocked to learn that it's actually smaller than his own watch - although it is a bit thicker to be fair. 

I think the Kirium has been key in changing my mind about sub 40mm watches, but it very much depends on the design. I think basing your opinions solely on the diameter is a bad move as it can be terribly misleading. It's so strange seeing all these pictures of my wrist, as some of the watches look massive, but I know they look fine in the flesh, and if I can't wear 43-45mm with a 7.3/4" wrist, then who on Earth can?

Which makes me think I need to take some more photos, perhaps with my hand open and/or some where my wrist isn't resting on a desk as I think this can make my wrist look different, and maybe some full length shots so you can get a better perspective on how the watches look on me.

These will be coming up in part two of this feature, very soon.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Lady Link Review by iReviewWatches

VIDEO: TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive 18K Solid Gold Watch by Lovejoy Antiques

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Alter Ego Two-Tone Quartz Ladies Watch

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I've been somewhat fascinated with the Alter Ego range for a long time and then a couple of months ago I finally got to see one in H&T Pawnbrokers in the town. It was one of the larger, brushed case models which while much more practical simply don't look as good to my eyes. And then of course came the whole adventure to Cash Converters (Wakefield) with my wife to buy her own Alter Ego.

You can read about that HERE.

I really like my wife's Alter Ego, but if I had been buying one I think I would have chosen the metallic blue or possibly black dial, but I understand why she chose the pink dial since she wanted something 'different' (not to mention the pink dial version is definitely one of the less common ones). My wife has never been a fan of two-tone, but when I sent her these pictures yesterday even she grudgingly admitted that it was nice!

I'm intrigued as to how this is put together, as I can't quite work out if it's gold plating or if the gold parts of the case and links are separate pieces? The backs of the links suggest they are one piece, but from some angle it appears that there are 'join lines' as you'd expect with a two-tone bracelet made of individual sub-links. And the case, surely the case isn't made in three pieces?

However they've done it, I think this 29mm watch looks absolute stunning! In fact I would go as far as to say this is probably the best looking Alter Ego I've seen yet, and this particular example (which is being sold by Swiss Wrist Watches on eBay) looks in incredible condition for a watch that must be at least fifteen years old.

I don't know why I have this affinity for the Alter Ego, I guess it's just because it epitomises the 'Techniques d'Avant Garde' spirit like no other watch. I just wish they'd made a men's version or something similarly futuristic and 'out there', sadly I doubt we'll see anything as brave as this again, even from a company as forward looking as TAG Heuer.

One thing my wife has commented on since she got her Alter Ego is that she doesn't think they are as comfortable to wear as her Aquaracer / Formula 1 / 2000 Series. I think perhaps this is because she has such a tiny wrist, because looking at the bracelet it doesn't have the same flexibility as a normal strap, although oddly, I would say the Kirium bracelet is the most comfortable bracelet I've ever had and that is by far the least flexible of all my straps. But since I can't wear one of these, the comfort isn't really my concern... but I can still appreciate the aesthetics, and this one looks outstanding.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer WAN2111 Review by Watch On

UPDATE: Aquaracer Carbon Boutique Editions

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Since Sunday, TAG have revealed pictures and more information about the three new 'Carbon Collection' Aquaracers. First off, the WBD218A pictured above is in fact rose gold, and now that I've seen better shots I think it's my favourite of the three for sure. The watches are 41mm in diameter, which is a good all rounder size and common for three handed Aquaracers (chronographs are usually 43mm). The rose gold version is £3300, while the other models are selling for £3250. 

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I think it was clear, even from Sunday's screen grabs, that the yellow was going to be a stunner. You can't really go wrong with black and yellow, it's a winning combination, and though this shot doesn't show it, the yellow stitched strap sets this dial off perfectly. 

One thing I've noticed while posting these pictures is that the carbon 'pattern' on the dial is identical on all three, and in a photograph I've seen on Calibre 11 today (taken in a boutique in Japan) the same pattern as well - which rather suggests these dials aren't carbon, as carbon is supposed to create a unique pattern every time. Also the dials don't really look the same as the bezel (which definitely is carbon), although if they were carbon 'weave' rather than injected carbon that could possibly account for that. But even so, I'm highly suspicious, despite what the official website claims*

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I like the blue, but much like the blue Carrera Heuer01, it's something I like but wouldn't choose to own. The yellow gives more contrast and looks more fun and the rose gold looks more special somehow, but if you want colour but in a more subtle way, then maybe this is the one for you?

The more I look at the rose gold one the more I like it, it really reminds me of the WAY208C though, which I think I would probably prefer on grounds of cost... but I do like those gold touches with that carbon bezel, very nice indeed!

*David from Calibre 11 has confirmed that the dials are 'carbon effect' rather than actual carbon, which is rather disappointing considering the price hike over a regular Aquaracer!

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive Two Tone

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Est 1897 / H & T Pawnbrokers, Northampton 

You may remember I tried this watch on a couple of weeks ago and I was going to go back and try it on again while wearing a smaller watch (like my 6000 Series)... but then I got seduced by the inaccurate claims of Fine Time and ordered their WAF1120 Aquaracer instead, which turned out to be duller, faulty and 38mm not 41mm! And so back it went, and a couple of days ago I was thinking 'Well, I still don't have a gold watch, maybe I should go back and see if that 2000 Exclusive is still in the window?'

So yesterday I decided to have a scout around Northampton and see what was what. The pawn brokers nearest my workplace still have that quartz Formula 1 CAU2011 going for a bargain basement price (£1195), Michael Jones still has a Calibre 16 500M black dial Aquaracer for about the same price and H&T did indeed still have the WN1153 two tone 2000 Exclusive for £595.

They also had a CAH1212, which I'm rather surprised to learn is a women's watch. A 41mm chronograph (admittedly with a diamond bezel) is categorised by TAG Heuer as a women's piece, I felt pretty sure it was a man's watch - but no, I checked in the 2014 catalogue and there it is, right next to the 32mm version. Still, I guess there's nothing to stop a guy wearing it, or a woman for that matter, but I can't imagine that many women being comfortable with a 41mm watch...

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To be honest I might even have been tempted myself, but let's not complicate matters further...

I had a look in the window and saw it was there, but I was wearing my 43mm grey dial Aquaracer so I decided to come back another day, with a Kirium or my 6000 Series on so that I wouldn't put obstacles in the way. In the window it really didn't look unduly small, and as I've been wearing my blue Kirium a bit, I've kind of got used to a smaller watch again, indeed I've started feeling like my 43mm Aquaracers are a bit big - which isn't good as I have three of them!

So today I made a point of wearing my blue Kirium to work with the intention of going into town and checking out the watch again, and maybe buying it. Well, being the last day of the month I was very busy so I didn't get to go into town until very late in the afternoon. I walked up to the window and was pleased to see the watch was still there, but it's little stand up sign seemed to be missing. Then I noticed it was there but it had been knocked to the side. 

I knew the watch was £595, because I'd seen it the day before, so I was a bit thrown off because the sign now said £446 instead. I checked and it definitely said TAG Heuer Exclusive on it, and they didn't have another one, and then looking closer it said 'Was £595, Now £446'.

R E S U L T !

That very morning they had knocked £149 off the price, which was funny because I was debating on the way down if I should maybe try to knock them down on price a bit. But I was thinking more along the lines of £30, so I wasn't going to look this kind of deal in the mouth.

I think I'd pretty much decided, pending a second 'try on', that I was going to buy the watch, so the discount was a welcome bonus and sweetener that made me feel confident that if I didn't like the watch I could flip it without losing too much money.

I didn't get the name of the lady in the shop, but she was absolutely charming - let's be honest, she must have some rum customers to deal with in that kind of environment, but she would have been just as at home in a proper jewellers I think. I noticed a card on the counter and she explained that they were part of Est1897 and that if you want to see any of the watches on their website you can have them delivered to the local store for viewing. This is well worth knowing as the Est 1897 website has a huge number of TAGs on it, and it's potentially a lot more convenient than Watchfinder...

The watch is still definitely on the smaller side at 37mm, but I think it's fine and even when I ordered the WAF1120 I was still thinking this one was better looking, as I believe I said in my post. Nothing had changed for me, I still love the look of this one. I much prefer the gold 12,6, 9 figures and blockier hour markers, and I also think the bezel on this one is much nicer. There's less gold on the bracelet too, which I'm not unhappy about, and again I prefer the design and execution. If this watch was 39mm it would be perfect, but for £446 I'm not going to argue. Sure if I saw the 39mm chrono version I'd probably prefer it, but a) I haven't been able to find one anywhere and b) there's no way it would be anything like £446.

So I left H & T a happy chap, with TAG number 11 in my bag... and amazingly, as my friend pointed out immediately I got back to work, still no red and green logo! Damn....!

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Aquaracer Calibre 5 Carbon Fibre Boutique Special Editions

Launching in a couple of weeks time, these are the new Carbon Fibre Aquaracer Calibre 5's, which are 'Special' rather than 'Limited' editions, so no numbered casebacks then! So far there appears to be three versions, which is not unusual for TAG Heuer: a blue version, a yellow version and the last one is hard to tell, it looks a bit like copper or bronze, but it could be rose gold I suppose?

When I first heard about these I thought they sounded neat, but worried the price would be horrendous. Well, I don't actually know the price as yet, but there may be hope that the price is reasonable because the cases of these watches are actually titanium rather than carbon fibre. That means it's just the bezel insert and dial which are actually carbon fibre, which should mean these are a lot cheaper than I thought they were going to be. So more like £3-4000 I would think, rather than £4-5000.

Really liking this yellow one, but the blue is also nice. I'm guessing TAG are using the nylon straps from the current Aquaracers (which are conveniently yellow and blue). Presumably the watches are 41mm, on the face of it they appear more likely to be 41 than 43mm. I'm going to have to reserve judgement on the other watch as the pictures aren't the best and it's unclear exactly what we're looking at. I'm guessing gold for the hands and markers, but the logo and text seem to be bronze coloured?

It's nice to see some new Special Editions in the Aquaracer range, I think the blue, red and sand coloured ones of a couple of years ago were very daring, and last years camouflage and khaki ones were also interesting pieces... I'd definitely consider a carbon fibre piece for my collection, although I think it would have to get in the queue behind the WAY208C and the WAY208D.

EDIT: Prices are £3250 for the yellow and blue versions and £3300 for the rose gold.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Unboxing by My Watch Addictions

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronograph

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TGS Pawnbrokers / Northampton, 3rd August 2018

Walking past the pawnbroker near where I work the other day I spotted this in the window, unfortunately by the time I'd got back to work I'd convinced myself it had red hour markers and wasted quite some time (and unfortunately someone else's time - apologies to Tom) trying to establish if what I'd seen was some sort of Limited Edition for Japan or something.

In the end I made it back to the shop, only to find the watch missing from the window. It had been put in the safe because someone had paid a deposit on it. The lady in there wasn't keen to show me the watch but she did kindly write the number off the back down for me, but that didn't really help since all that really did was point me in the direction of the standard model - at this point I still believed the hour markers were red, so was it fake? The only way to settle it was to see it again.

Fortunately, the buyer pulled out, and I went back to see the watch, and confirmed that it was me all along, the hour markers weren't red at all and I'd just been over-eager! But, I have to say... rather unexpectedly when I actually got to see this one I was rather taken with it! I know it's remarkably similar to the CAU2012 I sold earlier in the year, and I do still have reservations about those crown guards and the 44mm case, but it doesn't seem as noticeable on this one and the bracelet is bloody lovely!

It's a big, chunky, flashy watch though. No getting away from that, and the red flashes don't make it any less 'shouty', but I kinda like that. I think the red works much better on the pushers than the orange on the Calibre 16 F1 I had, and the ceramic links look fantastic contrasting the brushed steel outer links, while the small polished inserts give the watch just enough shine, without going OTT. This isn't one for sliding under a cuff, but I doubt the wearer would want to hide this watch anyway.

Unfortunately I couldn't quite get the clasp to close, the bracelet is too short for me and there's no spare links with it, which is a shame because the price is very good (£1200) for what is a mint condition watch that has absolutely no sign of wear. I could well see myself wearing one of these in the future, and I noticed the watch is still in the window now (31st August)...  but no, I really must try not to buy any more watches this year!

VIDEO: Autavia Jack Heuer vs Omega Speedmaster MkII by Watchbox Studios

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Heuer Autavia 'Watches of Switzerland' Limited Edition

Another 150 piece limited edition, this time in collaboration with 'Watches of Switzerland', and given the popularity of blue dials these days I can't see this one hanging around for long. That said, I'm not too sure about the blue dial with the black bezel, it's not terrible, but it would have been nice if they could have gone the extra mile and produced a blue bezel to match, but I guess the more things they change the more the costs go up. Personally I would have preferred a blue JH85 style bezel, but now we're getting carried away!

The orange second hand looks good though, blue and orange is pretty much always a winning combination, although I suspect they might have polluted this with that awful biege lume again, I can't really tell from this picture but I bet they have. On top of those crisp white sub dials as well... tsk tsk, this is becoming a nasty little habit TAG, please stop it.

I'm not a fan of the Autavia in general, but this is one of the better looking ones for sure, and the blue dial seems to go very well with the 'beads of rice' bracelet, better than the black dial in my opinion. I do wonder how many more Autavia special editions we're going to get, we've already had the Calibre 11, Hodinkee and the Harrods and now this one, not to mention the UAE one... I bet Mr Bamford is already working on a carbon fibre cased one as well - although maybe that one would be a step too far?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Autavia Chronograph Review by WatchBox Studios

FEATURE: A Trip to Meadowhall

As far as TAG goes, there's three places to look in Meadowhall, obviously there's the TAG Heuer boutique, then there's Beaverbrooks and Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths don't actually stock TAG any more in Meadowhall, I guess because they are only about three doors away from the boutique... but they still have pre-owned TAGs if you look hard enough.

But my first port of call was Beaverbrooks and I was rather uninspired by the window display to be honest, nothing really stood out except perhaps the new Carrera Calibre 16 with the awful biege lume and the HUGE white subdials - I'm not a fan of these ones it must be said. Since I was with my wife I ended up browsing the women's models and actually there was a couple of very nice Aquaracers, one with a blue Mother of Pearl dial, which caught the light perfectly and also a black MOP dial which wasn't quite as attractive although it did have a kind of red highlight running through it when it reflected just the right way.

WAY1311.BA0748

It's really difficult to find pictures which show off the dials on these, but this one is well worth a look.

Moving on to Goldsmiths and the pre-owned section, there was a fairly limited choice, the most interesting by far was the blue and white Monaco 24 they had, albeit the price was around the £6000 mark, which while that is probably fair given the original list price, I cannot fathom why anyone would pay that when they could buy the same watch NOS with a two year warranty from one of the TAG outlets around the country - but then they are the same kind of prices on Watchfinder as well, and they seem to turn them over. So I guess the conclusion we can draw from that is that not everyone is aware of the outlets?

CAL5111.FC6299

I find it rather depressing that if you Google 'Monaco 24 blue and white' that the majority of hits you get are terrible fakes.. I really don't understand why people persist in buying these awful things. I suppose the one positive you can take from it is that most of them are so bad that no-one who's got any real idea is going to be fooled for more than a second...

I haven't tried a Monaco 24 on for a while, I think the last one I tried was the black and silver version and that was stunning, definitely my pick of the bunch, but it's a lot of cash to invest in one watch and I can't see me getting one any time soon - although definitely long term I do want one. The Monaco is a glaring omission from my collection, but the 'classic' ones don't really do it for me, and realistically they aren't that much cheaper than the 24s anyway!

Finally I made my way the few short steps to the TAG Heuer boutique itself, and again, it wasn't terribly inspiring somehow. Indeed, the one watch which put a smile on my face in there was the Aquaracer Calibre 5 Camouflage Special Edition. I still can't stand the NATO strap, but the dial is fantastic. I think that could definitely be something I would put my money into, although I'd need to sort out exactly what rubber straps would fit it as I couldn't live with the supplied strap for more than about five minutes.

WAY208D.FC8221

Judging by the number of these that still seem to be knocking about, I can imagine this being just the sort of watch that would turn up in the outlets, though I think it's a shame that it hasn't sold better. Given this, it's perhaps not surprising that TAG seem to be slowly moving into a more conservative realm, and that's disappointing - but understandable from a financial point of view. Anyway, I would definitely like one of these sooner or later, but that strap has got to go. Ideally I'd like a 'fitted' TAG strap, but if not then maybe one of those Isofrane things would look good on it?

The only other things in there that caught my eye were the Red Bull Carrera Heuer 01 with the blue leather strap and the Arabic numerals, and a couple of Lady Links, in particular the matt black ceramic version with the diamond bezel and the gloss version without the diamonds. My wife said she'd rather have the shiny one, but with the diamonds and I have to say I agree. 

WBC1394.BH0745

It doesn't look nearly as 'Matte' in the pictures as it does in the flesh and it looks a bit odd to be truthful. I'm not sure the diamonds work with the finish very well, which is a shame as it's a beautiful design. I haven't seen the gloss finish version with the diamonds and it's entirely possible that it isn't made (this is the Bella Hadid limited edition retailing at £4650), if that's the case then that's a bit of a shame because I'm sure that would look pretty amazing.

All in all then, a bit of a disappointment really. But if nothing else this little adventure has at least reignited my interest in that WAY208D Camo Calibre 5! 

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FEATURE: Are TAG Heuer Watches Over Priced?

Let's be honest, TAG Heuer doesn't get much love in the wider watch community... undoubtedly it's partly because they still make quartz watches and that really rubs some people up the wrong way. I don't know why it annoys people so much, or why people get so agitated in general - it's only watches for God's sake! For my own part I tend not to look at other brands too much any more because any time that I've see an Omega I like it's usually five months salary (Apollo 8 Speedmaster for example) and that's not really viable for me, and other brands I like (Hublot, Richard Mille) are so far out of my price range it's not even funny. I did hanker after the 45mm Breitling Hurricane Avenger for a while, I even tried it on in the Bond Street boutique, but at £7000 it's just too much for me. On the other hand, TAG make watches that I like and they are (relatively) attainable, so I stick to what I like and what I can afford.

Breitling Hurricane Avenger 45mm - a bit too rich for me!

If you watched that video the other day with The Time Teller and Federico, you'll have heard a familiar line from Federico - he didn't agree that TAG sucked, but he had to get in there that they are overpriced. So, are TAG Heuer watches overpriced?

Ultimately, the market decides if you're over priced. Price too high and nobody buys your product and you go out of business = simple economics. TAG are doing pretty good business from what I understand, although results are posted as the LVMH group so it's hard to establish actual figures. Still, it seems certain that TAG is probably as popular as it's ever been - if not more so, and much more visible in the sporting arena with it's sponsorship programme (including Premier League football and the Red Bull F1 team) and on the high street with their own boutiques popping up in shopping centres in key areas.

I think something that people in the watch community fail to take into account when they claim that TAG Heuers are overpriced, is the amount that they spend on marketing and creating brand awareness. So yes, when you buy a brand new TAG a proportion of that cost is going to Manchester United and Red Bull and even Alec Monopoly! But that's a choice you make, The Time Teller offered up Hamilton as an example of a Swiss watch brand that wasn't overpriced. That may be so, but nobody cares about Hamilton do they? Really? Most ordinary people wouldn't even know what a 'Hamilton' is. If you said 'Hamilton' to a non watch-obsessed member of the public, they would probably come up blank, or assume you were talking about Lewis Hamilton. TAG's brand awareness is very good in comparison.

Hamilton Khaki - whateverrrrrr...

So, it seems to me that there is a distinct difference between the brands that put themselves out there, and the ones that don't, and the ones that don't are generally a lot cheaper. So from that standpoint you could argue that TAG Heuer is overpriced, but any brand that isn't Rolex needs to put themselves in front of their potential market and that costs money. Whether it's sponsoring football teams, Formula 1 teams, the Olympics or James Bond, money needs to be spent and it inevitably comes from the price of the goods sold. Omega gets a lot of love from the watch community, but their watches are just as over-priced, it just seems to be a convenient stick to beat TAG Heuer with now that the quality control issues of the past have been addressed.

In turn, brand awareness creates demand and ultimately 'value', which is why Rolex can charge the prices they do. But for some reason Rolex don't get called out on their prices the way TAG do, and it's not because Rolex watches are 'worth' the money, it's because they hold their value, which unfortunately TAG don't to the same extent. I suppose this is where the problem arises, and from my perspective it seems at least partly because TAG tend to prioritise 'design' which can leave some pre-owned models looking a bit 'last season', which of course isn't something Rolex suffer from.

Since the boom in retro styling, the other watch companies have embraced this with gusto as it plays to their strengths (think Speedmaster for example) but as an 'Avant Garde' forward looking company, TAG does have this issue that designs from five years ago can look a little dated, this in turn affects the resale values of some (but not all) models, add to this the watch community's overwhelming tendency towards staunch conservatism and 'classic' designs (verging on luddite to be honest, when was the last time you saw any watch channel recommending anything other than a Speedmaster, Submariner, Khaki, or SKX?) and you can see how TAG's problems add up.

Early quartz Links are favourites for abuse from TAG haters.

But clearly not all TAGs are equal when it comes to retaining value. I thought picking up a used Red Bull F1 for a nice price would be fairly easy, but the absolute best price I've seen is £900 which means it's lost about 30% of it's value from new, but most are £1000+ and that's excellent for any watch that isn't Rolex.

So why does Rolex hold it's value so well when other brands struggle so much? Well, for one thing Rolex do not change their range every five minutes so if you buy a Submariner today, in five years that Submariner (or one painfully similar) will still be made and it will have gone up significantly. Because of this your watch will probably be worth about what you paid for it. Non watch-people have this idea that Rolexes are a great investement, but they aren't really. If you want to make money don't buy watches full stop, but yes, it is true that unlike most luxury watches your Rolex won't lose money like a leaky bucket loses water.

I've noticed this particularly with models that are discontinued in the TAG range, like my Aquagraph. The original list price was £3000, and I bought mine at Bicester Village for £2100. It's mint and today it's probably worth £1300 max, but if that watch was still in production, the list would be £4000, and mine would be worth maybe £2000. That's the Rolex effect.

The flip side of that, is that I don't want TAG to be a safe, stagnant company that makes the same ten watches for eternity. I want them to make crazy stuff like the Microtimer, even if I personally wouldn't have paid £2000 for it new (I bought mine pre-owned for £600), but that course has definite ramifications for the pre-owned market.

But what is the alternative? When you see Rolex devotees losing their collective mind because O.M.G. there's a Submariner with a tiny bit of red text on the dial... I don't want that for TAG Heuer thank you very much.

So are TAG Heuer watches overpriced? The market says no, but objectively you could say yes, but no more so than Breitling, Longines, Omega and all the rest of their direct competitors.

Microtimer is AWESOME!

Because truthfully when it comes to luxury goods 'retail price' isn't actually a reflection of material value. Is a steel Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore really 'worth' £22,000? Certainly not in terms of it's material and components, in fact I would suggest it probably costs way less than £2000 to make that watch. But, it's an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore... in the same way that a Ferrari's just a car, but it's a Ferrari, and that costs money.

When you think about it, spending more than about £150 on a watch is pretty ridiculous, nobody needs luxury watches, they're just things we like to own. So the price is academic, they will charge what they can get. TAGs are a 'modernist' brand and they are sold in large quantities so it would be tough to address the second hand value issue, although if they could it would most likely drive up the retail price, as we've seen with Rolex and now Tudor to some extent.

But certainly I don't see myself walking into a shop and paying full retail for a new TAG, unless it's a limited edition and I'm sure I'm never go to want to sell it. But plenty of people do, and probably a large proportion of those people aren't 'watch' people really, they're just affluent consumers who see a nice watch and want to own it. But that's good from my point of view, because those are exactly the sort of people who need stimulating with new and original product and that is what I want to see from TAG Heuer!

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