SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Aquaracer One Piece Box Set

WAY218C.FC6364   WAY218D.FC6364

You may remember I did a post about this watch before and you'll probably recognize it as I used it for the banner link to my Gallery Blog as well. But what I didn't know at the time was that while there were 1000 pieces made and sold as the WAY218C with all 9 characters* on the backplate there was also a set of 100 'box sets' made which came with 9 backplates, each depicting one of the nine 'One Piece' characters.

*Just to confuse things further, according to this article if you pre-ordered your 'One Piece' Aquaracer WAY218C, you could choose which character appeared on your watch's back-plate!

According to Wikipedia: 'One Piece' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine since July 22, 1997, and has been collected into 95 tankōbon volumes. The story follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose body gained the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit. With his crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy explores the Grand Line in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as "One Piece" in order to become the next King of the Pirates.

I'm a bit confused by the idea of selling a watch with different backplates as that rather suggests that you can swap them over as you please. You could, but presumably not until the 2 year warranty has expired... then again - I somehow doubt these are genuinely intended to be used and are much more likely to be kept in the box, not least because using the backs would devalue them. 'Tis a strange world we live in indeed!

The 'Treasure Box' looks pretty cool though I must say, kinda like something I would expect from Omega! Although what exactly you would do with it is anyone's guess.

It's great that TAG Heuer don't take themselves too seriously to indulge in these Special Edition watches, I have no idea about 'One Piece', but I've always thought this watch looked rather interesting and this series must have quite a following if they are prepared to make 100 of these box sets. No idea what the original list price on these was I'm afraid, but this one is currently on eBay for $6999

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323881435763

I'm currently working hard on a new 'page' for this blog where I am listing every TAG Heuer part number I can find and linking it to an image. This is not a quick job, we are talking several thousand links... but work is advancing steadily and I hope to have it (mostly) done in a few weeks time. I am also highlighting any unusual models (such as this one for example) and where possible providing details of the number of pieces produced. I will also use this page to provide some pre-made searches of my 'Gallery' blog as I know all too well that the search facility is unreliable and the label tool is awkward to use. More to follow on this soon...

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Microtimer

VIDEO: The 2020 TAG Heuer Connected Generation 3 by Time and Tide

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Ladies Quartz with Diamonds

WAY1395.BH0716

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village 21st February 2020

I am very blessed to have a wife who shares my love of watches; sure she doesn't care about part numbers like I do, she doesn't spend way more time than is probably healthy looking at watches on the internet each day... and so far her collection numbers less than half of mine (still an impressive ten pieces), but she doesn't roll her eyes every time I send her a photo of a watch either, so it's a win/win for me! 

Perhaps because she is so engaged I look at ladies watches with a lot more interest than a lot of guys and while I am never going to be able to wear most of these watches (I would totally wear that white and diamond Monaco though) I can still appreciate a beautiful timepiece just the same. On a recent visit to the TAG Heuer outlet at Bicester Village this stunning Aquaracer caught my attention and I had to get a closer look.

I really like the black polished ceramic Aquaracers and this one is truly exceptional. The finish is more like black chrome rather than simply a 'shiny' ceramic; it has a translucent quality to it that the photographs don't really do justice to and it really does look incredibly beautiful. 

You probably won't notice at first but the diamonds are set into a polished steel bezel, in truth this is probably because it's a lot easier to set diamonds into steel than ceramic but they could have PVD coated it instead if they'd wanted to, but it looks great like this and I actually think it helps the design as sometimes when you see these diamond bezel Aquaracer's the diamond setting is broken up by the black over-riders, but here because they are silver it flows a lot better.

This WAY139S Aquaracer is quartz powered and measures 35mm across the face (which is about the same as a classic 'resin' Formula 1 as it happens), it's too small for me of course, but if they made this in a 39mm say, I would happily wear it! The only thing I don't like about this watch is the butterfly clasp on the bracelet, but I'm told once you get used to it they aren't so bad.

List price on this one was originally £3095, but Bicester Village currently has this for £2165. You know, getting your wife interested in watches makes your life a whole lot easier, so this could be a good investment, or a sweetener when you want to pick up that Monaco you've been after maybe? :)

GALLERY: TAG Heuer 2000 Exclusive Quartz Watch

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Targa Florio by Edinburgh Watch Company

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Arrivals at TAG Heuer Bicester Village

Phone the store on 01869 249008

It's been a while since the last decent influx of new stock at Bicester Village, but today we have sixteen new pieces for you, including the very latest Connected models which have just recently been discontinued. Also we have quite a rare Formula 1 model and a numbered 'limited edition' Aquaracer previously available only through the jeweller 'Ernest Jones'.

SBF8A8031.EB0172

'Golf Edition'

List Price: £1650

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1155

SBF8A8017.11FT6082

List Price: £1495

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1045

SBF8A8014.11FT6081

List Price: £1250

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £875

SBF8A8012.11FT6104

List Price: £1650

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1155

SBF8A8013.32FT6076

List Price: £2750

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1925

SBF8A8014.11FT6076

List Price: £1250

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £875

SBF8A8013.82FT6110

List Price: £1895

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1325

SBF8A8011.62FT6079

List Price: £5750

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £4025

SBF8A5000.32FT6110

List Price: £3550

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £2485

SBF8A8013.80BH0933

List Price: £2695

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1885

SBF8A8012.11FT6077

List Price: £1495

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1045

SBF8A8001.11FT6110

List Price: £1550

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1085

SBF8A8001.11FT6076

List Price: £1495

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1045

SBF8A8001.10BF0608

List Price: £1995

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1395

WAY101G.BA0746

Ernest Jones Limited Edition (500 only) Aquaracer Quartz

List Price: £1595

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £1115

WAZ1116.BA0875

Formula 1 Quartz Watch

List Price: £1200

BICESTER VILLAGE PRICE: £875

As always stock is limited so please phone the store on 01869 249008 for information and stock queries.

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre S Chronograph

VIDEO: Heuer 'Abercrombie and Fitch' Seafarer 2444 by Watch Chris

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Two-Tone Blue Dial Watch

 WBD2120.BB0930

I honestly never thought I would own a two-tone watch, until one day I rather unexpectedly found one in a pawn shop window... since then I've bought two more and now I have an S/EL, a 3000 Series and of course that original 2000 Exclusive, all of which I wear regularly. So I was intrigued to see this new two tone Aquaracer as I've been quite impressed with some of the bi-colour Aquaracers I've seen in the Bicester Village outlet, but underwhelmed by the conservative dial colours they tend to have (largely silver/champagne). Also this one rather reminds me of a gorgeous 1500 Series that I've seen on eBay time and time again (one which is definitely overpriced, but damn did they do an amazing job of photographing that thing). I would add a link here to that watch, but of course I can't find it - maybe somebody finally caved and bought it... I wanted to, but I just knew it couldn't look as good as the photographs...

You would be forgiven for thinking blue dial two tone Aquaracers were a common item, after all blue and gold go together so well... but while there have been some, they aren't as common as you might think. Sure there's the WAB1120 and the WAK1120, but these are older style Aquaracers, if you want one of the more up to date AR's with the angular bezel there's really only the WAY1122 or the WAP1121, both of which are limited editions.

So I for one am very pleased to see this one added to the range, I reckon that colour combination is going to like dynamite on the wrist and maybe something to add to my list of 'future possibilities'! I will have to reserve judgement though because an awful lot will depend on the exact tone of the gold they've chosen, it could look incredible or it could ruin it completely - we'll have to wait and see.

Pricing is hard to determine as it's not yet on the new TAG Heuer website - I have found it on American websites where it is being sold at $3000 and also at $2810, the second one is quoting the list price as $3750 which equates to about £2900 over here in the UK. I have a feeling it might be a little more than that somehow, as that seems a little low to me.

WBD1325.BB0320

Not to be out done, there's also a smaller 'ladies' model which is quartz powered rather than the Calibre 5 automatic of the gents version. This one is 32mm versus the larger 41mm for the WBD2120 and features the very attractive wavy blue dial as seen on the recently released WBD131D. Personally I'd quite like to have seen the wavy dial on the men's version too, but I guess it might have looked a bit too 'Omega' for comfort...

Again pricing is hard to pin down; I can only find this on one US website which gives a price of $2300 (£1784) but again that looks optimistic to me and I suspect it will be over £2000 in reality. Looks absolutely fantastic in this picture though...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watch Review by Watch Your Game

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kirium Quartz Chronograph

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Quartz Watch

WAY101L.FC8222

The thing I'll probably miss the most about Baselworld 2020, is those naughty media people who just can't help themselves when they've got a photo of a watch that's under embargo for months to come... maybe it's accidental, or maybe it's deliberate (maybe it's even collusion?) but those pictures always seem to come out somewhere, and so it was with this WAY101L Aquaracer.

This one has only recently arrived in the stores but I've had a photo of this watch since last May I think, and what's made it all the stranger is that I've also known the part number for months, because this one has been offered for 'sale' on some unscrupulous watch websites for quite some time now.

Some of you may be thinking that you've seen this one for sale locally a long time ago, but the chances are you're probably getting it mixed up with the WAY101E; that watch is largely the same only the colour scheme is reversed, indeed these watches share the same NATO strap. I actually find it quite hard to decide which of these two I prefer, on the one hand I do rather like the green bezel, but on the other I also like the green numerals on the grey bezel... I guess if funds enable you could get both and wear them on alternate weeks? :)

I like both of these watches then, but as ever, I do wish both were available on bracelets; it seems such an obvious alternative. I wonder if you could order it with a bracelet for a few hundred sheckles more? I'll try and find out... I really can't see why not, after all, last year AMJ Watches was offering the Aston Martin Formula 1 on a bracelet.

Ah, but every time I see this watch I can't help but think of the 'other' watch that was in those photos from Baselworld 2019. Actually there were several but all have since been released, all save for one. As such that watch has taken on almost mythical status in my mind, as not only is it elusive, but it's perhaps the most unusual looking Aquaracer I've ever clapped eyes on.

The release of the WAY101L gives me hope that the WAY101K isn't lost forever, perhaps it was intended to be launched at Baselworld 2020... or maybe Mr Bianchi has deemed it too wacky to release and put the kibosh on it? I do hope not, as I'm dying to see what that freaky bezel is made of.

Anyway, the WAY101L is 43mm and quartz powered and available now (on the NATO) for £1350

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watch

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Watch Winder

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 21st February 2020

On numerous occasions over the last few years when it comes near Christmas and my birthday my wife has floated the idea of buying me a watch winder, but to be honest I've never really been that interested. I have four automatic watches, but I only wear them occasionally, so to keep them running all that time in-between seems a little pointless and to my mind all it's really doing is bringing the inevitable service closer. It's a different kettle of fish if you have a watch with a perpetual calendar complication or something like that where allowing the watch to stop means a lot of hassle to reset it, but if like me you just have a day/date to fiddle with then it's not exactly a massive deal to put it right and wind.

So really I was never that bothered, albeit I knew that TAG Heuer watch winders existed... mainly because I had seen photos of (Calibre11 moderator and previous T.H.E. interviewee) Hubert's, but I had no idea where to get one or even if they were on general sale. Even if they were available I (rightly) supposed they would be prohibitively expensive and so as much as I liked the look of them it was something I was resigned to never owning. 

That changed a couple of weeks ago when the Bicester Village store got in this 'ex-display' model, it's in very good condition, but there are a few little marks here and there, mainly on the glass doors. The list price was a fairly ferocious £1260, which as I suspected was quite a bit more than I was willing to part with, but the sale price was a massively more affordable £252.

I must admit I very nearly passed on it, but then I thought better of it and posed the question to my wife if she still wanted to buy me a watch winder for my birthday? The answer was yes and so I took it home and played with it a little bit before removing the batteries and handing it over for safe keeping until October.

Yes indeed, this one is battery operated... which I'm actually quite pleased about because where I want to put it there are no plugs nearby! You can get a mains adaptor for it, but it didn't come with one and I shan't be bothering with that. The batteries sit behind the metal plates you can see in the picture above and are easily accessed with the edge of a coin.

The wind function is easily initiated using the toggle switches just under the watch on the front of the winder. To begin with the winder gives the watch quite a vigorous routine of turning before settling down. Truthfully, I don't really know if I'll ever actually use the winding function; it's actually surprisingly noisy and I'm quite sure my wife will moan about it keeping her awake at night! But still, it looks great and more importantly it frees up two cushions in my ever-filling cabinet and that's quite a bonus moving forward, hehehe...

The only thing I am a little worried about is the watch holders, which seem to be incredibly strongly sprung and I'm a little concerned about the strain it's putting on the strap of my titanium Calibre 16 Carrera. I'm probably worrying unnecessarily, but it does look mighty tight on there... odd really as I have quite big wrists.

Of course it's slightly disappointing that I have to wait seven months to get my hands back on this, but still I'm sure it will be worth the wait, and at least I will have it in time for my end of 2020 State of the Collection post. :)

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Link 'Searacer' Regatta Chronograph

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 7 GMT 'Batman'

WAY201T.BA0927

A few weeks ago I was pondering the now cancelled, sorry 'postponed'... Baselworld 2020 and what TAG Heuer might be bringing to the show. For some reason (probably because I'd recently watched a video about the Rolex Batman I shouldn't wonder) the idea popped into my head that they might perhaps produce an Aquaracer 'Batman' GMT and for several minutes I was very pleased with myself. Until that was I remembered that they already have GMT 'Batmans' in both the modern Carrera and Formula 1 ranges and let's not forget of course the 'Pepsi' GMT in the Aquaracer range. 'So much for that prediction,' I thought as I mentally discarded it...

Odd then that less than a month later I'm looking at exactly the watch I predicted and what a beauty it is! Clearly one shouldn't get too carried away until the watch has actually been wrapped around the wrist, but I haven't been this excited about a new model since the green dial Aquaracer... and we know how that turned out don't we? Yeah.

Actually at the start of this year I kinda decided that since there wasn't anything urgently demanding my purchasing attention, now might be a good time to send a few of my watches off for repair and servicing. To that end my blue dial 2000 Exclusive (the one with the dodgy crown) has gone back, as has my black dial S/EL (chronograph minute hand doesn't work and I want the dial and hands re-lumed) and my blue dial Kirium is next in line for attention - but I'm somewhat conflicted about what to do with that one because maybe it would be more cost effective to look for another one and start again! I shall write about these in due course, but the two watches that have gone back already made a significant dent in my finances, so this Aquaracer might have to wait a while. Still, we don't want to rush in to anything we might regret, do we?

I've tried the 'Pepsi' bezel Aquaracer on a couple of times over the last year or two and while I've always liked it, it's never really quite landed with me, not to the extent that I've wanted to put my hand in my pocket at any rate. This could be a different matter though, going from these pictures I'd have to say this one looks fantastic; I've always liked the 'Batman' bezel better than either the 'Pepsi' or 'Coke' variants, but I've never wanted to spend the money for a Heuer 02 GMT and the Formula 1 version doesn't really ring my bell enough to warrant a purchase. This on the other hand looks the business, especially that blue dial; that really looks like something I could get used to owning!

My only gripe though is the GMT hand, I cannot for the life of me see the logic of having a blue hand on a blue dial like that. Okay it's a slightly lighter blue, but surely a black hand would have been better? That aside I'm eager to see one of these and to find out if the watch is just as delectable in the flesh, I do hope so and perhaps this one can put my green dial Aquaracer frustrations to bed finally?

GALLERY: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kirium Quartz Chronograph

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Watch by Birth Year Watches

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monza 40th Anniversary Calibre 17 Chronograph

CR2080.FC6375

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 28th February 2020

Of all the TAG Heuer / Heuer watches released over the last few years, the Monza 40th Anniversary has to be one of the most written about and one of the most universally well regarded. Indeed, while I had my reservations about the strap when I wrote my first 'On the Wrist' post back in October 2016, I was pretty clear on my feelings about the watch in general (even if my opinion has perhaps wavered back and forth just a little in the meantime). So it was nice to get a chance to get one of these on the wrist again and see where I stand with it now at the tail end of February 2020.

The first thing to say is, my feelings about the strap have softened somewhat, I still don't really like it but I'm not as 'vehemently' opposed to it as I was way back then. If I bought one of these I would undoubtedly change the strap, perhaps for a leather racing strap with smaller perforations and some red stitching; y'see those big holes just don't sit right with me I'm afraid and I don't see that changing any time soon. But, I get that this is a homage to the 1970s and as such the strap is entirely appropriate, it just doesn't float my boat... which is fine, it can be easily replaced (and kept in the box in mint condition, obviously).

The design remains super-cool and the faux aged lume doesn't seem as offensive on the eye as the last time I came across one in a jeweller's window. Actually, looking at the watch again today I was a little thrown by the 'bezel' since it looks a lot like polished ceramic. I never remembered anyone saying it was ceramic so I looked into it and it seems that no it isn't ceramic, but it is a higher than usual grade of titanium which can be highly polished. I'm still having a hard time believing it isn't ceramic though and I keep trying to reassure myself by checking various websites because the bezel and case genuinely don't look as if they are made of the same material.

The Monza is perhaps the perfect watch for someone who kinda likes the Monaco but can't quite commit to the fully square case, it certainly wears a lot more 'organically' on the wrist as the chamfered edges smooth out the shape somewhat. The white hands are super legible here, I really like the contrast with the black dial and the red detailing really pops on this watch. Incredibly, I've only just noticed that the two sub-dials are completely different sizes, which is odd because that kind of thing usually stands out a mile to me! I have to say I think TAG Heuer did a superb job of balancing the dial using the red flashes on the left hand side and whatever you think of the case, this one truly has a very good looking dial.

Clearly the grade 5 titanium (oh yes it is) bezel is fixed and as you'd expect from a proper racing chronograph this one features a white tachymetre scale around the edge, with another subtle but very worthwhile piece of red detail highlighting the higher numbers at top right. The backplate is solid rather than crystal and marked with a red Heuer logo over which is printed 'Monza' in white. These watches are individually numbered at the bottom of the caseback but unfortunately there's no mention of the total number of pieces (best guess is that it's likely to be somewhere in the region of 4-5000).

I'm not sure how I feel about those silver pushers and crown, I do kind of wish they were black, but I think they've taken their design cues from the 1976 model. I guess I would get used to them, and actually I think they are more noticeable in these pictures than they are on the wrist, which is interesting.

I do like this one a lot, but I still don't think it's one that I will pick up - mainly because the prices have held up a little too well. A brief glance at Chrono 24 tells me that for a pre-owned model you are going to be looking at the extremely high £2000s (and by that I really mean £2995!) to secure one of these and at that price I think I'd find something I liked more. If the Monza appeals to you though and you live in the UK, you can actually get one of these new with a two year warranty from the TAG Heuer Bicester Village boutique for £3075, which seems to make more sense to me; this is a 30% reduction on the current list price which is £4395.

As always, stock is limited (may well be only one piece available) so call the store on 01869 249008 for details and stock availability.

GALLERY: 3000 Series Quartz Watch

VIDEO: Unboxing a TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 by Corey's Take

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre S 'Fernando Alonso' Limited Edition

CAF7113.BA0803

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 21st February 2020

2007 should have been a spectacular year for the Vodofone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team and this should have been the watch that celebrated Fernando Alonso's third Driver's World Championship on the trot... except things didn't quite work out that way. Coming in to the team fresh from Renault and with a rookie teammate in Lewis Hamilton, Fernando felt that he had the upper hand and the team behind him... but, well, that whole situation imploded pretty quickly and the upshot of that was that against all the odds new Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonnen stole the championship away from the two McLaren drivers at the very last race. Ron Dennis must have been livid beyond words...

Wherever you stand on the rights and wrongs of that season, it's pretty clear that Ron was in a tough spot - on the one hand he had a two time World Champion who rightfully (let's be honest) expected to be top dog in the team, but on the other hand out of the blue he had the new Michael Schumacher to deal with; talk about dreams turning to nightmares - if nothing else the team's dramatic implosion went a long way towards vindicating Ferrari's somewhat controversial attitude towards their driver parity over the previous few years.

This then is the 2007 TAG Heuer Aquaracer Vodofone McLaren Mercedes 'Fernando Alonso' Limited Edition, and yes, believe it or not this is a brand new piece that you can buy today at the TAG Heuer Bicester Village store.

Truth be told, I thought we'd seen the last of these, but somehow the stock keeps popping up... is there a cupboard in La Chaux de Fonds that someone forgot about or something? I mean thirteen years is quite a long time to have stock of anything never mind a watch that is limited to 3500 pieces, then again last year Bicester had a ladies 2000 pass through their doors (which sold in no time incidentally).

By today's standards I guess 3500 pieces isn't really all that limited, but then I guess no one knew that Fernando's tenure with the McLaren team would be so brief and with his departure from the team at the end of the season the watch was probably a bit of a hard sell going forward. Now though, it's something of a novelty, especially in new condition, marking as it does one of the most controversial seasons in Formula 1 history.

The watch is on the conservative side size wise, with a diameter of 40.5mm; this aligned with a relatively slender thickness and a smooth, chamfered bezel makes the watch very wearable and one that will easily slip under the cuff of even the tightest shirt. It's a lovely colour, a mixture of two tones of silvery grey pimped with splashes of red on the chronograph hands and the tail end of the 1/100th of a second subdial.

If you are not aware of the Calibre S chronograph it really is worth checking out. In normal (time) use, the two subdials at the bottom of the dial indicate the date (here it is the 21st of the month). Once you press the crown in the three main hands reset themselves to the 12 position and the 'date' hands reset to '0'. Now you are in chronograph mode and the main hands count seconds, minutes and hours. The subdial hands stay at '0' until you stop the chronograph, then they indicate the 1/10th and 1/100th of a second readings. You can also switch between chronograph and time modes without stopping the stopwatch function. 

Most cronographs never really get much use, but this is one that you will play with every time you wear it; it never gets old seeing the hands spin around the dial and set themselves at '12' ready for you to press the top pusher... it's certainly a watch that will amaze your friends as they're almost certain to have never seen that particular trick before.

This CAF7113 comes on a bracelet but you can also get a fitted rubber strap for it too, which looks pretty cool. Price on the bracelet is £2010 (current list price £3095), call the store on 01869 249008 for details and availability.