VIDEO: TAG Heuer Link 39mm Diamond Dial Review by Eric Slofer

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer 6000 Solid Gold Chronometer

WH5143.BG0675

This is a photo of the actual watch taken from AMJ's website

You may remember I did a post about this piece a few weeks ago where I said I might just have to take a trip to Newark to have a look for myself. Well, lo and behold, a few weeks later, here we are. I rather cunningly talked my wife into a day out taking in Newark and Lincoln (with a trip to the Electric Bar in the evening for cocktails) and so managed to place myself on Andrew Michael's doorstep mid afternoon on Wednesday.

I have to say, Andrew Michael has quite a swish shop. I wasn't expecting anything quite as well stocked. They have a good selection of Hublots, TAG Heuers, Oris and about a third of the shop is given over to Breitling. It's like a mini Watches of Switzerland in there! Not only that, but in the corner I spied a TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 wall clock. Very nice indeed (and 100% not for sale).

If you are in the area it's definitely worth a look, if only to marvel at some of the Hublots and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Knuckledusters they have. But me, I was only here for one thing...

I'd already messaged the shop and established that they still had the gold 6000, and sure enough within a few minutes of arriving we were sitting down with the blue outer box in front of us. I don't think I've ever seen a blue outer box from TAG Heuer before and it was obviously very specific to the model as it had 6000 Gold written on the lid.

Not a picture of the actual box.

Opening up the box revealed a wooden box inside with some polished metal corner pieces, I wish I'd asked if I could take some photographs, but I don't really like doing that with people I don't know. 

Not a photo of the actual watch.

Inside the wooden box we found a blue half lining with a circular recess to the base, which holds a surprisingly small barrel shaped case containing the watch itself. Before I continue I just want to point out that the picture directly above is not the actual watch, compared to the watch AMJ have that one is dog-rough. No, the WH5143 that emerge from the barrel case was mintier than a Polo sitting on a Glacier Mint, sitting on a Trebor Xtra Strong Mint. Seriously, it is flawless, which is all the more amazing when you see how easily solid 18K gold takes scratches.

And it's heavy, which shouldn't be a surprise, but given that I'm guessing it's the exact same dimensions as my blue dial quartz 6000 three hander, it was significantly weightier on the wrist. However, the watch is quite thin for an automatic and as such it doesn't feel at all bulky. I don't think it weighs quite as much as my Aquagraph for example, it may do... but it's a lot easier to wear (if you can ever call a solid gold watch 'easy to wear'?).

Again, this is not a photo of the actual watch.

The dial has zero discolouration, and looks almost like enamel. It's certainly not your average run of the mill white dial that looks a bit creamy, or a bit silvery, it's a perfect white. The case is a combination of brushed and polished gold, but the polishing is kept to a minimum with just parts of the bezel and lugs dressed and the very tips of the inbetween links of the bracelet. This was an excellent decision on the part of TAG Heuer as the watch looks truly magnificent and the brushing is so well done, it really does look amazing. The brushed finish also stops the watch looking too blingy, and is a big part of the reason why I really took to it. It looks refined and elegant rather than crass and showy. 

This is a photo of the actual watch taken from AMJ's website.

You know, I went into this expecting to get a look at a really nice watch, writing a post about it and then moving on. And right about now is when I would usually drop the price on you and say 'which is a lot of money and if I had that money to burn I would buy 'X' instead, but this watch is so stunning, I think it may well be my new grail. Not just this watch in general though, it would have to be in this condition: basically 'as new'. The damned thing even fitted my wrist straight out of the box, and my wife was getting twitchy I'm sure! 

The price on the website is £7,000, but this is negotiable if you don't want the finance. I was offered a significantly better price although I won't say exactly what here. Honestly you will not find a better example of this piece as it is utterly flawless and covered by AMJ's warranty, which might come in handy if you find the watch isn't performing within it's chronometer specification. 

Obviously, having just depleted my fund to zero buying the WAY208C and the Searacer last week, it's going to take me a little while to get this sort of money together. I wonder if the watch will still be available by then...? If I'm honest, part of me hopes it will be, but part of me hopes it won't!

https://amjwatches.co.uk/tag-heuer-6000-389-wh5143bg0675-389.html

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Arrivals at TAG Heuer Bicester Village

Once again I bring you news from TAG Heuer Bicester Village and their latest batch of new arrivals:

CAH1210.BA0862 - Formula 1 Ceramic Unisex Chronograph

LIST PRICE £1450     BICESTER PRICE £1015

CAR2014.FC6235 - Carrera Calibre 1887 Chronograph

LIST PRICE £3950     BICESTER PRICE £2765

CAL2113.FC6536 - Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph

LIST PRICE £5600     BICESTER PRICE £3920

CAW211N.FC6177 - Monaco Calibre 12 Chronograph Boutique Edition

LIST PRICE £4400     BICESTER PRICE £3300

WAF1310.BA0817 - Ladies Aquaracer Quartz

LIST PRICE £1050     BICESTER PRICE £735

WAH1210.BA0859 - Ladies Formula 1 Ceramic

LIST PRICE £1150     BICESTER PRICE £805

WAH1314.BA0867 - Ladies Formula 1 Ceramic with Diamonds

LIST PRICE £1400     BICESTER PRICE £980

WAH1315.BA0868 - Ladies Formula 1 Ceramic with Diamonds

LIST PRICE £1400     BICESTER PRICE £980

WAR2012.FC6236 - Carrera Calibre 7 Twin Time

LIST PRICE £2400   BICESTER PRICE £1680

WAR215D.FC6181 - Carrera Calibre 5

LIST PRICE £2850     BICESTER PRICE £1995

WAS2110.FC6180 - Carrera Calibre 6

LIST PRICE £2600     BICESTER PRICE £1820

WAY1351.BD0917 - Ladies Two Tone Aquaracer Quartz with Diamonds

LIST PRICE £4100     BICESTER PRICE £2870

WAY208B.FC6382 - Aquaracer Calibre 5

LIST PRICE £2300     BICESTER PRICE £1610

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16

CV201AH.FT6014

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, April 2019

This is one that I might have tried on a very long time ago, like maybe five or six years ago, way before the blog was even an idea! But to be honest I can't really remember if I ever tried it on or just saw it in a cabinet... so it was nice to see it (again) in the Bicester outlet last month. This is the one 'classic' Carrera that's always appealed to me, mainly perhaps because of the unusual, perforated rubber strap.

I realise of course that the strap is probably a little contentious to some, and you can of course get this one on a BA0725 bracelet if you so desire. But personally I love the unique mixture of old and new, and the red highlights on the dial really work for me too. The watch is also nicely sized at 41mm, sits great on my 7.3/4" wrist, and has a 42hr power reserve from the Calibre 16 movement.

I'm not so keen on the white day/date wheel though... to my mind it would have looked a lot better if it had been white on black, and as usual the double window means the TAG Heuer shield has nowhere left to go but up to the very cramped '2' position. I get that there's literally nowhere else to put it, but it still looks a little bit of a mess...

I didn't know the caseback would feature Juan Manuel Fangio (which is a little bit odd as the watch doesn't seem to be anything to do with him specifically), but apparently a lot of 'classic' Carreras have a similar caseback. It's very nicely done mind you, and makes a change from diving helmets (of which I seem to have rather a lot), but you might be disappointed if you were hoping for a glass display back? 

The unusual strap itself is very nice, very soft and flexible and I'm sure it would look good on any number of different TAG Heuer watches. Sadly, as you can see from the picture above, it's designed specifically to fit the lugs of the Carrera, and I've actually seen fakes of the FT6014 on eBay (very rough looking fakes, actually) so it's obviously quite a popular design.

I'm not sure I'll ever actually own a 'classic' Carrera (like the Monaco they are just too much money to buy to tick boxes) but if I did then this one would probably be my pick. The CV201AH.FT6014 is  available in the Bicester Village store at a discounted price of £2870 (list price is £4100), at least it was last time I was there... please phone 01869 249008 first before travelling a long distance.

VIDEO: Why Brand Name Matters by Luxury Bazaar (including TAG Heuer Carrera Jack Heuer)

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 Watch

WAR211C.BA0782

Passing by the window of Stephans in Northampton the other day, I perused the TAG Heuers and noted the remaining three Alec Monopoly Formula 1s but nothing else really caught my eye except, wait... what is that? Now, I know what you're thinking. Judging by the picture at the top of this post you'd be hard pressed to believe that such an 'ordinary' looking watch could cause such consternation, but you'd be wrong, and I'll tell you why.

While the picture above gives the impression of a grey dial, it misrepresents it quite considerably. Indeed, I could imagine someone buying one of these on line and getting quite a shock when they receive the watch (yet another good reason to try a watch on in a store before buying, if at all possible), because while you might suppose the dial would have your standard reflective surface that catches the light and delights the eye, in actual fact it's completely matt and completely flat.

WAR211C.FC6336

This photograph is better, but it still really doesn't quite get across just how 'dull' (and I mean that in the literal sense rather than the pejorative) the dial really is. It actually looks quite odd, because it's so unusual to see a watch dial that isn't intended to catch the light, but I can see why some people might like it because it's so different. 

There's an obvious parallel to be drawn between this and those cars you see about that have a matt finish, they're clearly not for everyone, but it's good that there's something different available for people who like them, and you have to say, when it comes to legibility it makes a lot of sense. I can't say that I would want one, but I didn't hate it, I just found it a little odd.

I would have thought though that a dial like that would maybe work better on a Formula 1, as it seems a little out of place on this 39mm Carrera. But kudos to TAG Heuer for not playing it safe, and you can't fault it from the point of view of drawing attention. It certainly caught my eye in a window full of shiny dials and beveled edges. 

VIDEO: Underappreciated Greats of Watchmaking: The 1980s by Armand the Watch Guy (featuring TAG Heuer Dive Watches)

TAG Heuer element starts at 14:28

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Link Searacer Quartz Regatta Chronograph

CT1113.BA0550

You may remember that I bought one of these from eBay a month or two back - it seems a long time ago now, I guess a lot has happened in the meantime! That one was (by far) the cheapest one I could find, and once it arrived it became clear why. It was a bit scratched, but not too bad - I would probably have worn it for a while and then maybe had it polished once the battery needed doing, but it also had three polished links in the bracelet (should be brushed) and the bracelet was too small for me, which admittedly isn't the seller's fault. But the real problem was that the Regatta function didn't seem to work properly and I couldn't get the hands to reset properly.

So it went back, and I resigned myself to either living without the Searacer, or having to find some more money to get a better one. It was a massive shame because I really loved the watch and I really didn't want to send it back. But the head won out (thankfully!) and I received a full and prompt refund from the seller. 

In the meantime I found one for sale on EST1897's website which was up for £995, a hefty jump indeed, but considerably less than I had seen CT1113s for on Watchfinder to be fair. I decided to get the watch sent to my local pawn shop for a viewing, but for whatever reason it never turned up, or if it did they never notified me that it was there, and so eventually I assumed it must have been sold. But then the other day I went on EST1897's website for the first time in ages (for some reason I always forget about them) and the watch was still sitting there, only now it wasn't £995. It had been reduced to £745, and then further reduced to £495!

It would be crazy not to buy it at that price, even though the photographs showed that the hour sub-dial wasn't aligned properly (... more on that in a minute), and so I ordered the watch only to be informed a couple of hours later that Bicester Village had finally got the WAY208C in that I've been after for over two years. How typical is that? Still, probably best I had already ordered it, otherwise I would have probably passed it up again, and someone else would have snaffled up what is undoubtedly a bargain. Hell, Watchfinder could have bought it and put it on their site for their usual price of £1150!

So it took a week to arrive, which is a bit slow if I'm honest, these days watches usually turn up within a day or two, a week seems like a lifetime. There's no box or papers, although they did send it in a black watchbox which is adequate for the purpose. The watch is in excellent with no marks to the glass, and only a few tiny marks on the case and bracelet. Furthermore, despite being advertised as having a 7" bracelet, the watch fitted my 7.3/4" wrist straight out of the box and needless to say all the links are brushed rather than a random assortment, which is nice. The clasp is also in good condition and functions well, it obviously hasn't had too much use as it still has a nice crisp action and snaps into place perfectly.

So then, I had to reset the hour sub-dial, which isn't too difficult. You pull the crown out to the first position: this allows you to move the hour hand (with the crown) quickly and independently of the minute hand to set the hour and date (there is no quick set date function on the Searacer). In this position you can also reset the hour sub-dial hand and the red 'Regatta' hand using the upper and lower pushers, then pull it out again to adjust the minute hands (with the crown) and reset the second hand and the 1/10th of a second sub dial using the upper and lower pushers. 

This video demonstrates first the chronograph function, then putting the watch into Regatta

mode by depressing the lower pusher for two seconds. Notice the hour subdial flicks from

12 to 6 and the red hand starts moving, this indicates the ten minute countdown as measured by

the larger Arabic numerals on the chapter ring (rehaut). 

(I won't make you sit for nine minutes watching the seconds tick by...)

Nine minutes later, the red hand is now approaching the end of it's ten minute countdown. 

When it reaches 12 the hour sub dial flicks back up from 6 to 12 and starts the chronograph counting forward. 

Once the countdown is completed the chrono functions normally and can be stopped and re-started as required.

Once you have finished timing, the chrono is reset in the usual manner by pressing the bottom pusher.

Once this was done I depressed the lower pusher for two seconds to initiate 'Regatta' mode and the red tipped hand on the hour sub-dial flipped to the 6 position to indicate 'Regatta' timing. In this mode the second hand starts moving and the red hand with the half-arrow tip begins a ten minute countdown (using the large backwards digits on the rehaut as markers). Once the countdown is completed the hand on the hour sub-dial flips back up to 12 and the chronograph starts counting normally and can be stopped and restarted as normal. I left the chronograph running to satisfy myself that the hour sub-dial was working and then reset everything back to zero.

Great, so everything works and finally I could relax and enjoy my new timepiece. Unlike my new Aquaracer, I'm okay with wearing this one to work so I switched my watches and wore it for the rest of the day. So far I'm very happy with it, although there are a couple of niggles, not pertaining to this watch in particular, but the watch in general. 

First, though the Link bracelet is super comfortable and extremely stylish I do wish the bracelet tapered rather than 'stepped' from the largest links to the smaller ones. I know that's just how Link bracelets are but it does look a little bit clunky to these eyes, albeit it's probably something I'll stop noticing after a while. Secondly, it's a bit strange not having a running seconds hand anywhere on the dial, again it's not a massive deal, just something I'm not used to as none of my other watches lack a second hand.

The only other minor complaint that immediately springs to mind is that the glass doesn't seem to have any anti-reflective coating applied to it, so reflections are a bit of a pain. But really, that's about all I can come up with, and given the bargain basement price I paid for this one... it's a definite keeper.

VIDEO: Baselworld 2019: TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph by Hours and Minutes Australia

ON THE WRIST: A Visit to the Omega Boutique on Regent Street

Omega Boutique / Regent Street, 9th March 2019

So here's a curious thing, until the day I walked into the Omega boutique on Regent Street on the 9th of March 2019, I had never tried on an Omega. Which is probably quite surprising when you think about it, given that Omega are probably the most obvious alternative to TAG Heuer and operating in a broadly similar price range... well, kind of.

Still the SeaMaster is probably the watch I've been told to buy more than any other as an alternative to an Aquaracer, albeit it starts at around £3,000 which is about £700 more than the Calibre 5 Aquaracers. I'm sure the Omega movement is better than the base Sellita found in the Calibre 5, but does it warrant the price difference? Well, to be honest... I still didn't end up trying on the (new) ceramic dial SeaMaster. I looked at it, and found it rather odd looking and unappealing so I passed, but I did try on an older 300M SeaMaster chronograph.

212.30.42.50.01.001

This was a watch I had seen before when I looked around the Omega boutique in the Royal Exchange (in the City of London), it caught my eye then and I still think it's one of the better looking Omegas, so it's fitting that it was my first. The SeaMaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Chronograph or the 212.30.42.50.01.001 if you prefer (seriously Omega, why do you need a 14 digit part number, do you really make that many watches?) measures 41.5mm across the diameter but it feels bigger. This is probably in no small part due to the thickness of the watch, in fact thick Omegas seemed to be the order of the day here, as pretty much everything I tried on felt like a lump on my wrist.

Now I'm used to the Aquagraph, which is 16mm thick, and as a one-off special piece that's fine, but I certainly wouldn't want all my watches to be that thick. The watch sat up high on my wrist and to be honest, while I like the dial I wasn't that bothered by it overall. I really don't like the fussy bracelet, and the scalloped bezel is flat, plain ugly. I'm undecided on the hands, they are kinda weird being skeletonized like that, but I don't mind that too much... I don't quite understand why the hour hand is so small relative to the minute hand though (which is rather oversized if anything), it looks a bit unbalanced in my opinion, but the red highlights on the sub-dials and the chrono hand are quite nice.

At this point I must commend Lin Lin, the lady who served me in the boutique on this visit. She was excellent, knowledgeable and friendly without being overbearing and seeing that I was making notes in my notebook she kindly offered to print spec sheets for each of the six watches I ended up trying on, which means that I am in the unusual situation of having all (*most of*) the information at my fingertips. So here we go! I've already mentioned that the watch is 41.5mm and has a 300M depth rating (the clue's in the name), but I can also tell you that the watch has an officially certified Chronometer rated self-winding chronograph mechanism and co-axial escapement, plus a free-sprung balance equipped with a Si14 silicon balance spring with a power reserve time of 52 hours.

Oddly the spec sheet doesn't tell me what the bezel insert is made of, I was pretty sure it was ceramic (and indeed the Omega website confirms this) which you would expect at this price (£4,000) really. I don't know, it just doesn't do it for me somehow. Maybe I have an unfair bias against the brand because my experience with Omega fanboys has been largely negative (the party line seems to be 'TAG is sh*t, get an Omega'), but every time I have been into a boutique I have found the staff helpful and reasonably friendly. I do kind of like that the design is quite aggressive, I mean it's not 'boring', and the same goes for the new ceramic dial SeaMaster, you can say a lot of things about it but boring is not one of them! But it didn't do it for me so I moved on to...

215.92.46.51.01.001

The SeaMaster Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph, seriously I'm not making it up, that is it's name. And well, I tried on three different versions, the black and orange chronograph, the blue and orange GMT and the plain black GMT, all of which came on these stunning rubber straps. And guess what, they were all as thick as a house brick. Okay, fair enough these are all 600M divers (let's not talk about the sleek and slender, black 500M Aquaracer shall we) but try as I might to like these watches, they are all a bit impractical. I did kinda like them though, I'm a sucker for a cool strap and these were really nice (especially the one pictured above with the orange trim), but this watch is nearly £9000. That's a LOT of money, and a lot of money one could spend on a TAG Heuer and get something really smart...

These watches aren't just thick either, they all come in a 45.5mm case, which is slightly bigger than the original Heuer 01 Carreras and you really know you've got them on your wrist. They are kinda cool, but I would always worry about that vulcanised rubber section on the bezel and like the first watch I tried on, they have this odd blinginess about them that I can't quite explain. Blinginess is probably the wrong word, but somehow the watches are too shiny and a bit too much. It just feels to me that they send out the wrong message, like 'look at me, look at me...', there's no subtlety. Even the black one screams for attention and I just find them a bit vulgar to be honest.

311.30.42.30.01.005

So, finally I thought, I really have to try on the Moonwatch. It's a youtube 'watch guru' staple, a watch that seemingly everybody loves to death and simply won't shut up about. 'Get the Speedy, get the Speedy' they cry in unison. 'Get the Hesalite, not the sapphire, only the Hesalite is real'. 'Manual wind, manual wind' they chirp like so many automatons. 'It's the watch that went to the moon, how can you not love that history?' they bleat. When it comes to youtube, the Speedy is second only to the Submariner in the untouchable stakes, this watch is like Teflon, no one has a bad word to say because this is an icon, and if you don't like it you're clearly an idiot, with bad taste, who probably steals money from charity boxes and has poor personal hygiene!

What they don't tell you however, is quite how boring this watch is. I mean it really is dreadfully dull. Unlike the pictures, the watch isn't even a nice shade of black, it's a darkish, boring grey that lends it absolutely zero dramatic presence. It's really quite hilarious how dull it is, especially compared to the other watches on display in the same boutique. Where the Planet Oceans are outrageous, oversized and shouty, the Moonwatch is so damn plain you'd almost miss it, if it wasn't highlighted at every opportunity.

I will say this, I can see why people prefer the Hesalite over the sapphire crystal. The Hesalite has a nice domed effect where the sapphire has an ugly stepped design, but the price for that is that you'll forever be polishing out the scratches. I'd still go for it though, because the sapphire is awful and makes a dull watch an ugly, dull watch, and nobody really wants that!

Speaking as someone who is quite keen on the 'Space Race' and the Apollo story in general, it should speak to me a lot more than it does, but I'm so punch drunk by the relentless Omega marketing that I can't help but take it all with a pinch of salt now. You can overdo these things you know, and Omega certainly have. I'm not totally anti-Speedy, I quite like the recent Apollo 8 version and I could have quite happily bought a white dial Snoopy, if everyone else hadn't got there first and made a killing on it! But the Moonwatch itself, I just don't get it. Why does everyone bang on about this tedious watch?

Meme provided by Calibre11 member and long time TAG Heuer enthusiast Otto William.

I'm sorry, I know it's got great historical significance and all that, but I don't really care, and I didn't like the bracelet much either. Actually, the last Omega I tried on was better, albeit the case was a bit umm, different, but... it still didn't exactly blow me away.

327.10.43.50.06.001

Yes it's the Speedmaster II with that retro 70s case (not a fan) equipped with a rather funky dial, granted it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but I couldn't help liking it just a little. Could I live with the case to get the dial, hell no - it's hideous. But give me a choice between this and the Moonwatch and I'll take this any day of the week, because maybe I could get used to the case... over time, it might grow on me. But the Moonwatch will always be a dull watch, and not just a dull watch, but a dull watch that people won't shut up about, and that's Kryptonite to me.

So, overall, while I enjoyed my hour in the Omega boutique, I honestly came out of there feeling less inclined than ever to buy an Omega. The brand just doesn't do it for me, it's a weird one, I kinda like that some of their watches are so brash and aggressive in design, but at the same time those designs simply don't quite mesh with me. And then there's the prices, clearly Omega are aiming for Rolex with their pricing and that's a ballsy move. Do I think Omega could be the next Rolex? Yes, actually I do, I see a parallel with Audi where at some point people might just decide to collectively get behind a changing of the guard, so while I don't personally gel with the brand or it's products, I could totally see a time when it's Omega sitting at the top of the tree. As it is the company has already gained a substantial following willing to buy pretty much any limited edition en masse, especially if it's sold by Hodinkee, and realistically if not Omega then who? It certainly isn't going to be Breitling now, is it?

SPOTLIGHT ON: Virgile F's Visit to TAG Heuer

Just wanted to share this photo gallery with my readers, well worth a look if only for the pictures of Guy Semon's personal sapphire cased Monaco V4, truly outstanding!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ser6ALSTG6jMSD1P7

VIDEO: How to Operate a TAG Heuer Calibre S by Watchfinder

FEATURE: Women and Watches...

Anyone who collects anything, especially something expensive (and let's be honest a bit 'unnecessary') will recognise the scene... you want to add another piece, but your wife doesn't approve, because, you've already got fifteen watches so why on Earth do you need yet another one?

This isn't the sole preserve of the watch collector of course, you can substitute anything really, model trains, cars, Lego sets, models, books, wine... I even had this conversation with a guy the other day about airbrushes, he has eleven already but he wants/needs another one. But of course some collectibles are more affordable than others, and if your hobby can easily cost you a month's salary, as watch collecting can - no matter how much you earn, well that can be tricky to get past your significant other.

I'm pretty lucky in this regard, as my wife has always liked watches, and I unwittingly set myself up for an easier ride long, long ago when I bought my wife a brand new, blue dial 2000 from Goldsmiths for our 10th wedding anniversary. Since then she's built her own collection and now owns seven TAG Heuers and an Oris Automatic with a skeleton dial... which of course means that buying new watches is probably easier for me than for a lot of people with less 'on message' partners.

But despite that, I occasionally still get the rolled eyes - I think the worst recently was when I announced I was buying a second twenty cushion watch cabinet. True, it wasn't my intention to fill the first one up so quickly, it just kind of happened. But I'm not done collecting yet, so it made sense to get it while it was available (watch cabinets are tricky to find, unless you have megabucks to spend) and I'm hopeful that this one will take a little longer to fill up!

Traditionally watch collecting has always been a 'guy thing', but I've noticed in the last couple of years that women are starting to come onboard. Now, whether they view it as 'watch collecting' as such I'm not sure, possibly not... I mean I'm not entirely sure there's a woman out there who would want a drawer with 30 Submariners in it, all of which are ever so slightly different, or possibly a Sea Dweller that costs as much as a very nice Mercedes just because it's got a little 'Comex' on the dial. No, I think for the majority of women it's not a 'watch collection' as such, just an extension of their 'jewellery' (also definitely NOT a collection).

But female watch buying is definitely on the rise, and furthermore there is a willingness to move away from the traditional ladies quartz pieces. A few years ago I saw a documentary on TV about luxury goods and part of it featured watches, the one thing I particularly remember from this show was the information that whenever women buy automatics, they always bring them back and want to change them for quartz. This is obviously because (and I can sympathise here) if you don't wear an automatic everyday then when you want to wear it you have to set the hands and the date (if it has one) and wind the watch, whereas your quartz is always good to go (as long as the battery has life).

But this may be changing. My wife showed me her copy of Marie Claire the other day, and it was quite interesting. You know how 'glossy' magazines are, the first few pages are always just adverts that you have to scoot through to get to the text (in fact the glossier the magazine the further you have to scoot, generally speaking), well in this issue the first two pages are for Chanel (jacket and potentially 'glasses' I think), the second double spread is for Omega, and in particular the Omega Constellation Manhattan Master Chronometer, illustrated using four elegant ladies in red dresses, two of which appear to be Cindy Crawford and Nicole Kidman!

The next page features a single page advert for the Rado Diamaster Diamonds (which I presume is quartz), then over the page another double page spread, this time for Swatch, which is admittedly quartz and a whole lot more affordable than Rado or Omega. Then over the page again we find Lady Gaga flogging the Tudor Black Bay 36S&G in two tone silver and gold, with the text 'self winding' clearly printed on the dial. Maybe the subtle inference that quartz is 'cheap' and mechanical is 'luxurious' is beginning to be planted in the minds of the lady readers already?

Flip over another ten pages and we find another single page advert, this time for the Mondaine Railway Clock watch, another lesser known Swiss company. Not sure if that's quartz or mechanical, I'm guessing quartz but I could be wrong. Two pages further in and the same watch is featured in an article, it's £169 so I'm guessing it's definitely quartz. Looks good though... which is more than can be said for leopard print trousers.

You know who looks good in leopard print?

Leopards.

Two pages on and we have another watch advert/feature, this time for the Chanel J12 white ceramic. This one is definitely automatic and costs a not inconsiderable £4050.

Ah, Cara, what women's magazine would be complete without Cara DeLavigne? For once she's actually giving an interview, and strangely there doesn't seem to be a single Cara-advert in the whole magazine, which is remarkable given that she's the 'face' of countless products, including TAG Heuer of course (now they've dispensed with Bella Hadid, Cara seems to be back in vogue...).

Okay so maybe the magazine isn't overrun with watch ads, but there's significantly more in there than there ever used to be (while perfume adverts are notable mainly by their absence, save for Chanel No5 on the back cover) and last month I remember my wife showing me a 6-8 page spread which was wall to wall watches, including some TAG Heuers, F1s and Lady Carreras, IIRC.

Also I've noticed of late that the Bicester boutique has been getting more and more ladies models in, and I'm told the sales have increased significantly too. Incidentally, they still have that solid gold ladies Link if anyone's looking for a present and you've got £12,000 burning a hole in your pocket... go on, you know it makes sense. Think how easy it will be to get yet another Carrera or Monaco into your watch box once she's sporting that on her wrist... :)

VIDEO: 2019 TAG Heuer Monaco in 4K by Doug Hindman

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 Watch

WAY208C.FC6383

TAG Heuer Boutique / 4th May, Bicester Village

So here's a post I never really thought I'd get to write, and to be honest I still can't quite believe a) that I now have the long sought after WAY208C in my possession, and b) how fast this all happened!

WAY208C.FC6383    WAY208A.FC6381     WAY208B.FC6382

When the WAY208A/B/C watches were launched back in 2016 I immediately took a shine to the 'C' version, albeit I really wasn't sure about the gold coloured textile strap. Then 'A Blog to Watch' reviewed the watch and said how much they liked it and how fantastic it looked off the textile strap and put on a rubber strap. I couldn't agree more...

But as much as I liked the watch I wanted to see one before I shelled out for one, and that just never happened. I looked all over the place, I went around London one day looking, but to no avail, I tried looking on the internet and rang several places, but they never actually had the watch available to try on, it was always a case of ordering it in. Then I thought I had found it in a shop in Derby, but it turned out that they'd just sold it, then another shop supposedly had it... until I rang them and it turned out that no they didn't. 

Then I stopped hearing 'We can order it in for you', and started hearing that it was sold out. The first time I went into the TAG Heuer boutique on Oxford Street I asked in there and they confirmed it was sold out, and so, reluctantly I resigned myself to the harsh reality that the watch was gone and if I really wanted one I'd have to wait for it to turn up pre-owned. But even then, what was the likelihood of being able to see the watch before buying it? Yes, if Watchfinder or another trader got one then I could visit them and view the watch, but other than that it wasn't looking good.

Then one turned up on eBay for about £1800, which had had the cyclops removed. At the time I hated the cyclops, so this piqued my interest, but I was a bit wary about buying a fairly expensive watch that had been modified. Plus, I really wanted to see the watch in the flesh and see how it looked, and whether the slightly vulnerable PVD coating was intact. So I put it to the back of my mind, albeit it still popped up every so often... and of course it was number 7 on my list of top ten watch 'wants' a couple of weeks ago. 

So on Friday I was configuring a new computer and transferring some bookmarks over when I came across 'EST1897's website. It's a website I rarely think to look at, but they often have sales and as I scrolled down the page I came across the CT1113-0 Searacer that I looked into a while back. If you remember, I bought one from eBay for about £495 and when it turned up it was quite scratched and the Regatta function didn't work properly, so that went back and I made a request to have the same watch sent from EST1897 to my local viewing shop.

Well I never heard anything and so I assumed the watch had already been sold. As it was the watch was listed at £995 which was more than I really wanted to pay, and the watch never arrived, so again I just forgot about it and moved on. I've still been keeping an eye out for a Searacer, but I wanted one at a good price. So imagine my surprise when I realised the same Searacer was still on the site, and currently on sale at a very competitive* £495, having already failed to sell at £745 previously. A total no brainer, with a year's warranty, I flipped my wallet open and flexed my flexible friend. 

*By way of comparison, the last time Watchfinder had a CT1113-0, it was on for £1100+.

Two hours later, I received the latest stock update from Bicester Village and as I looked down the list and took in the part numbers I recognized some ranges, but completely missed the blindingly obvious WAY208C.FC6383, at least until I started to create my 'New Arrivals' post....

Then it was all panic stations, should I leave work early and go straight to Bicester... that was a possibility but complicated because I had a family meal to attend in the evening. Thankfully I managed to quickly get hold of the store and manager Tom* was kind enough to put the watch in the safe for me overnight. Phew!

*Thanks Tom!

I mean how lucky can I get? If I never got the stock update, or I didn't do the post until later that day the watch could easily have been sold before I had a chance to do anything about it. New stock sells very fast at Bicester, it always amazes me how fast new inventory flies out the door, for example the Formula 1 Indy 500 I posted about on Saturday morning lasted less than 24 hours... 

So this morning I journeyed to Bicester yet again, on a mission to bring to a close 2 years plus of wondering. One way or another I was finally going to get to see the watch, and at the same time have to decide if I wanted to buy it or not. Because, frankly, they had one piece and it probably wasn't going to last the weekend once it got put out for sale. Admittedly, this filled me with some trepidation, since this is exactly how the CAU2012 Formula 1 Calibre 16 debacle started... but hopefully, this time things will pan out differently.

Secretly I almost hoped I would see it and be disappointed, that way I could forget about it and avoid a high pressure decision. But in actual fact, it more than lived up to my expectations and even the textile strap was a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be. And so, my flexible friend was flexed for the second time in two days and I added yet another TAG Heuer to my stable.

If you remember, I photoshopped an FT6142 rubber strap onto the WAY208C a little while back and it really looked pretty neat. I've ordered that strap, even though I actually quite like the textile strap (and that's something I never thought I'd say). I'm not actually sure if I'll switch it onto the rubber straight away or not, the strap will take 2-6 weeks depending on the availability so I'll have plenty of time to think about it.

I think it's going to look pretty epic on the rubber strap personally!

Obviously it's very early days, but at the moment I think I've made a great choice. The lume isn't quite what you'd expect from an Aquaracer, because it's grey, but it works and it's on all the markers and the hands (not just on the hands like the CAU2012) so it's fine*. It will be interesting to see how this one goes after so long waiting to get my hands on it, but with the Bicester discount and a two year warranty I couldn't really have bought this better!

*Actually, having now exposed the watch to proper sunlight and taken it into a properly dark room, it's better than I thought!

Needless to say, the 'buying experience' was everything I would hope for, all the staff at the Bicester boutique are great and Even looked after me perfectly. I wish I could get all my watches from them really, if only they had a stock of pre-owned Kiriums! 

Finally, I must mention the new TAG Heuer boxes, which are rather cool and a distinct improvement on the old brown boxes I have to say. They have a much more modern feel about them and I really like they way they've printed the logo on the inside of the box, they also seem quite well made and sturdy and I don't think they'll end up disintegrating like the older black boxes used to either (which has got to be good).