VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Skipper by Hobby of Hours

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Red Bull World Champions Edition' Quartz Chronograph

 

CAZ101AY.FC6591

You may remember back in March I wrote about a visit to the Red Bull Formula 1 factory in Milton Keynes that my wife treated me to for Valentine's Day. In it I mentioned that I had attempted and failed miserably to get hands on with one of these 'team only' watches, being told that no one actually wears them in the factory and that everyone had them safely locked away at home.

With little information and only a couple of not so great pictures available I decided to wait a while before writing about the watch and I'm glad I did because now not only do I have the part number for said watch but also some decent photographs to go with it.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Quartz Chronograph by Birth Year Watches

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by Jemagloh

Once again it's time to mull over the last twenty years of Aquaracers and pull ten magnificent examples out for inspection. This time our guest judge is C.O.C.O. and THF Forum member Jemagloh (otherwise known as Matt). Unfortunately Matt literally works 27 hours a day so commentary was never on the cards, so once again it falls on my to provide the same. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 01 - 6 Year Review by Time & Crown

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sports Chronographs & Tourbillon Chronographs

Six new 'skeleton*' dial Carreras for you today, which follow on from the 'Porsche 963' limited edition of a couple of months ago. These new Carrera Extreme Sports (as they are called) don't carry the exact same dial as that one, but there's definitely a similar design philosophy at play and these also carry the same 'integrated' straps. 

I say 'integrated' because while these look the part, the centre piece between the 'air scoop' V is actually part of the strap and not part of the case. This unfortunately leads to my first head scratching moment, because why go to all the effort to create this well constructed illusion, if only half of the watches actually carry it though? 

*These aren't really very skeletonized at all, you can barely see anything of the movement (especially the tourbillons which don't have a date wheel) but they certainly don't have what you would call a solid dial either. Perhaps 'sculpted' or 'architectural' dial would be a better description?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 - Which Colour? by Brent Miller Watches

 

OWNED: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Green Dial

It's been a few months over a year since I picked up my WBP2115 from the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield and in typical fashion it's been a journey of mixed emotions. When I found out there was going to be a new green dial Aquaracer I was right on it, desperate to avoid a repeat of the WAY2015 debacle. Actually there was no need to rush as even now it's perfectly possible to walk into an AD and pick up a WBP2115, but I didn't know that at the time.

Truth be told, when I went to buy it I was less than sure about it. It certainly wasn't love at first sight... but I'd made such a fuss about getting it, badgering Maxine at TH Sheffield regularly until it arrived that I felt rather obligated to buy it. Not that I actively disliked it, but it certainly wasn't a Chronotimer or Grand Carrera Caliper situation where I gazed lovingly at it all the way home... maybe it was just that I'd wanted the WAY2015 for so long and this didn't look quite the same - because, well it isn't!

VIDEO: Which New TAG Heuer Aquaracer Was Your Favourite? by Brent Miller Watches

 

FEATURE: The Best of the Best of the Last Four Years...

 

2020 - 2023*

As the summer slowly starts to turn to autumn and we start sporadically thinking about the big end of year vote, I thought it might be interesting to cast our eyes over the last four years of results and remind ourselves of the best of the best of the main four TAG Heuer product lines. 

For these purposes I am using the compiled list of final scores which can be found HERE and for the purposes of splitting ties on points I will use the WOTY votes themselves. I did briefly consider using the WOTY votes as the main indicator but quickly came to realise that this would not give a very accurate result overall, especially in years where one watch crushes the competition (plus there's only been two Formula 1s that have received a vote, so that won't work).

VIDEO: How to Use the TAG Heuer Warranty Checker by The Watch Village

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Pink' Calibre 7 Watch

 

I think it goes without saying that this Carrera was never going to receive the same warm welcome as the very recent 'Ice Blue' version of the same watch from the decidedly male-dominated Council of Considered Opinion. I mean not only does it have a pink second hand, outer dial ring and strap, but it also has every girl's worst nightmare - a Mother of Pearl dial and a diamond inner bezel! 

The horror.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's New Aquaracer by Chisolm Hunter

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by Rich T

As you surely know by now, each month in this 20th Anniversary year of the Aquaracer we're inviting a special guest to pick their 'Top 10 Aquaracers'. This month it's the turn of my friend, colleague and fellow COCO member 'Rich T'. Rich has long admired the Aquaracer and very nearly bought one a few years ago (he eventually bought a Tudor Pelagos LHD instead, but we don't hold that against him - 🤣) and he's accompanied me to Bicester Village and London's watch stores a few times too. Not to mention of course, he's exposed to my watch collection on a daily basis, which probably explains a few of his choices here... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Extreme Sport Chronographs by Time & Tide

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Ice Blue' Calibre 7 Watch

The 36mm Carrera seems to be the chosen range for TAG Heuer to experiment with bright colours and finishes and while this kinda makes sense given it appeals to women and also men with smaller wrists I can't help feeling that us men with larger wrists are being somewhat left out in the cold.

Sure, we've had the pale blue / lilac / call it what you will Aquaracer chronograph... a model with a life slightly longer than a butterfly it seems, but aside from that there's not much in the way of unusual colours floating around in the larger sizes.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre TH31-03 COSC GMT by Random Rob

 

FEATURE: My Top Five 3000 Series

 

I've always had a soft spot for the 3000 Series, but it wasn't until I saw the watch above in the TAG Heuer Museum in 2018 that I really fell in love with it. Subsequently I collected three models, all of which have made my 'Top 5' as it happens, albeit I only currently own one of them. 

Truth be told there aren't that many 3000s, so these five cover a lot of what's available... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera 'SLR300' Calibre 1887 Chronograph by FN Watches

 

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Carrera Part Seven - Other Watches (1996-)

 

As promised here is the final part of the 'HISTORY OF THE CARRERA' (albeit Part 8 will begin on the 1st of January 2025, since the history is never really finished...). This one wraps up the remaining three handers which again could not be pinned down to specific years.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT Calibre TH31-03 COSC by Brent Miller Time

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Carrera 'Seafarer' Calibre TH20-13 Limited Edition

I've never been much of a gambler, probably cos I'm too tight to risk losing my money... but if I was going to place a bet on which watch was likely to be the 2024 COCO 'Watch of the Year' then this would be the obvious choice. 

FACT - The COCO loves Heuer watches first and foremost. 

FACT - The COCO loves Carreras above Monacos. 

FACT - There's no 'Heuer' branded Carrera this year (as far as I know).

FACT - There isn't really another credible contender at this point in time. 

All of which leads me to the inevitable conclusion that this will indeed secure enough votes to take the crown.... which is kind of a shame honestly, because I was rather looking forward to an unpredictable battle between several other competitors. Oh well, I guess that's why we vote for second and third these days...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Chronograph by The 1916 Company Watch Reviews

 

FEATURE: Come & Join Us at the THF Forums!

When I first got seriously into watches back in 2016, I fairly quickly stumbled across the fantastic 'Calibre 11' website and forum run by the incomparable David Chalmers. David was very welcoming and friendly and never pretentious or snooty about the 'lower end' of the brand and also produced the best TAG Heuer / Heuer articles the internet has ever seen. David also arranged for me to visit the TAG Heuer manufacture in La Chaux-De-Fonds back in 2018 and so I am eternally in his debt for that!

Sadly a couple of years ago Calibre 11 was forced to shut it's doors, with TAG Heuer themselves taking over the content (some of which has since appeared in truncated form on their website) but it is a major loss to enthusiasts that the bulk of David's detailed articles are no longer available to view - even on the 'Wayback Machine' which promises thousands of pages but actually just gives you an error message. 😠

For a time we thought the Calibre 11 forum would also close, but thankfully that particular tragedy was averted and the 'THF Forum' was born, hosted on Omega Forums and now recently upgraded (thank you Trev & Dsio for all your hard work) there's never been a better time to visit and join in the fun.

 

The stats show that at any time there could be 300 people viewing the site, but there's nowhere near that many regular posting members. So don't be a lurker; I get that it's a little intimidating joining an existing group with knowledgeable people, but remember opinions are just opinions and yours is just as valid as everyone else's. Especially if you are a fan of modern TAG Heuer, because frankly the forum is heavily biased to those with both feet firmly in the past and we could very much use a bit of balance.

You can also get help with checking future purchases for authenticity* and tons of useful information and advice, so what are you waiting for?

https://tagheuerforums.com/

If you have any trouble signing up, let me know in the comments below and I will pass the info on to the admins. 

*The forum cannot categorically authenticate a watch, only TAG Heuer can do that and they will need the watch to do it (don't take it in to a boutique expecting an answer as they are not trained nor have the equipment required), but we can potentially spot a fake if you post pictures of the watch you are looking at buying.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera x Hodinkee Seafarer by Hodinkee

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera 'Watches of Switzerland' Limited Edition Tourbillon Chronograph

 

Hot on the heels of the recent 'Swiss Alps' limited edition tourbillon we have this 'Watches of Switzerland' edition, which is rather harder to come by, limited as it is to just 10 pieces. With these two being released so close together it's hard not to compare them, and while the 'Swiss Alps' version brought to mind the TAG Heuer 'Pilot' this one definitely has a CH80 vibe to it. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre TH31-00 COSC by Brent Miller Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-09 'Swiss Alps' Limited Edition Tourbillon Chronograph

As the proud owner of a TAG Heuer Pilot and a (frankly) jealous observer of the stunning Carrera 160th Anniversary Dato (which I will own one day, mark my words), both of which share a blue/white colour scheme with red highlights... this was always going to score higher with me than the blue or teal version of the same watch. Indeed such is the impact of the tri-colour combo that it deftly turns quite an ugly watch into quite a looker. Of course it still has that accursed tourbillon messing up the dial, but at least it's a step in the right direction...

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Monza Carbon Flyback by Swiss Watch Expo

 

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Carrera Part Six - Other Chronographs (1996-)

Such was my excitement at completing the main body of the 'HISTORY OF THE CARRERA' that I kind of forget there were still two more posts to come collecting together all the watches which I couldn't pin down to a year. So first up we have the 'misc' chronographs and coming soon will be the 'misc' three handers.

For links to the rest of the 'HISTORY OF THE CARRERA' and to the main 'HISTORY OF' menu, please see at the bottom of the page.

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

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Calibre 36 Caliper Chronograph

 

CAV5115.FT6019

A few weeks ago I asked my good friend Jim Dollares how I should celebrate hitting one million views on my blog? I was thinking a special post, or a new header that would replace the 'Aquaracer@20' one for a week or so, but instead Jim said 'you should buy a new watch'. Great idea! Of course I didn't just go out and buy a watch just for the sake of it, I was already sort of, kinda, in the process of looking into a second go at the CAV5115... I mean sure, the timing was nice, but I wasn't going to spend this kind of money on a whim. 

And when I say a second go... please don't misunderstand, I've never owned a CAV5115 before but some of you may remember that I visited Watchfinder's 'Avery Row' branch last September to view one that was on a bracelet. Of course that was before the watch market softened and so even with a damaged dial and the red paint missing off the second crown it was being sold at £3750 (and when I asked to negotiate they said that was cheap because of the condition), things are different now...

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera 36mm Two Tone Calibre 7 Watch

 

Until relatively recently TAG Heuer have never made a watch that looks like this in a size which could possibly be considered 'unisex' but this is 2024 and 'Men's' watches are undoubtedly shrinking while 'Women's' watches get bigger by the week (I still don't understand why it's desirable for women to wear watches which are oversized while for men it is the height of poor judgement - but that's fashion for you. Thankfully I care not much for fashion, so I will continue to wear my 45mm H01 thanks all the same).

So when the opportunity to try this on arose I thought 'why not'. Truth be told in the not so distant past anything that was even close to being wearable for a man would have come with a deployant bracelet insufficient to breach my enormous man-hands, and so it was tremendously surprising to find that the watch slipped over my hand with ease and fitted more than comfortably around my 7.1/2" wrist. So presumably we must conclude that this is indeed a 'Unisex' watch, because I don't know about you but I don't know many women with 8" wrists.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer x Hodinkee Carrera 'Searacer' by the Watch Village

 

CELEBRATION: 1,000,000 Page Views!

Hello everyone, just a quick post today to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who visits my blog and who has helped me to reach ONE MILLION views. Now if you only ever visit the blog on a phone (and I know a lot of you do) then you will never have seen the view counter because it's only visible on a computer. In fact there's quite a bit of the blog that is only easily visible on a computer... and I'm still working on ways to make the 'mobile' experience better - but the fact is that 'Blogger' was designed to be looked at on a computer, so it's never going to be as good on a phone.

Now regular readers may be thinking to yourself 'But wasn't it only a few months ago that the blog hit 750,000 views?' and indeed you would be right... as you can see from the graph below over the last year the views have really taken off and stayed strong (average 1000-1500 a day), which is pretty amazing if you ask me, considering that I only talk about one watch brand most of the time. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre TH20-00 'Diamond Bezel' Limited Edition Chronograph

 

Much as I appreciate the participation of the Council of Considered Opinion, when I saw this I knew instantly that they would get this so wrong and score it as a dismal failure... when it's clear to anyone with an ounce of common sense that this is easily the best looking TAG Heuer we've seen this year! But you know, 44mm and a diamond bezel... it's a travesty to the memory of Jack Heuer etc etc. 

Well first of all dear Jack is still with us, and second of all 'Pah'. And again I say 'Pah!' Yes it's 44mm and what of it? Anyone who has tried on one of these 'SPORTS' Carreras will know that it doesn't wear like a 44mm and what's wrong with a diamond bezel? I think it looks rad!

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 by FN Watches

 

INTERVIEW: Journey of a Watch Collector with Ben Smith

 

Long term readers might remember that way back in 2021 I conducted a series of interviews with various chums from the TH Forums. Well today we are reviving that series as we are joined by a relatively new member of our group and it's someone who seems to have a slightly different approach to watch collecting than most of us over there. 

Rather than looking into the Swiss abyss and plunging headfirst into the maelstrom, his wallet flailing behind him... Ben has instead skirted round the edges, dipping his toes in the water a few times but steadfastly hanging on to the handrail (in the process maintaining his sanity and more importantly his bank balance) before finally coming to the conclusion that while he enjoys watches for what they are he doesn't want to be Switzerland's next 'victim'.

What started out as an 'interview' quickly dissolved into a chat since Ben just wouldn't shut up and take direction! But all the same I hope you enjoy this one and maybe we will revisit our previous guests and perhaps even some new ones in the future... to be honest I feel like Ben interviewed me as much as I interviewed him which is probably why this one is so ridiculously long! 

Oh, and before we start, Ben would like me to point out that his comments are not meant to be inflammatory or provoking, but merely his honest opinions and that you really shouldn't care about his opinions aside from hearing an alternative take on things.

Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, let's begin... 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Three Handers by Brent Miller Time

 

FEATURE: My Top Ten Aquaracers by Mrs Aquagraph

As you probably know by now, this year we are celebrating twenty years of the Aquaracer (Aquaracer@20) and each month I have asked a different person to choose their top ten from the entire range. We've already had submissions for BPSmith, Jim Dollare$, Imagwai, Abrod520, Shane Paradis, Albert AMG and ThingzIliketoo and this month it's the turn of my wife (Rose) to pick her favourites. Naturally she started with the three she owns (which I have to admit are pretty damn cool, so fair play there), and seven more she picked out while perusing the TAG Heuer Enthusiast Gallery. 

I mean, I have six Aquaracers, so quite why she needed to go looking elsewhere I really don't know.... and I'm not at all upset that she didn't pick a single one of mine. 

No, not at all. Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffft!

Here then are her top ten...