FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco 'Gulf' Limited Edition Calibre 11 Chronograph

There's always quite a lot of excitement when TAG Heuer announce a new 'Gulf' branded Monaco and even I (someone completely untouched by the romance of Le Mans, Steve McQueen, etc) am not immune to the lure of the striped, square dial. However I did find the most recent regular 'Gulf' model a little disappointing (for me it was perhaps the least interesting of all the 'Gulf' models we've seen to date) so it's nice to see a really good one this time around, even if it is a limited edition.

For the 2025 edition we've gone right back to the start with another white dial Monaco embellished with red and blue stripes (as seen on Steve McQueen's race suit in the film Le Mans). It's funny but every time we get a new Gulf Monaco it always descends into a debate about how they never use the right shade of pale blue (with most agreeing that the 2018 limited edition of 50 pieces was the most accurate from that point of view), but thankfully here we don't have to worry about that, phew!

There's something very attractive about this watch, and considering I am not a fan of the Calibre 11 'Heuer' models generally (I'd much prefer the crown on the right hand side, sorry!) that's saying something. I must admit I'm not at all fussed about the brand's constant use of titanium, which seems largely an excuse to charge an additional £1000 with very little justification, especially when said titanium is sand blasted (about the cheapest way you can finish a case, realistically) but I guess it will cut down the weight a little bit.

I'm also not too fussed about the white 'Nomex' strap the watch comes on. Apparently this is made from the same material as Steve McQueen's race suit. Not the same 'batch' or anything you understand, but the same basic material from the same supplier. Just fifty years later. Which is exciting, I guess. If you really like Steve McQueen. Which I don't. I'm not against a white strap, but I can't help thinking a white fabric strap is going to be a nightmare and I wonder how much TAG Heuer will charge for a spare? I'm guessing more than you'd possibly imagine.

Thankfully the watch comes with a dark blue perforated leather strap (with orange stitching) as well, which will be much more practical and also looks really nice; I mean for £8300 it's the least they can do, isn't it? 

Hmm, and so we come to the elephant in the room, and one that almost every Council member has made a point of addressing; the price. It's funny how we normalise prices, but lets just think about the fact that this watch costs £8300. That's a lot of money, especially for a watch with a pretty standard Sellita movement. It's kind of weird to me that the watch companies tell us that 'in-house' is better and yet they still charge a premium for 'Calibre 11' (which is not really a Calibre 11 at all).

On the other hand you can argue that it's only £1300 more than the current, standard, in-house 'Heuer 02' Gulf model, and £1100 cheaper than the skeleton dial version. But really that just points out how ludicrously overpriced the skeleton model really is...

Despite that, I'm sure there will be plenty of takers for this one, and I can also imagine an influx of pre-owned Gulf's hitting the market as collectors upgrade to this new one. It's certainly very pretty (the black subdials were a great choice) and I think it will definitely be in the conversation when it comes to the WOTY voting at the end of the year.

Before I go I should just point out that this is a limited edition of 971 pieces, because '1971' and because clearly TAG Heuer think 1971 is too many to sell. We've seen this recently with the Seafarer (968 pieces) and while I do think it's a bit silly and meaningless, I recall there was once a TAG Heuer watch that was limited to 5,432 pieces (or something) which was the total number of minutes Ayrton Senna spent in the lead of Formula 1 races. Honestly, that's even more ridiculous... so, whatever.

I gave this one an 8.5 (quite a high score for me for a C11 Monaco), but let's find out what the Council have to say, besides (justifiably) moaning about the price... 

8/10: "This is an incredibly attractive and tempting Monaco. I'm just glad that at this point in my watch collecting disease I know I'd only wear it two or three times max before deciding it didn't quite fit with my personal style. But it's also that much easier to turn down when the price is equal to a decent original 1133 - and there's absolutely no doubt as to which one I'd rather spend $10k US on."

9/10: "Only topped by the other heritage Monaco, which is slightly better executed."

6/10: "Loses points because of the price going up and up."

7/10: "I think I prefer this version to the original. Also aesthetically I do like it on the white strap, can't be doing with all the bollocks surrounding it but it looks good!"

9/10: "Nice but prices are getting silly-at least for us retired folks- how about 3rd choice strap in orange/blue stitching?"

8/10: "Low grade titanium, no luxurious case finish and an off the shelf Sellita for $10k. What a joke!"

9/10: "Very traditional for a Monaco."

10/10: "A killer release! I need to stop visiting my local Boutique or I might end up spending money that I simply don't want to spend on a watch."

9.5/10: "I love it, and coming with these two straps is a bonus. But I don’t like the price (-0.5 point for that) so it’s a 9.5/10."

9/10: "Fantastic release, but price is a negative. Love the white strap, but I think it would be hard to maintain and keep clean. Nice to see the second strap is included. WOTY contender for me."

7/10: "Love the white race suit strap, although it looks great on the blue leather too. Loses a point for pricing."

7/10: "The case finish, Sellita and price are all negatives. But the dial colour and blue strap save it."

8.5/10: "The fabric strap is awesome. 9/10 for this. 8/10 for the leatherstrap version."

9/10: "I think it's super good. 9/10 from me."

8/10: "Love the design and the titanium case. Loses points for the price and for the straps. It looks so much better on the white strap than the dark blue leather one -- rather than including that one, they really should have included a white leather strap, so the watch can be on the correct color strap but still stand a chance to stay clean longer than 10 minutes."

8.5/10: "Great design and titanium will help it feel a little smaller on wrist. Well done 👍"

7.5/10: "As I mark in relation to each other, without factoring price, this gets a generous 7.5 from me. The extra strap is a reasonable touch, but I suspect that is only because they know it won’t sell with the white one alone. Extra strap is nice, but only if it’s actually usable! Monaco’s are so ridiculously positioned now that I would NEVER BUY."

6/10: "Ok, looks much the same as numerous other Monacos though. Of the two, the blue strap is better as the white looks a bit cheap, even if it is a nod to Steve McQueen's racing suit (yeah right, bit of a reach there)."

5/10: "Love the idea that the strap is made of the same material as are ace McQueen suit but in reality how practical is it… Also I don’t like the titanium case."

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2010

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph Watches by Adrian Barker

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 36mm 'Coloured Dials' Calibre 5 Watches

 

Three new 36mm Calibre 5 Aquaracers for you today, and while I wouldn't dream of labelling them 'ladies' watches, they definitely tend to fall into that general category due to sizing, diamond hour markers and general colour choices. I must admit when I first saw them the one that caught my eye was the purple dial, but the more I look at it the more I'm unsure how successful it actually is. I applaud TAG Heuer for embracing a new colour in this range and maybe it looks fantastic in person, but as of right now I'm definitely on the fence.

VIDEO: The TAG Heuer F1 Return Has Some Problems by Britt Pearce

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Running Out of Steam...?

Good morning my TAG Heuer enthusiast friends. As you probably know, I've been writing this blog for nearly nine years now and I have made over 3000 posts since I started back in October 2016, in the process making this the first choice resource for all things 1986-present day (as shown by the recent 1.5 million views milestone - thank you all once again for that).

Over the years I've explored pretty much every facet of the brand, with very few still to be covered (the 1000 Series is a glaring omission I know and I will get to that sooner or later) and so it gets harder and harder to think of new posts when there's a lull in the release schedule. 

On top of that, there's the issue of time. Simply finding time to write these posts week after week after week is starting to feel a bit like 'work' and it doesn't help that I'm not finding too much in the new releases to inspire me. TAG Heuer has always been a brand that refreshes itself constantly, indeed it's one of the things I really like about the brand, but the latest models are not really rocking my boat and even if they were I'm not sure I'm able to afford many of them until they become 'pre-owned'.

I'm actually okay with the fact that I'm not lusting after the new designs, because I know in a couple of years the line up will have changed again and maybe then the design language will have shifted back to my taste, or it could be that eventually I start to see the new watches in a different light and I move towards them, you never know. This is where TAG Heuer win over the likes of Rolex for me, because I know what Rolex do and it doesn't really change that much... I know some people argue that's Rolex's strength and that may well be true, but it's not the basis of a good blog that's for damned sure!

Back in the Jean Claude Biver days I was pumping out posts left right and centre (admittedly not always great posts, but post nonetheless...) because it was all new to me and frankly there was so much to get excited about. Currently, not so much. Despite the YouTubers insistence that 'TAG Heuer is BACK!' my initial enthusiasm for the re-released Formula 1s has waned quite dramatically since I saw one in person and I really don't think I'm going to be buying one (though I'm still keen to at least try on the red one when it comes out in September). I also really don't like the glassbox Carrera very much and while the new Calibre 16 Formula 1's are quite cool, the price tag is enough to prevent me getting too invested (and I certainly wouldn't choose one over my £1300 orange quartz three hander either!).

So I guess what I'm trying to work my way around to saying is that I just don't think I can keep this blog going at the pace it's been going any more. So with that in mind I am going to relax my posting schedule and see what happens. I'm not stopping the blog, and if five new watches come out tomorrow morning then I will write about them next week as usual. But I'm done staying up until 2am trying to write a post about some obscure 2000 Series because of some self-imposed 'deadline'. I just don't have it in me anymore. 

Perhaps a break will give me a chance to think up some new angles and I will start posting more again, but right now I want to allocate more of my time to other interests. I will still be posting, just not as often and not as regularly. I hope you all understand and will bear with me.

Rob / AquaG

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronographs by Brent Miller Time

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Kirium Chronometer Chronograph

Oh man but I'm so tired of silly people on YouTube telling us that the new TAG Heuer Formula 1s should only have cost £600... honestly, anyone that ever believed they were going to charge £600 for a 'vintage' inspired re-issue of a beloved watch with upgraded materials and a solar powered movement need to give themselves a good talking to. Have these people ever bought a watch strap from TAG Heuer? Do they know how much they charge for two small pieces of rubber? Come on, be serious. This is not a Swatch and the Moonswatch was not an Omega, just get a grip. It's fine to want them to be cheap, of course... but actually being disappointed when they aren't is just silly.

How could they possibly sell a Solargraph F1 for £600 when the Solar Aquaracers are nigh on £3000? Sure they are overpriced, but show me a Swiss watch from any of the big players that isn't. It seems the problem here is that there is an expectation that TAG Heuer were relaunching an 'affordable, entry level model to the mass market' when it's actually nothing of the sort. Most of the watches are limited to between 1000 and 3000 pieces, hardly 'mass market' and primarily they are aimed at middle aged people like me who remember them from the first time around (just about) and perhaps younger people drawn in by the Kith release last year. 

But look, there's nothing wrong with wanting to buy a decent TAG Heuer for around £600 and it can be done. In fact it's surprising what you can find if you're willing to wait and keep your eyes peeled.... and you can do it without exposing yourself to the cess pit that is Ebay. No you're not going to get a Monaco or a Carrera at this price point, but there are watches available that in their day were pretty high end, for example this minty looking Kirium chronometer chronograph which is currently on the H&T website with a discount of 20%. 

Unlike the three handed WL511A I bought from eBay back in March, this one measures a solid 38mm and shares the BA0700 bracelet with my CL111A 'F1 Kirium'. Incidentally, if you're slightly confused by the nomenclature of the 'F1 Kirium' I'm sure you're not alone. But that model was launched when the Formula 1 was in a period of inactivity (2001), and so TAG Heuer decided to use the 'F1' name to differentiate its high end quartz chronographs, and so we had the 'F1 Kirium' and also the (less well known and not as widely used) 'F1 Microtimer'.

Oddly the chronometer version of the Kirium chronograph didn't appear in any of the catalogues so it's hard to pinpoint when it was actually released, but the Kirium itself was launched in 1997 and retired in 2007 so there's a ten year window. The three hand chronometers appeared in the 1997 catalogue and the non-chronometer automatic chronograph first appeared in 1999, so I'm guessing it was probably released around 2001/2 but I really don't have any evidence to support that. In fact, I've just realised that this bracelet version is missing from my History of the Kirium post, so that needs to be corrected! 

These Kiriums are unusual in that their bracelet is designed to stay solid like a bangle when you take it off and it actually supports itself and can be stood up. Despite what you might think they are also extremely comfortable on the wrist, with the bracelet being made of individually curved links. In fact when I visited the TAG Heuer factory back in 2018 they told me that one of the reasons the Kirium was discontinued was the high cost of manufacturing these curved links. 

The clasp doesn't feature the classic micro adjustment you'd find on a 2000 or similar, but there is a funny little adjuster hidden in the folding part of the clasp. Personally I've never used it and the adjustment it appears to offer is probably not worth the effort of getting the pin out... and to be honest I've never really struggled to get a good fit with any of my Kiriums, in fact it was only when I lost a huge amount of weight that I needed to remove a link from each of them. 

It's slightly odd, considering the trend for integrated bracelets in recent years, that the Kirium hasn't yet had its moment in the sun again. Is it really so different looking to an Ingenieur? Better looking to my eyes, especially the bezel which is actually also very functional as it requires being pushed down before you can move it; you wouldn't believe how long it took me to realise that the bezel on my F1 Kirium moved! 

This watch is currently on sale at £676 (reduced from £845) which is a pretty decent price considering the condition and spec. However one reason I held off adding this to my collection is the cost of servicing a chronometer chronograph. This one comes with a one year warranty, but after that you are looking at least £500+ to service one of these at TAG Heuer. Of course you could get it serviced elsewhere and that may be cheaper, but it's still something to consider.

Personally, if I didn't already own the F1 Kirium and the plum dial quartz chronograph I might have bought this myself, but I gotta be strong and save my pennies for when that elusive CBN2A1E Carrera turns up at a bargain price...

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2009

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

 

Watches of Switzerland / Canary Wharf, London

I haven't really been to any major towns since the new Formula 1 Solargraphs launched a few weeks ago, so I haven't had a chance to try one on until today's visit to Canary Wharf in the financial district of London. I visited on a Saturday afternoon and initially there was no one free so I went next door and sampled the delights of Laderach chocolate. It was pleasant enough, but it reminded me of the 'Swiss Chocolate' you get in Marks & Spencer, nice enough but not worth £10.50 per 100g! 

Sample consumed, I returned to Watches of Switzerland to find the store empty and two salesman vying for my attention. Incidentally, before we go any further regular readers will probably remember that I tried on the new black/blue Calibre 16 Formula 1 chronograph a few weeks ago and I said I wanted to see the black/green version because on the website it looked green in one picture and yellow in another.

Well, I didn't try it on, but Watches of Switzerland had it in the window and it definitely looks green. It's not as bright a green as I would like it to be though, I was kinda hoping it was going to remind me more of those glorious PVD coated Aquaracer 500M models with the green lume, but it's a little more subdued. Still nice and I'm glad it's green not yellow... and I'm not completely opposed to the idea of maybe getting one in the future (once someone else has taken the depreciation). But honestly it would be a lot cheaper to get one of those black/green Aquaracers!

But anyway, back to the WBY1111...

The first thing I have to say is that was heavier than I expected. I don't know if that's because I never actually owned a classic Formula 1 on a bracelet, or simply because the watch is larger than the 80s models, It wasn't 'heavy' as such, just solid feeling - which I think is a good thing and it certainly felt heavier than the Kith I saw on a bracelet last year, so I guess it must be the increase in size plus maybe the movement could be slightly heavier and the bracelet feels a bit more chunky.

The dial is a little 'off'' white, but it's okay (not the most exciting colour scheme in my opinion, it looks a bit 'entry level' to me) and the bezel looks satisfyingly correct. I didn't notice the hands looking too small in person so maybe that's just something you notice when you take pictures (they look too small in my picture I think) or maybe I just didn't look at it long enough to start noticing these details.

At 38mm the watch is a reasonable size on my 7.5" wrist, it certainly feels more wearable than the original F1s and I'm not sure how much bigger they could make it and still retain the 'feeling' of the classic models. I think if it was 40mm the dial would start to look a little too large and empty, as it is I think the bezel seems thinner overall than the originals (relative to the dial) so perhaps a larger model could have a thicker bezel to compensate slightly?

What I didn't really like was the shape of the case in the lugs area (I'm hoping this looks better in the darker models that are coming and the red polymer) and also the finish on the steel. It's similar to the Kith Heuer's last year, a sort of glossy matt - which I realise makes zero sense... I guess you need to see it in person to understand. Not keen on that, although admittedly the 80/90s watches had a somewhat similar finish.

Lastly the polished crown. Yeah, I don't like it against this steel case. I think it will be less off-putting against the coated and/or poly-light cases that are coming, but since there is no other polishing on the watch it definitely looks a bit out of place. 

Overall then, not bad, but I'm not remotely moved to buy this one. It will be interesting to see how I feel when the red one comes out in September.

Well that concludes this 'On the Wrist' post, but before we go I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has visited the blog over the last eight years and helped get us to 1.5 million views. It's only about eight months since we hit 1M views (back in August 2024) so you can see the blog's popularity has really rocketed in the last year or two, indeed March was the biggest month yet with over 83,000 views! Quite incredible for a blog that only posts about one watch brand I think.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2025 by Time & Tide

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer 41mm Day/Date Carreras & GMT

 

Let's be honest, this year's 'Watches and Wonders' was all about the Formula 1 for TAG Heuer. Sure they released a 10 piece limited edition Monaco that barely anyone can afford, even if they actually wanted a white ceramic cased rattrapante that looks like a fight in a candy store... but all eyes were on the worst kept secret in modern watch history, and rightly so.

But while everyone was looking the other way TAG Heuer quietly released a bevy of new 41mm day/date Carreras that while honestly not inspiring that much reaction from me are, of course, still worthy of inspection by the Council. It's a funny thing, the 41mm day/date Carrera, it's kind of seen as a 'lesser' Carrera because historically a Carrera 'should be' a chronograph. Mind you, the same people that say this also generally say at 41mm it's too big and should be 39mm, but... whatever. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph by Bruce Williams

 

FEATURE: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraphs - Pricing

Seems like everybody has an opinion about the pricing of these new Formula 1 Solargraph models, and frankly some of it is plain unrealistic. Unfortunately for TAG Heuer the MoonSwatch set a very low bar when it came to pricing, but at the same time the quality was pretty dismal and when people actually got hands on with them even they were deemed to be 'over-priced'.

Before the new Formula 1s were announced people were talking ridiculous figures, I saw £300 banded about which was a complete joke, no way was TAG Heuer ever going to be selling a Formula 1 of any description for £300. But, said the dolts, at £300 TAG Heuer will clear up, they will sell millions... 

I'm not so sure about that, honestly. The MoonSwatch was a phenomenon, the chances of repeating its success were slim and more likely TAG Heuer would be left with egg on their face and a lot of unsold stock, meanwhile the watches they did sell would likely make very little (if any - bearing in mind selling at scale would definitely involve selling through third parties) profit and that's hardly the business model the Swiss luxury brands aspire to, is it?  

Let's not forget, the MoonSwatch was not an Omega, it was a Swatch. It piggybacked on Omega's popularity sure, and that's what made it such a phenomenon. If TAG owned a 'Swatch' of their own they could pull the same stunt, although I doubt even that would have the same impact (just look at the Blancpain Swatch).

And besides, you may not have noticed but in recent times TAG Heuer have started hiding their 'cheaper' watches at the back of their boutiques, as if they are something to be ashamed of. I can't see them wanting to put £300 watches in their windows, but anyway £300 is completely ludicrous, so let's park that right now.

Adrian Barker recently made a video in which he said that TAG Heuer messed up the pricing and they should have been £600. I disagree. For sure if they were £600 I would already have bought one, but for TAG to achieve that kind of price they would likely have to sell 5 times as many just to make the same profit. Why would you do that? If you're not taking the MoonSwatch route and going so cheap that people would literally wear them for a year and throw them away when the pushers inevitably break off, then there's no point going half way.

 

Yes, I had hoped these would be a bit cheaper, but given that they have the Solargraph movements and therefore there's no need to worry about the battery for 15 years, I think they are priced just about acceptably. And yes, some of them do have polymer cases and bezels, but some of them have black DLC cases, and those are only £100 more, which is a bit of a bargain when you look at pretty much any other black DLC TAG Heuer versus the same model in plain stainless steel.

And look, how could TAG Heuer ever sell a Formula 1 that was less than £1000? In a way I'm amazed they even brought them back at all, given that WIS have been beating TAG Heuer up for making 'cheap plastic watches' for the last forty years... but bringing them back at a lowball price would have made all their other watches look ridiculously overpriced.

Honestly if you want a £300 Formula 1 then I suggest you head to Ebay, there are plenty of them available, but just know that you're buying a 30-35 year old watch and sooner or later it's probably going to need repairing, and if you can't do it yourself you'll probably find it cheaper to throw it away and buy another one. As for me, well I was thinking about buying one of the new red ones, but given I have to wait until September for it to come out I already feel like I've lost interest... so in a way I agree that they messed up the launch, not by pricing them too high, but by not having all nine models ready to go when the buzz hit.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2025 by Monochrome Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Monaco Rattrapante 'Formula 1 75th Anniversary' Limited Edition

 

When TAG Heuer launched the Monaco Rattrapante last year the media was all over it, meanwhile in the real world all I heard was people grumbling and throwing out comments like... why would I pay £121,000 for that when I could buy an IWC Rattrapante for a tenth of the price. Well, you have to admit it's a good question. After all, the rattrapante complication is nothing genuinely new in the watch world and while the construction of the Monaco may be impressive and high tech, it let itself down in one incredibly important respect. Yes kids, the truth is it's ugly as all hell.

This (alongside the astronomically high asking price) was reflected in the end of year scoring and the Council of Considered Opinion eventually handed the pair of them an embarrassing 4.4/10 (blue) and 4.7/10 (red) respectively, making them the second and third least liked Monacos since the C.O.C.O. began back in 2020 (only the truly hideous Monaco Riviera rated worse!).

VIDEO: Heuer Autavia 7763C by Birth Year Watches

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Watches (Limited Editions)

Okay. The first thing I wanna say is... why? Why are six of the nine 'launch' models limited editions? I don't get it. In fact, it kinda annoys me. When I saw that they were going to redo the black and yellow model I was immediately drawn to that because if anything that's one of the classic 35mm F1s that I regret selling slightly. However, now I see it's a limited edition and I'm like... why? Granted it's not that limited, but the fact that it is means that I will have to negotiate watch industry bullshit if I want one and the chances are that if I don't make up my mind pretty much immediately there's a risk that I won't get a second chance.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer at Watches & Wonders 2025 by Revolution Watch

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph (Standard Models)

As many of you probably know, up until a couple of years ago I had a collection of fifteen of the original 1980s/1990s Formula 1 watches that I eventually decided to sell because a) I developed a taste for Grand Carreras and I needed cash to buy them, b) I felt they were too small for my wrist and c) I was concerned that they were getting old and would cost more to repair than they might be worth. 

Then, having divested myself of all but one (my original 383.513), TAG Heuer teamed up with Kith to produce the KITH Heuer watches and seeing the prices of mint originals rocket, I decided to cash out on that last remaining one, leaving me with no originals for the first time in six years! 

But then it wasn't long before we started hearing rumours about new, larger F1s and then a few months later there was talk of solar movements and now here we are in April 2025 with nine new models announced, albeit only two are actually 'available' straight away with six of the remaining pieces being 'limited editions' that will be released to coincide with certain Grand Prix races throughout the year.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer's 2025 W&W Releases by The Watch Society

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Carrera Panamericana Rallye Limited Edition Tourbillon

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 15th March 2025

When I walked into the Meadowhall boutique a couple of weeks ago it never for one second entered my head that they might have the TAG Heuer x Porsche Carrera Panamerican Rallye Tourbillon in stock. Not for one second! With only 255 pieces worldwide, I figured this would much more likely be found in the flagship Oxford Street store down in London, but after looking at the new blue dial Solargraph I turned around and there it was. Crikey!

I suppose given my surprise I should have been more excited, but honestly I wasn't actually that fussed. Nevertheless I decided I ought to at least have a look and see how it felt to wear a £30,000 Porsche tourbillon on the wrist and, well... yeah. It's okay I guess.

My feelings about the glassbox Carrera are well established by now (which is probably not good for me, because I can imagine there's going to be plenty more of the bloody things and probably starting tomorrow on the first day of Watches & Wonders 2025), at least this one is in the 42mm case so it doesn't look like a child's toy on my 7.1/2" wrist.

SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer's New £3500 Bracelet...

 

Well Watches & Wonders has arrived, and with it an absolute avalanche of new TAG Heuer releases (18 in total, can you believe that?) and understandably most of the attention has fallen on the new 38mm Formula 1 Solargraphs, but there were other releases... a bevvy of new 'in-house' Carrera Day/Dates, a rather odd looking teal-dialed Carrera GMT and a very limited edition white ceramic Monaco Rattrapante (which you almost certainly won't be able to afford even if you really wanted one).

As usual, we'll be getting to all these in due course (the Council of Considered Opinion has already begun musing over the non-limited edition Formula 1s), but something caught my eye while perusing the new releases on the TAG Heuer website. 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2016/2017

BUYING EXPERIENCE: Wrist Envy Sailcloth Strap

 

You probably haven't noticed (because why would you), but I am not a fan of aftermarket straps. I know a lot of people are, they see a new release and they can't wait to buy it and switch it out onto ten different straps... (all of which look absolutely terrible to me - especially those suede looking things with the sideways stitches near the lugs, 🤮), but that ain't me. 

No, I tend to think the manufacturers know best and even on the rare occasions when they don't I still think it's best to stick with other straps from the same product/model range, hence I bought the black rubber strap for my Aquaracer WAY208C from TAG Heuer and of course it fits and fills the lugs perfectly.

So with all that said, why on Earth am I talking to you about an aftermarket strap I bought from 'Wrist Envy'? Well, it's a long story... and that story tarts way back in 2019, when I spied this CV2A80 Carrera Calibre 16 in TAG Heuer's Bicester Outlet store.

VIDEO: TAG Heuer S/EL Quartz Midsize Watch by Birth Year Watches

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph & Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronograph

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / Meadowhall, Sheffield 15th March 2025

Just a brief visit to the TAG Heuer boutique today as there really wasn't much new that I hadn't already seen (we're in the calm before the storm period right now, with Watches and Wonders just a week away), but I was interested to see the latest addition to the 40mm Aquaracer Solargraph range with its 'Ice Blue' dial and titanium case and bracelet.

When I first clapped eyes on this latest model it immediately brought to mind the quartz chronograph version that came out back in January 2023. But having seen them side by side I can confidently say that while the chrono version had a definite lilac tint to it, the new version is much more of a pure blue colour (and all the better for it, honestly).

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Superdiver Calibre TH30-00 by The 1916 Company

 

BUYING EXPERIENCE: TAG Heuer Kirium Chronometer

Well I guess this had an air of inevitability about it didn't it? Delighted as I was with my last purchase (my Aquaracer Regatta Calibre S, way back in... January) it clearly also reignited a desire in me to finally pick up that WL511A Kirium chronometer I've wanted for I don't know how long. But of course, I couldn't find one and the ones I did find with 'SOLD' on them seemed to go for more than I really wanted to pay... considering, you know, I already have three Kiriums. So, deeply disappointed, I saved my eBay search and waited for the email. 

Well I didn't have to wait long, just a week or two passed and then there it was, looking mighty fine and starting cheap at £199, which would have been awesome, but highly unlikely. So I debated... should I place a bid at £199 to stop anyone using the £400 'BUY IT NOW' feature, or should I just buy it now myself?

VIDEO: TAG Heuer x Porsche Carrera Chronosprint Rallye Limited Edition by Doug FNJ

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer x Porsche Carrera Chronosprint Rallye

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 1st February 2025

On the same day that I got to try on the first three new Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronographs, I was also able to get my hands on this recent limited edition Porsche Carrera Chronosprint Rallye. Limited to 911 pieces (because, Porsche) and coming in at a hefty £8950 this one costs a notable £900 more than the original (unlimited) Porsche Chronosprint.

Oddly, despite 'knowing' that this is a 42mm model, I still had to check with the guy in the boutique because it just doesn't look it. Once I put it against one of the 39mm models in the case I could see the difference, but even with a bracelet this watch wears nothing like a 42mm. I'm not crazy about the bracelet actually, it looks like a slightly melted version of the old Grand Carrera bracelet and just like those it has no micro adjustment, which is a shame in a watch at this price point. Saying that I've never had a problem with my Grand Carreras just using the half links, so it's probably not a massive dealbreaker. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronographs by Time & Tide

 

INSTRUCTIONS: TAG Heuer Golf Battery Change

This may sound a little silly, but I've been dreading the day when my Golf needed a battery change... because not only does it have four tiny screws holding down the square caseback, but I was also concerned that once the screws were removed and the backplate was removed, what would happen with the buttons that hold the folding parts of the watch together? Would they just ping out and I'd be left with a mess of parts in a bag to take to my local watch repairman?

Well thankfully no. As you can see they are still held firmly in place, which is logical... but then you can't always assume everything will be okay with watches just because it makes sense in your head. The only problem I actually encountered was that I had never come across a 315 battery before (very thin that one) so it wasn't one I had in stock. I was also slightly confused about the lack of a gasket, but then the watch is only rated to 50M, in other words 'not very waterproof'. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera H01 & H02 Rose Gold Stunners by Swiss Watch Expo

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraphs

TAG Heuer continue to roll out their Aquaracer Solargraphs with two new pieces, a dusky pink 34mm and an 'Ice Blue' 40mm. You may remember that TAG Heuer released an 'Ice Blue' quartz chronograph a couple of years ago (actually I thought they had been discontinued, but the mid-blue and ice blue versions are still available on the TH website; oddly it was the silver and black dial models that were deleted) and this looks like the sun-powered, three handed version of that. 

From the pictures we've seen so far though, this looks like it might be the first coloured-dial Solargraph that actually looks better than it's non-solar equivalent. The chronograph had a definite lilac edge to it in person, whereas this looks like more of a pure blue. I hope so anyway, I guess we'll have to wait until it hits the stores to be sure. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox Panda by Bruce Williams

 

ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronographs

 

TAG Heuer Boutique, Milton Keynes 1st February 2025

As I've said before, one of the things I truly love about TAG Heuer is that periodically they re-invent their products, which keeps things fresh and exciting... but doesn't always work for you. So it was with a little apprehension that I headed into the TAG Heuer boutique to try on the brand new Calibre 16 Formula 1 chronographs. After all, this was a big change in design and while I liked the photos I saw, we're all aware by now that the only way to 'know for sure' is to get them on the wrist.

I didn't honestly expect the Milton Keynes boutique to have all five models, and indeed neither the blue or the lime green/yellow (we really can't be sure yet) were available. In fact it seems like both of those watches are 'coming soon' and I was told that the blue one will only be sold in the UK via Beaverbrooks and Beaverbrooks owned TAG Heuer boutiques, while the yellow/lime green one will only be sold by Goldsmith/WOS/WOS owned TAG Heuer boutiques. 

VIDEO: TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Bright Black Edition Smartwatch by A Blog ToWatch

 

SPOTLIGHT ON: Watches of Switzerland Exclusive Formula 1s

Hard to believe but back in 2016 TAG Heuer launched the first Max Verstappen limited edition Formula 1 chronograph to celebrate the Dutchman's very first win. Kinda crazy when you think about that, eh, it's almost like they KNEW he was going to be the next Lewis Hamilton. I mean who the hell gets a watch to celebrate their first win? Their first WDC maybe... but for whatever reason (could it be Max's huge and vociferous Dutch fanbase?) TAG Heuer decided a run of 500 would be a good way to turn a quick buck and as far as I can tell they pretty much never saw the inside of a shop window.

Since 2019 (at least) TAG Heuer have been selling the CAZ1014 paired with the bright orange FT8028 strap that came on Max's CAZ101B and more recently I noticed they've also been selling the WAZ1010 on that same strap too. Maybe they've been selling it for a while and I just haven't come across it, but that's not really important because everything I've said so far is only to serve as preamble to (and to slightly pad out, let's be honest) what promises to be quite a short post... 

PRICE LIST: TAG Heuer Price List 2018/2019