Hodinkee
Bring a Loupe: A 1960s Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic, A 1970s Heuer Monaco Ref. 1133G, And A 1968 Omega Seamaster 300 Ref. 166.024 With Serious Military Provenance
Your weekly round-up of watches from around the 'net.
375 articles found · page 10 of 13
Steve McQueen wore the Heuer Monaco 1133B in the 1971 film Le Mans. McQueen\'s personal on-set Monaco sold at Phillips NY December 2020 for USD 2.2M.
Steve McQueen’s Le Mans Heuer Monaco 1133B crossed Sotheby’s block. The above-the-date-window detail collectors spotted, the hammer price, why it matters.
The 1969 Heuer square chronograph. Worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans.
The iconic square case gets a La Fabrique du Temps heart and a V12 engine metaphor you can actually watch turning
Hodinkee
Your weekly round-up of watches from around the 'net.
Hodinkee
This story has been republished from our friends at Hodinkee Australia. What We Know Today, a luxury sports watch with a rubber strap is nothing revolutionary, but in 1980 it was scandalous. Italian watchmaker and entrepreneur Carlo Crocco fired the starting gun on a casual-luxury sports watch revolution when he combined a gold case with a rubber strap to build his ultimate Mediterranean summer watch: the MDM 'La Hublot.' Turns out his idea caught on and was quickly embraced by royalty in Monaco, Spain and Sweden, to name just a few. An archival shot of Carlo Crocco posing with early MDM Hublot models. Rarely-seen 'pre-Biver' Hublots, including chronographs and a dive watch. The original MDM 'La Hublot' and the new Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo. It's hard to imagine that Hublot is almost 50 years old. We as collectors tend to think of it as a young brand - and in many senses, it still is - but a half-century ain't nothing to sniff at. 46 years after its inaugural release, Hublot is going all the way back to its Carlo Crocco roots with the Hublot Classic Fusion Tributo, a standard-production watch that pays tribute to where the maverick brand started, made with the input of Mr Crocco himself (who officially exited Hublot in 2008). This release encompasses two models in 38mm, one in yellow gold and one in white gold, both housing a Zenith-sourced movement. In a departure from the standard Classic Fusion, the Tributo returns to the original MDM Hublot's 12-screw bezel design ...
Monochrome
Two watches are often associated with Steve McQueen: the Heuer Monaco worn during the Le Mans movie and a Rolex Submariner that became part of his off-screen image. But “the King of Cool” had a much broader relationship with watches, and among the less celebrated pieces was a Hanhart 417 ES, a chronograph he wore […]
SJX Watches
Steve McQueen is closely associated with Heuer and Rolex, but his personal watches also included the less conspicuous Hanhart 417 ES. The Hanhart 417 ES Steve McQueen Limited Edition No. 1 commemorates that connection with a discreet dial signature and a strap modelled on his own, developed with input from his grandchildren. Initial thoughts Steve McQueen is inextricably linked to Hollywood, but also the objects he surrounded himself with — cars, clothing, sunglasses and watches. Though when it comes to the latter, he’s often mislabeled. The Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655 is often erroneously nicknamed the ‘Steve McQueen’ despite the fact he never wore one (it was a Submariner ref. 5513). But before the Rolex and Heuer Monaco years came the Hanhart 417 ES, which McQueen was rarely seen without as it accompanied him through everyday activities for many of his early years in Hollywood. McQueen’s loyalty to the comparatively low-key Hanhart 417 may have been function-led. An avid racer, sportsman and marksman, the flyback chronograph with ample shock resistance and a useful rotating bezel likely hit the mark for what he wanted from a tool watch. Hanhart has kept the tribute restrained. The actor’s signature replaces the text above six o’clock on the standard 417 ES 1954 Heritage Flyback, but is small enough not to overwhelm the dial. The watch can stand on its own, even for someone with little interest in McQueen. It’s a good story for a watch priced at €2,890....
Hodinkee
Backed by Breitling's House of Brands group, Gallet's return was hotly anticipated and closely scrutinized. Priced between $2,900 for a three-hand Flying Officer model with date and about $6,700 for the vintage-inspired 'Classics' models, replete with Breitling B09 hand-wound calibers, the revived brand's pricing at Breitling boutiques is certainly aggressive. Gallet's rebirth and price-category decision mark the most high-profile and ambitious attempt by the Swiss watch industry to reclaim a space it once owned but has largely ceded in recent years to so-called 'boutique' or micro-brands that have filled the gap left by traditional Swiss brands moving upscale.Over the past decade, brands have climbed the value-category ladder even higher, making fewer watches at higher prices. The so-called mid-tier premium—or luxury watches with an MSRP between $2,000 and $5,000—was once dominated by Swiss brands from Omega to Breitling to TAG Heuer and Jaeger-LeCoultre. And while TAG Heuer still produces plenty of watches in the category, including the solar-powered quartz Formula 1, much of its development and marketing resources have been focused on new pricier versions of classic chronographs housed in titanium or other lightweight materials including the highly innovative, but eye-wateringly expensive, Monaco 'Evergraph' retailing at more than $28,000. Several of the new Gallet watches are available on a steel bracelet that is the same used on some Breitling models. Photo Cre...
SJX Watches
Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...
SJX Watches
Having recently unveiled a unique burgundy chronograph to benefit the Fondation Prince Albert II De Monaco, F.P. Journe is back with the unique Chronomètre Furtif ICM that will be auctioned later this month to support the work of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinièhe (ICM), better known internationally as the Paris Brain Institute. The black enamel dial of the CF ICM. Image – F.P. Journe Initial thoughts F.P. Journe is a watchmaker at the height of its market influence, so its nice to see the brand use its considerable power to continue its longstanding practice of contributing to worthwhile causes. ICM was founded by former FIA president Jean Todt, a longtime friend of François-Paul Journe who also informed the concept behind the Centigraphe. The unique Centigraphe from 2016 featured a blue mother-of-pearl dial with the ICM logo at 12 o’clock. Image – F.P. Journe The Geneva-based watchmaker was the ICM’s first private donor, and has contributed significantly over the past two decades. The brand’s first contributions arrived in 2004 by way of a trio of unique Vagabondage watches auctioned by Antiquorum. The three lots hammered for between CHF63,250 and CHF80,500, with all proceeds going to ICM. A unique Centigraphe was produced for the charity in 2016, when it hammered for the equivalent of about US$136,000 at the time. An impressive sum for that era, but a number that highlights just how much demand for independent watchmaking — and F.P. Journe ...
Time+Tide
This week brings some wildcards to the selection. In the dust that settled after Geneva Watch Days, François-Paul Journe announced a unique piece created with Prince Albert II of Monaco, to be auctioned for charity; Jacob & Co. gives new meaning to “gem-set” with a diamond-encrusted balance wheel; and Delma steps away from its usual … Continued
Monochrome
Few brands are as intertwined with motorsports as TAG Heuer. Since the early days of the brand, then only known as Heuer, it has always had close ties with racing, predominantly thanks to its excellent mechanical stopwatches. The racing DNA resonates well within multiple collections, such as the iconic Carrera and Monaco. The Monza, however, […]
Hodinkee
Welcome to August's end, everyone. I never know how to start these things—there's too much variety in most of our days, meaning that, short of borderline universal cultural experiences, it's hard to know what we'd all even know about. That said, I'd like to offer quick thanks: I've now lucked into writing Bring A Loupe for six months, and it's just tremendous fun, soup to nuts. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to working as hard as I can to not bore you for as long as I'm allowed. Also, boo to Dolly Parton's and Tim Curry's passing. Terrible plot twist. Scorekeeping last week's picks, the Hublot Orlinski's on hold, the Seiko Sportura sold for €1,350, the Breitling Tabarly for €760, and the Yema Tomahawk for £800. Strays I have failed to highlight fun skin divers over the last couple of weeks, so let me ameliorate that lack with this Dupont and this LIP. They share identical all-steel skin diver cases; the differences in their bezels are awfully minor, and the Dupont's got a bracelet, so maybe that's enough of a needle-mover. This Breguet Chronoscope pocketwatch in platinum's not in perfect condition—the dial's got a few spots—but it is also incredibly gorgeous, the design is fantastic, and Monaco Legend Group sold a silver version in 2023 for €16,000, so plan accordingly. I could be wrong, but it looks like this ultra-thin solid gold quartz Jaeger was made by other brands as well, among them Bulova (who called their version a Phantom) and Microma (appare...
Hodinkee
Walking down the pit lane towards the Red Bull garage, I get chatting to a guy, thanks to the watch on his wrist (it was a Monaco), who tells me about his love for F1 and how special it is to stand close enough to these machines that you can feel their engines through your chest. At one point, I asked him, "Which race haven't you been to yet that you're dying to attend?" "I'd love to get to Spa one day, but honestly? This is it. Silverstone is the home of it all. It's hard to beat this place." Over the past five years, F1 has undergone a revitalization I don't think any other sport can match. Fuelled by Netflix's Drive to Survive, a crop of drivers who've opened up more of themselves than any generation before them, and no shortage of on-track drama, the fan base for the sport hasn't just increased; it's evolved in ways that have changed who actually shows up at races. It's that diversified, culture-conscious crowd that TAG Heuer's return as Official Timekeeper is clearly aimed at. TAG Heuer has timed Oracle Red Bull Racing since 2016, through all four of Verstappen's titles, but in 2025 the brand's role in F1 became much bigger. TAG Heuer became the sport's Official Timekeeper as part of a huge move by LVMH across the entire paddock, a ten-year partnership that also brought Louis Vuitton and Moët & Chandon into Formula 1. Silverstone earns its place at the centre of that story more than any other stop on the calendar. It's one of only four circuits still on the grid that...
SJX Watches
The return of the Vacheron Constantin Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar got us thinking about other technically interesting watches that showed promise but never truly found their footing. In episode 47 of the SJX Podcast, SJX and Brandon discuss recent releases from Seiko, IWC, and Swatch before turning to candidates for a second chance, including the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars AP Escapement, the TAG Heuer Monaco V4, and the elusive Breguet Hommage à Nicolas G. Hayek 7887. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
Worn & Wound
Raymond Weil celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Weil founding his eponymous brand in 1976. And the brand’s first integrated-bracelet watch is a nod to the seventies era of experimentation: where, in the face of impending quartz dominance, watchmakers produced bold designs like they had nothing to lose. This was the era of the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, both launching the concept of the luxury sports watch—in essence, a classier and far pricier interpretation of the Go Anywhere, Do Anything ethos that once took its inspiration from military and field watches. Only this time, going anywhere is to Monaco or St. Moritz, and doing anything is jumping off the back of a yacht into the waters of Bali. Fifty years later, the integrated bracelet watch has never been more popular. Perhaps it’s the trickle-down effect from the cachet of those two OGs, which have taken off so much that people are willing to snap up an anniversary Nautilus desk clock, or storm your nearest Swatch store for a plastic Royal Oak. Or it’s the promise of a certain inherent and integrated toughness, eschewing the notion that we won’t ever reach 1,000-ft deep-water depths and still make it back to the boardroom. In fact, skip the beach-to-boardroom mentality. This category is all upscale by comparison, and the A.R.T. series — which, according to Raymond Weil, stands for “art, refinement, and timekeeping,” with the latter perhaps seeming redundant — captur...
WatchAdvice
Does TAG Heuer’s Australian Edition Carrera Glassbox Tourbillon add enough sporty flavour to this traditional complication? Let’s find out! What We Love: Green and gold – our national colours! Gorgeously reframes the historic tourbillon Wears relatively slim and close to the wrist What We Don’t: No hacking seconds may turn off accuracy enthusiasts The inner strap colour is slightly off – a nitpick, but noticeable Is TAG Heuer competing too hard with itself? Overall Rating: 8.75/10 Value for Money: 8/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 9/10 TAG Heuer has long been a major proponent of the Australian market. Ever since entering in the late 1980s, the brand has ingratiated itself within our laid-back, modest, and often adventurous lifestyles. Models like the Aquaracer and Formula 1 became standard fare for the Australian wrist, while others like the Monaco evolved into legendary, aspirational pieces for those who have “made it”. But there is another collection that has long offered the best of both worlds: the TAG Heuer Carrera. The perfect balance of high-end luxury and everyday robustness, the Carrera’s presence in Australia has been shaped by both local values and its own powerful heritage. Bought for celebrations, commemorations, commiserations, and everything in between, it too has become part of Australiana. With that in mind, TAG Heuer has released a smattering of timepieces that reflect its enduring connection with our great nation. La...
Hodinkee
It's time for the Geneva spring auctions, the premier venue for the biggest lots and market-moving of the year. That's not to say that Hong Kong (which sometimes comes before, sometimes comes after) or New York (which rounds out the season) won't have some big lots. Sotheby's Hong Kong sale—which we covered previously—closed over the weekend with an absolutely shockingly great result, with massive prices across the board, especially for Cartier. The final total? $52,875,885, which is more than $10 million more than their previous record. That included nearly $2 million for a Cartier London Crash, a London Tank Asymétrique went for a surprising $750,000, a skeletonized Baignoire was just shy of a million at $950,000—and that doesn't count things like the $1.96 million for a unique single-button Patek chronograph or $1.5 million for a "John Player Special" Daytona. Truly remarkable results up and down the board. Which begs the question: do we think crazy prices for Cartier will hold long term, or was it just excitement for the first round of sales? 8.3%Checking in on other results, the Monaco Legend Auction sold 98.3% of their lots for a total sale of €26,471,620. Big results include €2.106 million for a unique doré-dialed Patek 3448 “Padellone,” €1.88 million for a unique platinum Daytona, and €390,000 for a Cartier Tank à Guichets that was made in 3 examples, among some other solid results. A unique woven Cartier ”Pebble” did massively well as at...
Hodinkee
It was bound to happen. I've written nine Bring a Loupes, covering 38 watches (excluding Strays or Buyer Beware watches). Two weeks back, I picked a clunker of a Doxa Sub 300T, which, among other issues, had the wrong hands (I'd actually been more concerned with the dial), and in my enthusiasm for vintage Doxa divers, I screwed up and included it. My apologies, though, as Coleman Hawkins consoles, "If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't really trying." Scorekeeping the picks from two weeks ago, the Esso Breguet sold for €15,2000, the Juvenia Arithmo's still available, the Blancpain Bund sold for €15,500, the Doxa Sub 300T passed, the Chaumet sells Friday afternoon and has been bid to $12,000 at the time of writing, and the black dialed Seamaster sold for CHF 1,000. Strays A Universal Genève Railrouter. For sale on OmegaForums. A Gübelin Cioccolatone at Monaco Legend this weekend. For absolutely no reason whatsoever, here's a lovely Doxa Sub 300. As Stefon (from SNL) would say, this watch has it all: original (correct!) black hands, no-T dial, signed expandro bracelet and screw-down crown, and, of course, the OG thin case. These early thin-cased Doxa Sub 300s were made for only a year, and aside from minor paint loss on the bezel, this looks like an excellent example. If the Doxa's not your flavor and/or diving's not your bag, maybe this UG Railrouter'll do it for you. I have an overdeveloped fondness for railroad watches, which fondness is equaled by my appreciati...
Monochrome
With all the attention focused on the new and important TAG Heuer Monaco references (Steve McQueen and Evergraph), the introduction of the Aquaracer Professional 500 Date at Watches and Wonders 2026 was a quieter one. Still, with this new release, the brand fills a gap in its dive watch range. Positioned between the refined, everyday-capable […]
SJX Watches
Sure to be among the most talked-about releases of Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer has just unveiled the Monaco Evergraph. The openworked Monaco marks the debut of the calibre TH-80, one of the most advanced chronograph movements on the market. The Evergraph’s movement is notable for several reasons, but the most surprising is the use of an innovative compliant structure to simplify the chronograph mechanisms. Initial thoughts Beginning with the relaunch of the TH-Carbonspring last year, TAG Heuer has been on something of a road to redemption. Not long ago it seemed like the brand’s brightest days might be behind it, but the Evergraph provides further evidence that TAG Heuer has been retooling to become a new leader in technical innovation. The famous Breitling-Heuer-Buren Calibre 11 - one of the first automatic chronograph movements to hit the market back in 1969 - debuted in a Monaco, and so it’s fitting that the new TH-80 movement is first glimpsed through the transparent dial of the Monaco Evergraph. In more ways than one, the Evergraph pays proper hommage to original Heuer Monaco while remaining decidedly future-oriented. It is also great to see the TH-Carbonspring literally front and centre on the dial side, proof that TAG Heuer is finally delivering on the promise of carbon hairspring industrialisation. Even before digressing into the distinctive mechanics of the new cal. TH80-00, any chronograph aficionado will greatly appreciate the particular crown and...
Worn & Wound
Few other watchmakers enjoyed as much success and cachet as Heuer, especially during the fervent 1960s and 1970s. Not only had it launched one of the world’s first automatic chronographs, but it pushed the envelope on modern design with midcentury-cool chronographs like the uniquely square Monaco. Heuer was riding high on the glamor of Grand Prix: the Heuer shield was as indelible to the backdrops of Monza and Le Mans as Ferrari, Porsche, and McLaren themselves as the official timekeeper of Formula One. But, inevitably, the quartz revolution came for Heuer. Jack Heuer was the third-generation CEO of the company that bore his name, and he had been a savvy marketer, personally hawking chronographs to drivers like Jo Siffert and Nikki Lauda. By the 1980s, however, he found himself backed into a corner, and in 1982, he was forced to sell the company to Piaget and Lemania-a humiliating low point in his life, as he recounted in his autobiography. Yet, before he departed, he gave Heuer one saving grace. In 1979, he commissioned Heuer’s first dive watch, the Professional Series. At a trade show Jack had overheard a brief conversation about the unreliability of existing dive watches, and he aimed to emulate Rolex’s success with the Submariner and Sea-Dweller. (Incidentally, Rolex owned half of Heuer’s stock market shares, and nearly took over the company around this time.) Photo by Blake Rong Heuer had spent the decade building an electronic timing division, which b...
Worn & Wound
It can be hard to love a heritage brand in its modern guise. The chasm between the demands of the modern world and the spirit that once defined a legacy brand is usually vast, and the need to progress and stay relevant typically outweighs any brand’s need to satisfy the enthusiasts and history buffs that love it. When it comes to TAG Heuer, however, there’s a different story being told–one that truly celebrates the brand’s history while seeking a seat at the table of the upper echelon of watchmaking. The man responsible for orchestrating that balancing act is Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director. While Biebuyck wears many hats within the TAG Heuer machine, he’s an enthusiast at his core. The man understands where the brand has been and what that history means to his fellow enthusiasts, but he also has his eyes firmly on the future. Biebuyck knows that for TAG Heuer to stand on the top step of the horological podium, it needs to innovate in every regard–including swinging for the fences with its halo products like the Monaco Split-Seconds Rattrapante. To that end, TAG Heuer has announced the release of several new Carrera models that vamp on their successful “Glass Box” design. These watches, unveiled at LVMH Watch Week, include a new Carrera Seafarer that picks up where the brand’s 2024 Hodinkee limited edition left off while nodding at a beloved, if somewhat obscure classic from the Heuer archive. These new releases continue to telegrap...
Time+Tide
Following 2024's Monaco Split-Seconds, TAG Heuer finally brings its impressive rattrapante chrono to the Carrera - and it's a stunner.The post TAG Heuer’s new Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is peak modern TAG Heuer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
We knew this one was coming… Since TAG Heuer unveiled the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in 2024, it felt inevitable that the brand’s advanced rattrapante chronograph movement would make it into the Carrera line. Now, that moment has arrived. The new TAG Heuer Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph brings the rattrapante complication to the Carrera lineup, wrapped in […]
SJX Watches
Having recently given the Monaco a rattrapante makeover, TAG Heuer has unveiled the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph, the first-ever split-seconds chronograph in the history of the storied Carrera line-up. The watch combines the brand’s contemporary ‘glassbox’ case design with the Vaucher-derived TH81-01 movement, the only split-seconds calibre in production capable of tenth-of-a-second resolution. Built of grade 5 titanium inside and out, the Carrera Split-Seconds is positioned as both a technical showcase and a halo product for the brand. Initial thoughts It’s more than a little surprising that the Carrera, one of the most storied names in sports chronographs, has never been made in a split-seconds variant until now. In the vintage era, many of Heuer’s peers introduced split-seconds chronographs with movements sourced from Valjoux, which also supplied the ebauches for the Carrera, which suggests the technology was well within reach. That said, the Carrera Split-Seconds Chronograph is arguably worth the wait, marrying the contemporary glassbox case design with the one of the only split-seconds chronograph calibres capable of tenth-of-a-second resolution. It’s a coherent product in more ways than one, carrying on the brand’s history of commercialising third-party calibres in design-forward, performance-oriented watches. In terms of design, the Carrera Split-Seconds feels more refined than the Monaco Split-Seconds, avoiding the superfluous “rattrapante” a...
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer is growing its signature line of chronographs literally and figuratively with the Carrera Chronograph “Glassbox” 41 mm. Stylistically similar to its 39 mm counterpart, the new Carrera features a larger “Glassbox” case but is otherwise almost identical, right down to the pump pushers and TH20 automatic movement, though enthusiasts will like the fact that the date display has been eliminated. Initial thoughts The “Glassbox” case is a good starting point, being distinctive but not as unconventional as the Monaco. The Carrera is retro-inspired but of an entirely modern construction, with its bowl-shaped dial, raised flange, and domed crystal. One of my favourite characteristics of the Carrera is the model’s pump-style pushers that give it a distinctive profile. Large and welcoming, the pushers provide the impression of a chronograph built to be used. And the 41 mm has the upside of doing away with the date. While the larger case is arguably not as well suited to the retro case design, it is a good fit for the TH20 that’s a relatively thick calibre. So while bigger, the 41 mm model is better proportioned in some ways. Commercially, the logic of the 41 mm is clear as well, since larger watches do well in many of the markets where TAG Heuer is historically strong, like the United States and Australia. Notably, the 41 mm includes a similarly scaled up version of the versatile seven-link stainless steel bracelet found on the smaller model. It echoes a “b...
Time+Tide
From Morse code Murphs to McQueen's Monaco, these are some of the best watches for movie nerds to look into.The post Cinephile, film buff, or otherwise movie obsessed? Here are some of the best watches in cinema appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer flexes its research and development muscles again with the performance-oriented Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1. Using the iconic square chronograph as a base, the brand’s engineers took inspiration from its Formula 1 partnership to explore new manufacturing techniques for this 30-piece limited edition that boasts an ultra-light, hollowed-out 18k gold case fabricated with laser additive manufacturing. Initial thoughts The original Monaco from Heuer remains one of the more enduring chronograph designs, with the storied past and distinctive square form. It is refreshing to see TAG Heuer using it as a base for newer, technologically-oriented pieces. This new limited edition takes the already-supercharged crystallised titanium split-seconds released earlier this year and reimagines the square case. The result is a honeycomb-patterned case that is surprisingly lightweight for the size and material. The complex and layered construction of the Air 1, here in an exploded view. The team at TAG Heuer employed a new additive manufacturing technique with the goal of a sturdy yet remarkably light chronograph. Keeping in mind that gold is a dense (thus heavy) metal, making a watch that qualifies as “lightweight” is usually incompatible with including the precious alloy. Here the engineers came up with a way to reduce the volume of gold used, while keeping the components’ sturdiness intact. The timepiece itself can be a little much in terms of styling, with the ...
WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer’s latest Formula 1 refresh blends the collection’s colourful 1986 spirit with modern materials and solar-powered convenience. From the versatile steel Silverstone GP to the lightweight, vibrant TH-Polylight Monza GP, these watches show that racing DNA can still be fun, practical, and stylish! What We Love Successfully brings the colorful spirit of the 1986 original models with modern materials and solargraph movement Collection offers versatility with steel and TH-Polylight materials Solargraph movement is the best option for the quartz model. No battery changes, long autonomy, and eco-friendly. What We Don’t TH-Polylight bezels/cases won’t have the same scratch resistance or perceived “luxury” feel as steel. With a 38mm case size, enthusiasts who like larger watches may find it too small. Limited editions tied to specific races may be hard to secure or try on before purchase. Overall Rating: 8.6/10 Value for money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 8.5/10 Build quality: 8.5/10 The story of TAG Heuer and Formula 1 is one of new beginnings. A tale that starts not in a quiet Swiss valley, but on the screaming straights of Monaco, Silverstone, and Suzuka. The story goes all the way back to 1986, when the watchmaker, now freshly going under the wing of Techniques d’Avant Garde, forming TAG Heuer, built a timepiece that matched the energy of the sport that it sponsored: light, colourful, and unafraid to stand out. The Formula 1 collection was released dur...
SJX Watches
TAG Heuer is marking the rollout of its new-and-improved, and in-house, carbon hairsprings – timed to coincide with the 350th anniversary of the hairspring’s invention – with a pair of chronographs: the Monaco Flyback Chronograph TH-Carbonspring and Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport TH-Carbonspring. More than just two new watches, the TH-Carbonspring is a notable technical achievement that might promise an entirely new generation of TAG Heuer movements equipped with oscillators that boast all of the advantages of silicon, but with added robustness. Protected by several patents, TH-Carbonspring is also the result of a fascinating process of research and development to overcome a surprising problem. Kitted out in carbon composite dials and cases, the two watches are centred on TAG Heuer’s latest-generation carbon-nanocomposite balance springs, with each being a limited edition of just 50 pieces Initial thoughts Both models serve as a launch platform for TAG Heuer’s improved and industrialisation-ready carbon hairspring. While the brand has been flirting with carbon hairsprings since 2019, its use of the technology has been intermittent and on limited scale. TAG Heuer explains previous attempts at carbon springs were not up to the brand’s standards, which is to say the hairsprings did not perform as expected and could not be produced at scale. The new TH-Carbonspring indicates TAG Heuer has perfected the technology to make reliable hairsprings, which m...
Time+Tide
Podium finish in Monaco, and a serious timekeeper on the wrist.The post Charles Leclerc’s new RM 72-01 is his next collab with long-time supporter Richard Mille appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
It’s no surprise that the Miami GP is becoming one of the two hottest moments of the Formula 1 season, almost closing the gap with the glamorous Monaco GP. And with this in mind, watch brands sponsoring teams are now using this date to release colourful special editions, mixing the daring colours of the city […]
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