Tag Heuer Carrera
Author
Discussion

GTEYE

Original Poster:

2,358 posts

232 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
So at the risk of being flamed on PH I've just bought this (at a healthy discount):



I've had 2 Tag Carreras in the past and found them to be good solid watches.

I've also got a couple of Omegas (PO and Speedy Moonwatch) and a couple of Breitlings (SO & SO Heritage) so I'm adding to a collection - resale isn't a consideration -its about enjoyment of the watch.

I note some improvements over earlier versions in that the bezel is now ceramic, and I like the red detailing.

Let the flaming begin...


Jamescrs

5,790 posts

87 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Nice looking watch, if you like it who cares what anyone else thinks?

GTEYE

Original Poster:

2,358 posts

232 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all




Some better pictures.

kamran-je5nj

9 posts

80 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Beautiful watch OP, enjoy. Never had a tag before but that looks very nice.

Speed Badger

3,446 posts

139 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
I'm having a debate whether to get an Omega seamaster Chronograph or an older Tag heuer carrera myself - there was a thread a few weeks back. I like this one, looks quite vintage, I'm not a watch snob, I don't get all the hate for Tag Heuer - just because they can also sell you a leather jacket or a pair of sunglasses, does not invalidate their watchmaking ability. Buy what you like, not what others tell you you should have! Most of us on here are not like the divs online saying Tag heuer is rubbish and a 'fashion brand' etc.

Personally I always liked Tag Heuer because when I was a child growing up watching F1 (late 80's onwards) it was always timed by Tag Heuer and I thought well they must be good if they are timekeepers for the F1!

Smurfsarepeopletoo

970 posts

79 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
I had the same watch as a gift for my 40th from the wife, same strap, just mine has the silver bezel and black dials with silver surrounds, I really like mine, something I will keep and wear on special occasions.

Uncle John

5,058 posts

213 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Nice watches those, enjoy.

mickyh7

2,347 posts

108 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
Six hands on that Tag, looks very busy (to me).
Seamaster all day, three hands and just looks..... Right.
I've got one so I'm biased!
If they are good enough for 007 ?
Edit.
This was meant for Speed Badger sorry!

Speed Badger

3,446 posts

139 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
mickyh7 said:
Six hands on that Tag, looks very busy (to me).
Seamaster all day, three hands and just looks..... Right.
I've got one so I'm biased!
If they are good enough for 007 ?
Edit.
This was meant for Speed Badger sorry!
Haha well of course if Bond has one wink. I like Omega too, I'm a sucker for all the moonwatch stuff. I should get both! Although I have a strange habit of keeping buying Seikos...

itsnotarace

4,685 posts

231 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
My CV2110, worn most days. Recently serviced and case polished by LVMH, it's come back looking brand new



Timeless design, no matter if it says Tag Heuer or Heuer

triple5

756 posts

167 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
No flaming from me, very nice.

Had my Carrera serviced for the first time last year after owning it for 9 years, I can honestly say it came back looking like new, very impressive service from Tag themselves.

GT4P

5,766 posts

207 months

Monday 13th July 2020
quotequote all
itsnotarace said:
My CV2110, worn most days. Recently serviced and case polished by LVMH, it's come back looking brand new



Timeless design, no matter if it says Tag Heuer or Heuer
I have one of those lovely simple design with brown crocodile strap, not a fan of chunky metal bracelets. Mine needs a service after stopping after about 10 years since I purchased! Who are Lvmh?

itsnotarace

4,685 posts

231 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, owners of the Tag Heuer brand now. I dropped it off in Beaverbrooks and they sent it off. Took about 12 weeks all in but that included the Christmas period as well, I understand it's normally 8-10 weeks turnaround

mickyh7

2,347 posts

108 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Louis Vuitton, Moet and Hennessey.
Surely not famous for their Watch Making abilities?
Swatch sucked up a lot of big names including Omega.
But at least they have a background in watches!

VR99

1,363 posts

85 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Nice watch op.
I still have a soft spot for some Tag's and own a Carrera Classic..it's one of the few I will hold onto and not move on.

GC8

19,910 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
itsnotarace said:
Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, owners of the Tag Heuer brand now. I dropped it off in Beaverbrooks and they sent it off. Took about 12 weeks all in but that included the Christmas period as well, I understand it's normally 8-10 weeks turnaround
LVHM is the conglomerate which bought TAG Heuer from Techniques d'Avant Garde. What people now call 'LVHM' is what they used to call 'TAG', but is actually Duval's in Manchester. They were the importers and distributors but I suppose that LVHM has swallowed them up too.

GC8

19,910 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
GTEYE said:
So at the risk of being flamed on PH
Remember that most people just repeat what they heard. Remember too that TAG Heuer have more credibility than less criticised brands like Breitling and Panerai.

Willy Breitling had a fire sale: everything must go! Most of it went to O&W (machinery and unassembled parts) and Sinn (completed and partially assembled pieces) but the man who owned cheap and nasty Sicura bought the name in an envelope. Similarly, Panerai which hadn't existed as anything more than a vague memory for half a century was resurrected. There was no Panerai beyond a name written on a sheet of paper, and this is all of the Breitling company that Ernest Schneider owned: trademarks.

Do you see this in their romantic company histories that they promote? Of course not: it is a omitted / ignored or falsified, just like the history of several other brands. Yes Schneider raised his game to make 'Breitlings', but they're nothing to do with real Breitling. Heuer on the other hand, were bought by TAG who modernised the company and made it successful once again.

Unfortunately this popularity made them the tracksuit wearer's aspirational watch of choice and this in turn lead to fake watches appearing in the early-mid nineties, where only Rolex and maybe Cartier fakes had been seen before. This was out of Heuer's hands but their watches were well made and offered reasonable value for money (compared to their peers).

In 1999 TAG Heuer was sold to LVHM and unfortunately prices rose and quality appears to have been less of a concern for the new owners, who were as Americans say, 'leveraging' the fk out of their new acquisition. Not desirable, but it doesn't justify the sneering comments that the watches receive from people who probably refer to them as 'Tags' and definitely don't know as much as they think...

Edited by GC8 on Tuesday 14th July 11:20

Nigel_O

3,554 posts

241 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
The Carrera was the watch I promised myself as my first "proper" watch.

I still think it's a great looking thing. However, when I did some research, I found that the main criticism was that paying RRP meant it was pricey for what you got, and NOT that it wasn't actually a decent watch.

When I finally found myself in the position to buy one, discounts were hard to find, so I baled out.

If OP has negotiated a decent discount, then he's got a nice watch at the right price. Ultimately, he's bought a watch he likes at a price he was happy with, so congratulations are in order!


mickyh7

2,347 posts

108 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
GC8 said:
Remember that most people just repeat what they heard. Remember too that TAG Heuer have more credibility than less criticised brands like Breitling and Panerai.

Willy Breitling had a fire sale: everything must go! Most of it went to O&W (machinery and unassembled parts) and Sinn (completed and partially assembled pieces) but the man who owned cheap and nasty Sicura bought the name in an envelope. Similarly, Panerai which hadn't existed as anything more than a vague memory for half a century was resurrected. There was no Panerai beyond a name written on a sheet of paper, and this is all of the Breitling company that Ernest Schneider owned: trademarks.

Do you see this in their romantic company histories that they promote? Of course not: it is a omitted / ignored or falsified, just like the history of several other brands. Yes Schneider raised his game to make 'Breitlings', but they're nothing to do with real Breitling. Heuer on the other hand, were bought by TAG who modernised the company and made it successful once again.

Unfortunately this popularity made them the tracksuit wearer's aspirational watch of choice and this in turn lead to fake watches appearing in the early-mid nineties, where only Rolex and maybe Cartier fakes had been seen before. This was out of Heuer's hands but their watches were well made and offered reasonable value for money (compared to their peers).

In 1999 TAG Heuer was sold to LVHM and unfortunately prices rose and quality appears to have been less of a concern for the new owners, who were as Americans say, 'leveraging' the fk out of their new acquisition. Not desirable, but it doesn't justify the sneering comments that the watches receive from people who probably refer to them as 'Tags' and definitely don't know as much as they think...

Edited by GC8 on Tuesday 14th July 11:20
Great Post.
Very informative. I didn't know a lot of that.
Thank you

glazbagun

15,083 posts

219 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
mickyh7 said:
Louis Vuitton, Moet and Hennessey.
Surely not famous for their Watch Making abilities?
Swatch sucked up a lot of big names including Omega.
But at least they have a background in watches!
They also own Zenith and are famous for being the wealthiest and most diversified of the luxury conglomerates.

Swatch group is made up of brands who almost all failed during the Quartz crisis and were saved, not by their cheap plastic watch, but by brilliant marketing of their cheap plastic watch as a luxury product.

Given how many watches have been fitted with ETA or Sellita movements these past forty years, brand ownership would be fairly low on my attributes of a specific watch.