Tag Heuer advice....

[A4 cabrio]

As someone who hasn’t worn a watch for years they’re not really something I know much about, but lately I’ve been looking into buying myself a watch, nothing too extravagant, just something nice.

So I’ve been looking at the Tag Heuer F1 Chronograph (Blue), price I’ve seen is £1200, I really like the look of it & it’s the style I’m looking for, just wondered if there’s any others I should be looking at for the same sort of price, don’t really want to be spending anymore than £1200.

[sandman77]

I assume this is the watch you are looking at:
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0104978/TAG-Heuer-F...
My honest opinion is that that the watch you are looking at isn't great value for money. It is a quartz movement (battery powered) and IMHO if you are spending north of £1k on a watch you should really be looking for a mechanical automatic watch. Buying brand new means you probably wont be able to get a Tag Heuer from an AD so if your heart is set on that brand you might need to buy from a grey dealer like iconic watches or for a used watch from the likes of watchfinder.
How about something like this.
https://www.iconicwatches.co.uk/tag-heuer-formula-...

[counterofbeans]

A4 cabrio said:

As someone who hasn’t worn a watch for years they’re not really something I know much about, but lately I’ve been looking into buying myself a watch, nothing too extravagant, just something nice.

So I’ve been looking at the Tag Heuer F1 Chronograph (Blue), price I’ve seen is £1200, I really like the look of it & it’s the style I’m looking for, just wondered if there’s any others I should be looking at for the same sort of price, don’t really want to be spending anymore than £1200.

If what you want is a blue quartz chronograph, I would buy a Seiko and save about £1,000.

Just my opinion though...

[TheAngryDog]

Might be worth speaking with Dom @ Hackett watches. He sorted me a cracking deal on my Carrera Calibre 5.

[A4 cabrio]

sandman77 said:

I assume this is the watch you are looking at:
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0104978/TAG-Heuer-F...
My honest opinion is that that the watch you are looking at isn't great value for money. It is a quartz movement (battery powered) and IMHO if you are spending north of £1k on a watch you should really be looking for a mechanical automatic watch. Buying brand new means you probably wont be able to get a Tag Heuer from an AD so if your heart is set on that brand you might need to buy from a grey dealer like iconic watches or for a used watch from the likes of watchfinder.
How about something like this.
https://www.iconicwatches.co.uk/tag-heuer-formula-...

Yes, that one you linked is the one I've been looking at, but I'm happy to listen to advice & look for something automatic rather than quartz, advice is part of the reason I asked the question, no point asking if I don't listen to those who know more than me, thanks.

There was an aquaracer Tag on the iconic site but the strap wasn't for me. Thanks for your suggestion also, not for me though.

[A4 cabrio]

counterofbeans said:

If what you want is a blue quartz chronograph, I would buy a Seiko and save about £1,000.

Just my opinion though...

Hahaha fair enough, seems not a good idea to go for a quartz as someone else also said, any suggestions in my budget apart from Seiko?? I could stretch to £1500 but defo wouldn't want to go over that.

[A4 cabrio]

TheAngryDog said:

Might be worth speaking with Dom @ Hackett watches. He sorted me a cracking deal on my Carrera Calibre 5.

Thanks, just been looking at their Facebook page, also found Dom's contact info.

[andy tims]

Have a look at Longines. They so some nice auto chronograph watches for decent money at RRP and are quite often discounted.
Ditto Alpina

[Brads67]

Sinn Glycene,, Oris, about a hundred other makes that aren`t TAG.

[A4 cabrio]

andy tims said:

Have a look at Longines. They so some nice auto chronograph watches for decent money at RRP and are quite often discounted.
Ditto Alpina

https://www.francisandgaye.co.uk/conquest-column-wheel-chronograph-mens-automatic-watch-L38014566-p17683

Quite like this one, any opinion on it?

[Geffg]

A4 cabrio said:

Hahaha fair enough, seems not a good idea to go for a quartz as someone else also said, any suggestions in my budget apart from Seiko?? I could stretch to £1500 but defo wouldn't want to go over that.

Why is it not a good idea to get an expensive quartz watch? Apart from the ridiculous cost of battery replacement that is. Just curious as I’ve got a quartz tag and do like nice watches so will know for next time.
Don’t know whether automatic watches are different now from years ago but I could never wear one as they always went up up the wall and was told I must have had too much static in my body! No idea if true or not etc but always had quartz since and lately had a kinetic which has been fine also.

[Bernardino]

I’ve got a mixture of automatic and manual wind watches.

My ‘go to’ watch if I can’t be bothered or in too much of a rush to change the date and time is my quartz Seamaster. It’s never let me down and is a classic looking watch. I’ve had the battery changed twice in the last 10 years both times costing less than £50 at my local jewellers, including fully sealed.

You’ll have to go pre-owned as they don’t make them anymore.

Edit: just checked watchfinder and seems they are going for over the original RRP

[A4 cabrio]

So I went out today & had a look at a couple I was interested in & also another which I liked while I was in the shop, all I've done is make myself even more undecided, but I think I'll be going with this one https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0104991/TAG-Heuer-F...

I've defo decided I'll not be going with the blue face Tag, so it's down to the one linked above or this one below, decisions decisions.......


https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0010034/TAG-Heuer-F...

They didn't have any Longines in the store but there is one Longines watch I like so I have to find another store with it in stock before I decide which to go for, the Longines one is linked below
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0109980/Longines-Co...

Any comments welcome

[Quattromaster]

OP...Ever thought about Christopher Ward, they do some cracking watches, the C60 day/date auto is beautiful.

60 days return policy as well so you can take a look, try it for a while, and return if not happy.

[andy tims]

A4 cabrio said:

So I went out today & had a look at a couple I was interested in & also another which I liked while I was in the shop, all I've done is make myself even more undecided, but I think I'll be going with this one https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0104991/TAG-Heuer-F...

I've defo decided I'll not be going with the blue face Tag, so it's down to the one linked above or this one below, decisions decisions.......


https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0010034/TAG-Heuer-F...

They didn't have any Longines in the store but there is one Longines watch I like so I have to find another store with it in stock before I decide which to go for, the Longines one is linked below
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0109980/Longines-Co...

Any comments welcome

Of the 2 - The Longines

[TheAngryDog]

Have you considered the grey faced Carrera? It was a toss up for me but the blue won out.

[XMT]

http://www.watchshop.com/mens-raymond-weil-freelan...

[A4 cabrio]

TheAngryDog said:

Have you considered the grey faced Carrera? It was a toss up for me but the blue won out.

I went for this one in the end, really like it, it's the grey faced formula 1 chronograph

http://www.goldsmiths.co.uk/TAG-Heuer-Formula-1-Me...

I decided against an automatic as I'll only be wearing the watch for a couple of days a week, high chance of it getting damaged at work.

[Lorne]

Geffg said:

Why is it not a good idea to get an expensive quartz watch? Apart from the ridiculous cost of battery replacement that is. Just curious as I’ve got a quartz tag and do like nice watches so will know for next time.
Don’t know whether automatic watches are different now from years ago but I could never wear one as they always went up up the wall and was told I must have had too much static in my body! No idea if true or not etc but always had quartz since and lately had a kinetic which has been fine also.

Here's my opinion, although it's obviously biased as I make mechanical chronographs.

Quartz movements are at least ten times more accurate than even the best chronometer standard mechanical movement, and whilst the batteries do go flat and need to be replaced, they do so only once every few years, so it's not really all than annoying. The second hand ticking in 1 second jumps rather than the sweeping motion of a mechanical movement is also not all that annoying (unless the seconds don't line up with the dial markings, in which case it's supremely annoying). The movement should last a good couple of decades before some of the plastics and such like in it's capacitors and circuitry starts to get a bit brittle. And once they do fail, you can always put a replacement movement in because the movement itself is a printed circuit board and as cheap as chips.

A mechanical movement is altogether a different sort of animal. It's timing can wander if the temperature is too hot or cold, it's doesn't like being thumped, enjoys a little light oiling every 5 or 10 years and if something goes wrong it's sufficiently expensive to replace that you're better taking it to a watchmaker to have the offending part repaired. But ... that movement is the reason we exist. The first mechanical clocks were the first complex machines and mastering that art initiated the industrial revolution, and without that revolution the few of us that might be around would be out in the fields digging turnips for a living.

So for me the difference between quartz and mechanical is akin to turnips or caviar.

They're also good to take off in a boring meeting and spin the self winding rotor whilst watching that delicate movement running. Allows you to put the world back in perspective.