2manywatches
Tyme Machine
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2019
- Messages
- 2,749
And, I made it to my last post of the year, for me. Yay!
The brand game, somewhat a cornerstone for some watch “enthusiasts” and, sadly, sometimes even for those who like to think some letters on a dial improves their status. For me, I’m no brand snob, as my collection would evidence, but I am a brand fan. After I learned to appreciate watch specs, which actually had me looking away from established brands, I next got interested in brand history, which kind of pulled me back the other way a bit.
The recent Longines, and recent Ocean Crawler, are good examples of brand versus specs, in fact, and, honestly they both really pleased me, with the Longines not being disappointing for the specs it has, nor the OC coming up short for respect as a brand in its own realm. Both winners.
To some, brand matters not, and to others it is a be-all, end-all, and I’m probably somewhere in the middle.
I’m happy to buy the watch, not the brand, but I have also certainly overpaid for a brand that says something to me, paying beyond the mere specs of the watch itself. Seiko is a good example, and, next year I’ll post up my Gucci, which is quite purely overpriced for specs, but not for brand.
While I have another ten watches or so to post up, I figured I’d end the year with this “branded” buy. Interestingly, while this community has freed up my love of affordables, it has also freed me of bias toward getting a brand because it is a brand.
So, while my wonderful experience here has stocked me up on Micros, more Invictas, and even some experiments from homage brands, it has also encouraged me to take joy in watches that may not over-perform in terms of attributes for price point, but are nonetheless watches or brands I have chased through the years.
TAG Heuer is one such brand that has long appealed to me. First, because I truly admired the Link Chronograph that Matt Damon’s character wore in the first Bourne film (and, hey, if you can’t afford a Bond watch, a Bourne watch is still pretty exciting!).
The other connection is to cars and racing, since I’ve long seen the handsome TAG shield plastered across racing event billboards. Granted, the heritage here is much more in the Heuer, than the TAG, and that origin brand is storied in innovation and achievement, even being the first Swiss watchmaker to put a Swiss time piece in space (a stopwatch, not a wristwatch – the first Swiss wristwatch honor goes to Breitling, but, sadly, that did not end well, given that, while space proof, the watch was not waterproof, and was damaged on splashdown....ooops!).
But, hard times came and Heuer was sold (to a member of the Piaget family, in fact) and then sold again to, one of the richest men in the world in his day, who plastered TAG onto it, because he wanted the initials of his company, Techniques D’Avant Garde (who was dealing in armaments, at the time), on a Swiss watch.
A brand owned by a money mogul has a tendency to become perhaps more about being a status symbol than a well made watch and it might be fair to say that TAG’s price point can be above its quality, depending on what model you buy. Later changing hands again, to LVMH, a luxury brand behemoth, it’s easy to see how some might consider TAG to be more of a status symbol effort than a legitimate horological powerhouse, a similar critique applied to Hublot, another LVMH brand.
And, yes, a ten grand Hublot may sport the same movement as an Invicta, and a TAG, at several thousand dollars, sports a stamped clasp on a cheap feeling bracelet, but both brands do also make some impressive stuff.
But, in an almost Invicta-ish sense, the evolved TAG brand has its detractors, and, despite ongoing innovations in recent years, it sometimes seems the memory of the watch world is long, in holding grudges against brands (sad tales of QC issues don't help either).
Certainly the “Avant-garde since 1860” is somewhat of a stretch, given how many times the brand has changed hands. There is no straight arrow lineage of control back to Edouard Heuer in 1860. It’s not as comic, perhaps, as Eyal’s loose claims of espousing Invicta’s 1837 origins, but TAG Heuer itself can’t particularly claim Heuer heritage as an ongoing attribute, from 1860 until today and the avant-garde bit itself is from the TAG addition.
Overall, while the brand excites me, as much for its manufactured aura, as its actual one, it’s not a brand I’d feel great about dropping a big chunk of money on, I guess, is what I’m saying.
Fortunately, there is a cheaper way into this brand, one that evokes a racing heritage, and was the watch of Bourne, and that pathway is called quartz.
Yes, it’s one of the very strikes against them – you know, the, “what serious brand makes quartz,” argument. Yes, that old chestnut. But, strike it as a win for me, because, as it happens, the quartz version I really have always liked, the Formula 1 Chronograph, is also the one Matt Damon/Jason Bourne indeed wore in his last film outing so, how about that?!
I will say, I did first receive the watch, on bracelet (my overeager mistake in ordering) and the bracelet was quite disappointing. Not just the stamped clasp, but the entire bracelet felt cheap and was not any effort at being something special. I’m sorry to say, that, for me, it kind of dragged down the watch itself. Frankly a quartz Invicta felt more impressive.
But, I got the order straightened out and exchanged, and, on the rubber, it elevates the whole mood of the piece. While the Bourne model was not identical to this one, it was also on black rubber, and was also a Formula 1 quartz chrono. The strap really pulls you into the black face, and highlights both the titanium carbide coated black bezel (a fixed tachymetre) as well as the black PVD pushers, and signed, black PVD crown.
And, yes, titanium carbide, kinda cool, a super hard refractory ceramic, extremely durable and heat resistant, along the lines of stuff used in nuclear reactors and the aerospace industry.
TAG notes it is also a material used in Formula 1 racing. They also say it is a watch for those who “dare to live life at full speed,” lol, which might not include me. I’m more of a steady pace kinda guy, although I do have a lead foot. Ahhh, advertising, the subtle notes they stick in your mind over a bit of metal and rubber and gears.
This one is a 43mm, and wears quite comfortably, with a slim profile at 12mm. Swiss quartz movement, and no further info I can find on that, other than TAG buyers saying it is some kind of lesser quartz movement consistent with TAG’s penchant for overpriced watches. Likely it may be the same Ronda that Invicta uses.
Brushed case finish, signed buckle, and a rather wavy tang design that both locks very nicely into the holes of the well-ventilated strap, as well as ejects itself easily when undoing said strap. The “Mickey Mouse” layout is used for the chronograph itself, which totals just 30 minutes, and the indices are applied. Super-LumiNova lume, which seems to perform adequately. Sapphire, of course. 200m WR.
This reminds me a bit of watch I recently saw reviewed, for which a well-known watch channel guy was going so far as to say it should be a watch of the year for its category. Yet, it was pointed out that, for $500, it had mineral crystal, no lume, a cheap strap and some models arrived with a hacking movement, some not. His honest and excellent response was that he just really liked it. And, that says enough. We’re watch nuts, and we can just like a watch, even if it doesn’t make the most sense.
So, is this a value king? Nope, but, on sale, it didn’t feel like a rip off either.
The brand does say more than the watch itself in some respects, in what can be appreciated, but it is a very handsome watch, and, as a brand I’ve pursued for decades, it felt very good to get one.
MY HUGE THANKS TO THIS OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY. I hope y’all find rest and peace and health in the holidays, and may grails and grabs bless your New Year, or may the NBZ remain contentedly blissful for you!
You’re the best bunch of people! More excitement to come in 2021.
Thanks for reading!
Keep on watching!
The brand game, somewhat a cornerstone for some watch “enthusiasts” and, sadly, sometimes even for those who like to think some letters on a dial improves their status. For me, I’m no brand snob, as my collection would evidence, but I am a brand fan. After I learned to appreciate watch specs, which actually had me looking away from established brands, I next got interested in brand history, which kind of pulled me back the other way a bit.
The recent Longines, and recent Ocean Crawler, are good examples of brand versus specs, in fact, and, honestly they both really pleased me, with the Longines not being disappointing for the specs it has, nor the OC coming up short for respect as a brand in its own realm. Both winners.
To some, brand matters not, and to others it is a be-all, end-all, and I’m probably somewhere in the middle.
I’m happy to buy the watch, not the brand, but I have also certainly overpaid for a brand that says something to me, paying beyond the mere specs of the watch itself. Seiko is a good example, and, next year I’ll post up my Gucci, which is quite purely overpriced for specs, but not for brand.
While I have another ten watches or so to post up, I figured I’d end the year with this “branded” buy. Interestingly, while this community has freed up my love of affordables, it has also freed me of bias toward getting a brand because it is a brand.
So, while my wonderful experience here has stocked me up on Micros, more Invictas, and even some experiments from homage brands, it has also encouraged me to take joy in watches that may not over-perform in terms of attributes for price point, but are nonetheless watches or brands I have chased through the years.
TAG Heuer is one such brand that has long appealed to me. First, because I truly admired the Link Chronograph that Matt Damon’s character wore in the first Bourne film (and, hey, if you can’t afford a Bond watch, a Bourne watch is still pretty exciting!).
The other connection is to cars and racing, since I’ve long seen the handsome TAG shield plastered across racing event billboards. Granted, the heritage here is much more in the Heuer, than the TAG, and that origin brand is storied in innovation and achievement, even being the first Swiss watchmaker to put a Swiss time piece in space (a stopwatch, not a wristwatch – the first Swiss wristwatch honor goes to Breitling, but, sadly, that did not end well, given that, while space proof, the watch was not waterproof, and was damaged on splashdown....ooops!).
But, hard times came and Heuer was sold (to a member of the Piaget family, in fact) and then sold again to, one of the richest men in the world in his day, who plastered TAG onto it, because he wanted the initials of his company, Techniques D’Avant Garde (who was dealing in armaments, at the time), on a Swiss watch.
A brand owned by a money mogul has a tendency to become perhaps more about being a status symbol than a well made watch and it might be fair to say that TAG’s price point can be above its quality, depending on what model you buy. Later changing hands again, to LVMH, a luxury brand behemoth, it’s easy to see how some might consider TAG to be more of a status symbol effort than a legitimate horological powerhouse, a similar critique applied to Hublot, another LVMH brand.
And, yes, a ten grand Hublot may sport the same movement as an Invicta, and a TAG, at several thousand dollars, sports a stamped clasp on a cheap feeling bracelet, but both brands do also make some impressive stuff.
But, in an almost Invicta-ish sense, the evolved TAG brand has its detractors, and, despite ongoing innovations in recent years, it sometimes seems the memory of the watch world is long, in holding grudges against brands (sad tales of QC issues don't help either).
Certainly the “Avant-garde since 1860” is somewhat of a stretch, given how many times the brand has changed hands. There is no straight arrow lineage of control back to Edouard Heuer in 1860. It’s not as comic, perhaps, as Eyal’s loose claims of espousing Invicta’s 1837 origins, but TAG Heuer itself can’t particularly claim Heuer heritage as an ongoing attribute, from 1860 until today and the avant-garde bit itself is from the TAG addition.
Overall, while the brand excites me, as much for its manufactured aura, as its actual one, it’s not a brand I’d feel great about dropping a big chunk of money on, I guess, is what I’m saying.
Fortunately, there is a cheaper way into this brand, one that evokes a racing heritage, and was the watch of Bourne, and that pathway is called quartz.
Yes, it’s one of the very strikes against them – you know, the, “what serious brand makes quartz,” argument. Yes, that old chestnut. But, strike it as a win for me, because, as it happens, the quartz version I really have always liked, the Formula 1 Chronograph, is also the one Matt Damon/Jason Bourne indeed wore in his last film outing so, how about that?!
I will say, I did first receive the watch, on bracelet (my overeager mistake in ordering) and the bracelet was quite disappointing. Not just the stamped clasp, but the entire bracelet felt cheap and was not any effort at being something special. I’m sorry to say, that, for me, it kind of dragged down the watch itself. Frankly a quartz Invicta felt more impressive.
But, I got the order straightened out and exchanged, and, on the rubber, it elevates the whole mood of the piece. While the Bourne model was not identical to this one, it was also on black rubber, and was also a Formula 1 quartz chrono. The strap really pulls you into the black face, and highlights both the titanium carbide coated black bezel (a fixed tachymetre) as well as the black PVD pushers, and signed, black PVD crown.
And, yes, titanium carbide, kinda cool, a super hard refractory ceramic, extremely durable and heat resistant, along the lines of stuff used in nuclear reactors and the aerospace industry.
TAG notes it is also a material used in Formula 1 racing. They also say it is a watch for those who “dare to live life at full speed,” lol, which might not include me. I’m more of a steady pace kinda guy, although I do have a lead foot. Ahhh, advertising, the subtle notes they stick in your mind over a bit of metal and rubber and gears.
This one is a 43mm, and wears quite comfortably, with a slim profile at 12mm. Swiss quartz movement, and no further info I can find on that, other than TAG buyers saying it is some kind of lesser quartz movement consistent with TAG’s penchant for overpriced watches. Likely it may be the same Ronda that Invicta uses.
Brushed case finish, signed buckle, and a rather wavy tang design that both locks very nicely into the holes of the well-ventilated strap, as well as ejects itself easily when undoing said strap. The “Mickey Mouse” layout is used for the chronograph itself, which totals just 30 minutes, and the indices are applied. Super-LumiNova lume, which seems to perform adequately. Sapphire, of course. 200m WR.
This reminds me a bit of watch I recently saw reviewed, for which a well-known watch channel guy was going so far as to say it should be a watch of the year for its category. Yet, it was pointed out that, for $500, it had mineral crystal, no lume, a cheap strap and some models arrived with a hacking movement, some not. His honest and excellent response was that he just really liked it. And, that says enough. We’re watch nuts, and we can just like a watch, even if it doesn’t make the most sense.
So, is this a value king? Nope, but, on sale, it didn’t feel like a rip off either.
The brand does say more than the watch itself in some respects, in what can be appreciated, but it is a very handsome watch, and, as a brand I’ve pursued for decades, it felt very good to get one.
MY HUGE THANKS TO THIS OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY. I hope y’all find rest and peace and health in the holidays, and may grails and grabs bless your New Year, or may the NBZ remain contentedly blissful for you!
You’re the best bunch of people! More excitement to come in 2021.
Thanks for reading!
Keep on watching!