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I was also surprised that a red bezel version like the F1 Clock wasn't one of the colorways shown at first release.
At Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer CEO Antoine Pin did say the first 9 is just the start and more colors will be added later. But I believe he meant in coming years, not this year.
Welcome to the forum! 👍
I was also surprised that a red bezel version like the F1 Clock wasn't one of the colorways shown at first release.
At Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer CEO Antoine Pin did say the first 9 is just the start and more colors will be added later. But I believe he meant in coming years, not this year.
I can't see how making a cheap watch would help TAG really, they aren't going to sell millions of them like they did in the 80s, plus can you imagine the damage selling a £600 watch would do to their brand in the 'luxury' sector? A £600 would undercut their 'entry level' models by 50% and would make those look way overpriced (which we know they are but still) and it would make the £2000 chronos look ridiculous.
I agree. TAG is no longer the same company it was in the '80s when they created the original F1 as a competitor to Casio (per Jeff Stein's interview with Eddy Burgener, designer of the OG.) So, pricing of these new F1 Solargraphs was always going to be a tricky proposition for TAG.
The watch community at large tends to forget or overlook the fact that the MoonSwatch is a Swatch, not an Omega. If TAG had a similar partner, then having the price around $600 might've been feasible. But with these branded purely as TAG Heuer, pricing has to align with the brand's internal perceived image and strategy.
Even priced at $1000, people who compare these to the OG will say it's too expensive. TAG tested the waters with the KITH at $1500 and those sold-out instantly. Hence, it's no surprise they've priced these even higher. The way I look at it, in the early '90s the OG F1 was close to $200, the top of the line 6000 Series was close to $2000. If we apply that 10x factor to TAG's line up today, it doesn't seem that different, with an almost $2000 F1 Solargraph and many high-end TAGs selling for more than $20,000.
adding on, the 80's OG was crap even in its own time, cheap plastic, cheap strap, printed dials, generic ETA quartz movements and at a "premium" pricing of $300 then.. it sold millions.
Now, with all the upgrades, sapphire glass, solar quartz, updated size "new boy size", sandblasted steel finish, applied dials and also sold at a relative similiar price adjusted for inflation. There are people still whining.
In fact, this release is so good the earlier KITH offerings will see their price eroded, as that has much lesser upgrades, more of market test.
First impression: He wears as if you were wearing an og version. Nice and light and the size is spot on. Bezel could have given a little more resistance. It turns quite lightly. Pointers tap perfectly on the markers. Indeed, the 'mercedes symbol' could have been a bit bigger. Shiny button doesn't bother me. Compliments to TH. Successful re-edition of the F1!
Just received a friendly but also interesting reply from Tag Heuer:
“The blue of the strap FT8105 is slightly different to the one on your watch. Moreover, as it is a limited edition, we won't be able to sell an additional strap.“
So different blues, but also reds and greens?
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