Monza?

 

I also woulda guessed Michael to think the caw211p Monacos to be at least decent re-editions

 

Don't get me wrong, I think many of the heritage inspired watches & re-editions are very nice.

What I meant by "re-edition done right" is recreating something very close to the original in modern day form. However, most of the heritage re-editions created by TAG Heuer have some kind of flaw that stops them short from achieving the same level of greatness their vintage counterparts exude.

The Rindt Autavia re-edition is too bloated, the early 2000s Autavias aren't right either. The 2017 Monza is cool, perhaps cooler than the original, but really doesn't look like the original due to its case. The C11 Monacos are lacking the mushroom pushers. The 90s Carrera re-issue has the wrong branding. The glassbox Carrera is too thick and has other flaws that @Hubert has called out many times. I thought the Ronnie Peterson Carrera re-edition was pretty darn good, until I saw how thick the profile is.

The Silverstone re-edition comes closest in my eyes. While it's not an exact copy, I don't see any glaring flaws, other than the watch isn't my cup of tea.

 

Bicester has a TAG Heuer 'boutique', but also a Breitling 'boutique' and now a Watchfinder 'boutique'. There is also a shop that sells Girard Peregaux and Ullyse Nardin (if it's still open). Also a store that sells Mido, Tissot and Swatch.

 

Thanks, that's what I thought. I wasn't aware of the TAG Heuer Outlet stores in the US, thought we only had normal TH Boutiques.

 

After checking the individual websites for these, I found that not all that are listed actually have a TAG Heuer Outlet store within the Premium Outlet mall.

Although Chicago, Las Vegas and Houston Premium Outlets were listed, they apparently don't have a TH Outlet store. The NY, SoCal, and Orlando FL Premium Outlets are the only ones.

 

I agree to all points made. I really like the C11 Siffert Autavia but in the end the size and thickness made me part with it and fund other watches. I suppose it has to do with TAG's avant garde approach to never make exact copies. They want to make modern watches with a nod to the past. A Carrera with the H02 that kinda looks like a 2447 for example. I'm not sure this is the right approach in all honesty as the result is a lot of watches that aren't truly modern but also not classic or faithful to the original enough to please collectors. The glassbox is the only watch in the current line-up I'll spend money on, perhaps also on the blue McQueen. I hate the idea of paying retail and losing 40% as I walk out of the AD. I have no idea what the future collectability of the glassbox series will be but I don't have high hopes. We're seeing a big revival of neo-vintage pieces from the '90s. Often these were well executed, quite small by today's standards and had tritium dials. There's a lot of appeal there and these are still relatively affordable. A big chunk of the vintage market will be focussing on that era. '90s Speedies are more expensive now than they were 2 years ago and pretty on par with new barely used speedies. The CS Carrera and Monaco series from the '90s also keep going up. They're all in the 3-5k bracket and easily serviced. Great way to start a journey in vintage (TAG) Heuer without losing money.

 

It's not that they need to do an exact copy necessarily. It's just that they often end up compromising what should be an enthusiast's piece by trying to make it appeal to the mass market as well - they end up pleasing neither group.

 

I feel it’s more about compromise due to parts-bin watch building, off the shelf movements with running seconds. Thick movements that don’t suit heritage watches, etc

 

Absolutely. They would probably say they could make what you actually want, but they would make very few due to niche demand and the cost would be very high. Which no one would want to pay. You have to admit they are in a bit of a lose lose situation.

 

I agree with you to an extent. But that's a lazy approach. They charge big money for these heritage limited editions. When other brands do this, they make less compromises. Omega for example with the 1957 trilogy set. And it still doesn't explain certain decisions that they clearly made to try and appeal to mass market - such as beefing up both the Autavia and the Monza to 42mm.

 

Surely though, if the original Carreras were 36mm then even bumping them to 39mm is a compromise? 36mm is going to be hardcore collectors (and ladies) only and then you have to factor in the cost of originals...

 

Yeah, I thought someone would say that about the Carrera. I'm actually comfortable with 39mm for that, as it's a bit more of a universal size and still on the "smaller" side. I just feel they pushed it too far with the other two. And it's not just the 42mm size, it's everything - the overall chunkiness and the fact they've turned it into a bling, rap star version of the original.

 

I agree on the Autavia H02, it is a bit big for the style... but the Monza I thought was nice at 42mm.

 

I hated the godawful holey strap it came on.

 

The strap was lovely! I really liked it. A nice touch that showed they went the extra mile on this one. Overall the Monza was a great reissue. But 42mm was simply too big for me. It wore amazingly well and was nice and thin, but there was just too much dinner plate going on.

 

For me it’s the 36mm DM of these first gen. reissues. Just a tad small for me. I guess 38 to 40mm is the sweet sport for a large majority.

 

Re-interpretation rather than re-issue, no?

 

What makes this point so annoying ist that LVMH would just have to poach a watchmaker from Breitling down the street. They already turned their B01 caliber into a hand-winder…

 

Funny… - I was about to pull the trigger on one, but ultimately decided against it due to size and went with a 39mm vintage watch to round out 2022 (see other thread).