New Post- 2020 TAG Heuer Carrera Elegant Chronograph 42mm

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How do you feel about your Monza THJunkie?

It seems strange to me that you can buy a Heuer 02 CBG2090.BH0661 which has a ceramic bezel, case and bracelet for £100 more than silver Carrera, which is steel and on a strap. I think you are paying quite a premium for the 'limited edition'.
 
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Reading this makes me glad I have never paid retail on any of my TAGs, but regardless of even a huge lottery win I would not pay over list for any watch (or car).
 
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How do you feel about your Monza THJunkie?

It seems strange to me that you can buy a Heuer 02 CBG2090.BH0661 which has a ceramic bezel, case and bracelet for £100 more than silver Carrera, which is steel and on a strap. I think you are paying quite a premium for the 'limited edition'.

No qualms about the Monza at all. Then again it was "only" approx 1/2 the cost. So I look at it as exceptionally good value.

Just done a comparative test between the 160th and the Montreal. The latter is MUCH worse. So I suspect there may be a fault. Both make the same type of noise with a slight click of the wrist of the general natural movement your arm might make when moving. But when that same movement is "simulated" when holding the watching in hand. The 160th spins a couple of times and then stops. The Montreal spins and spins and spins and sounds much more rough. So could be an isolated quality control issue. As they are essentially the same watch except for aesthetics I can only assume a manufacturing issue?
 
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As long as they're winding the watch, then arguably there's no issue.
 
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As long as they're winding the watch, then arguably there's no issue.

i’ll have to give it more wrist time to be sure. It ‘freewheels’ like crazy on the Montreal as if there was near zero resistance. The ‘160 Silver’ does the same but stops much sooner. So there’s certainly a difference between the two. Ive tried to capture it on video but not proving easy with focus and background noise.
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Just asking but if the watch is fully wound does the weight disconnect and freewheel? Causing it to turn without resistance and revolve more. My Carrera is noisier than my Monaco but different calibre motors.
 
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Let's be honest all Swiss watches are hideously OVERPRICED, there's no supportable justification for any of it they charge what they can get. When you think what Rolex give you for your £8500 Submariner, is that remotely justifiable?,

Incidentally, has anyone else seen that 'Just One More Watch' video about the Root Beer Rolex recently, the one with the wonky chapter ring! 😲
 
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Let's be honest all Swiss watches are hideously OVERPRICED, there's no supportable justification for any of it they charge what they can get. When you think what Rolex give you for your £8500 Submariner, is that remotely justifiable?,

Incidentally, has anyone else seen that 'Just One More Watch' video about the Root Beer Rolex recently, the one with the wonky chapter ring! 😲
Yes true all watches are overpriced. I guess Tag has not done a good enough job with brainwashing us into thinking their products are worth what they ask us to pay 😜

Nope but sounds interresting, will head of to youtube then 🍿
 
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Yes true all watches are overpriced. I guess Tag has not done a good enough job with brainwashing us into thinking their products are worth what they ask us to pay 😜

Nope but sounds interresting, will head of to youtube then 🍿

What I mean is, the notion of 'Value for Money' is pretty moot when it comes to luxury watches. We like to point at TAG and say they make a watch for £500 and sell it for £3000, but Rolex probably make a watch for £800 and sell it for £8000 and no one says a thing because it doesn't lose money. If Rolex had 'normal' Swiss watch depreciation we would all be pointing at them and laughing, but Rolex is on a different planet, where they can charge £8000+ for a three hander in a steel case.

I do think prices were about right a couple of years ago, I think £4000 for the Autavias and Carreras was right, and £6000 for carbon / ceramic perhaps... but steel Carreras shouldn't really cost any more than £4500. Even that is probably a hilarious mark up on cost... which is what I mean about value for money. There isn't any. Is a £3000 TAG Heuer or a £5000 Omega or an £8000 Rolex that much better than an Oris or a Hamilton? If we're honest with ourselves, no probably not. But you pay for branding... and people are willing to do that.

Nobody's really buying Rolex because it's the 'best' watch are they? It's a status symbol, the same is true to a lesser extent for Omega and to an extent to TAG Heuer. Performance is no longer the thing that sets one company apart from another, it's marketing and in Rolex's case creating shortages to boost the pre-owned market. Where I think TAG Heuer may be setting themselves up for problems is the shonky Calibre 5 movement, that needs to go or needs to be upgraded.


It's very interesting and he also moans about rotor noise....
 
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Nobody's really buying Rolex because it's the 'best' watch are they?
Brand has a huge amount to do with it obviously, but they wouldn't sell that well if they didn't also have a great product. Rolex quality control is also pretty damn good. You might see a rare issue, but not often.
 
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Brand has a huge amount to do with it obviously, but they wouldn't sell that well if they didn't also have a great product. Rolex quality control is also pretty damn good. You might see a rare issue, but not often.

I only know one person with a Rolex and it's broken twice... which makes me sound like one of those youtube TAG Haters I know, and if Jory's complaints in the video above are true then that's a worrying development from Rolex. Rolex is a phenomenon, and if it was Omega that was selling over list then a lot of those people would be buying that instead. Unfortunately Rolex is the non-watch enthusiasts go to brand, whereas for example a lot of people might say Girard Perriguax make much better watches but with horrible depreciation.
 
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I only know one person with a Rolex and it's broken twice... which makes me sound like one of those youtube TAG Haters I know, and if Jory's complaints in the video above are true then that's a worrying development from Rolex. Rolex is a phenomenon, and if it was Omega that was selling over list then a lot of those people would be buying that instead. Unfortunately Rolex is the non-watch enthusiasts go to brand, whereas for example a lot of people might say Girard Perriguax make much better watches but with horrible depreciation.
I'd say it's a go to brand for both watch enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. True, a lot of people who buy one won't care what model it is, just that it says Rolex on the dial.

Also, not saying you will never find a faulty Rolex, but I am very much saying that it's by far more usual to have a smooth-winding, immaculately finished watch that keeps amazing time for years without needing a service.

Not worth paying over list, though. 😀
 
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I know a Rolex enthusiast and watchmaker who says Rolex quality is overrated. A lot of pieces going through his hands. His mother bought a brand new watch which was out of spec from the start. One of his own Datejusts just started losing minutes a day all of a sudden. No magnetization or anything like that. Still he remains a Rolex guy.
 
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I'd say it's a go to brand for both watch enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. True, a lot of people who buy one won't care what model it is, just that it says Rolex on the dial.

My boss has a Rolex, of course. He's not at all into watches but he bought a Rolex because he believes it is the best watch and he knows it will impress other people. That doesn't mean that watch enthusiasts can't like it too, but it's the watch people who know nothing about watches go to if they have the money to buy one.

Also, not saying you will never find a faulty Rolex, but I am very much saying that it's by far more usual to have a smooth-winding, immaculately finished watch that keeps amazing time for years without needing a service.

I'm sure their QC is superior to TH, but for 3 times the price it should be!

Not worth paying over list, though. 😀

Indeed not, that is the insanity of Rolex. Rolex have UTTERLY mastered the art of supply and demand, TH are pretty clueless about that I think... on the other hand how galling must it be for the other manufacturers when they try everything and Rolex just swaps this bracelet onto that watch and it's like BOOOM!
 
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Why does a gripe about any watch brand ultimately turn into a conversation about Rolex? 😗::stirthepot::
 
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My Seiko's chapter ring isn't straight - guess who else has a wonky chapter ring Rolex!

My TAG Heuer has a nosy rotor - guess who else has a noisy rotor, Rolex!

It's the price of being number one and unjustly targeted by people who secretly despise them.
 
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My Seiko's chapter ring isn't straight - guess who else has a wonky chapter ring Rolex!

My TAG Heuer has a nosy rotor - guess who else has a noisy rotor, Rolex!

It's the price of being number one and unjustly targeted by people who secretly despise them.

To be fair, Seiko and Swatch chapter ring or bezel are mostly misaligned. But their price is "cheap" so no complaint there from me.

My Rolex however, everything is on point, it was great. But the movement failed me one time and i need to serviced it for a price. Well not the entire movement, the hour and minute hand still moving just the running second hand didn't. It happened. But yeah the quality of the movement and built is excellent. Could it be because they made rather simple watch and over the years adopt the no-nonsense attitude along the way ?

What i am surprised to learnt in here today, not everyone like noisy rotor ! I was into mechanical watches the first time because my friend (my watch mentor to be honest) told me using mechanical watches is like having a motor racing machine in your wrist. It's noisy, you can feel it rotation, etc etc. It what was gotten my attention about watches in the first place which otherwise i wont start the whole journey ! Then later i found out not all movement you can feel the rotor moving and sound. I found out most of the ETA based manual wounding tend to be noisier than the self winding one, etc etc. I learnt along the way. But really the one thing that got me interested was the "ticking-ticking" sound and the sound of rotor "wheeezzzzzz"ing.
That is why until now i still like the Valjoux 7750 based regardless the 6-9-12 register dial setup because it is loud and feels like "pulsating" in your wrist, if that makes sense.

I also think that the rotor spin and spin and spin without so much weight being put on it is a good thing. This is personal opinion of course, because my friend own Patek Aquanaut. And one thing he told me how to spot Aquanaut real and fake it by the spinning of the rotor. The real one he said will spin and spin and spin without so much effort needed and it was so soft. Of course he showed me about it. I don't know whether this one is a good indicator or not but he surely owned a Patek and i don't.

Not defending Tag Heuer or anything (I have issues with few of my Tag Heuer watches as well) but i think it is normal. I experiences other brands out there also have the same problem sooner or later, it just to many factors about mechanical watches that made it so. I guess it's inevitable. like cars, no matter what car it is, at the end of the days...you know...

@THJunkie thanks for giving your honest opinion 👍 we always learnt new things in this great forum everyday.
 
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What I really like about the new 42mm Carrera Chronograph is that they've kept the lug-to-lug length down to 48.2mm (according to Jeff Stein). Other companies haven't done that when they create new watches sized up to modern tastes.

In the figure below, I show from left to right:
1. Original Heuer 2447 Carrera, 36mm.
2. Original Heuer 2447 Carrera proportionally scaled up to have a dial width of 43mm. Note that if the lugs are scaled proportionally to the case, then the lugs would stretch out quite far.
3. Breitling Transocean Chronograph 43mm from around 2015. Breitling scaled the case up to 43mm, but they also scaled up the lugs. Tim Mosso says the lug-to-lug length is 55.2mm.
4. Bucherer Manero Flyback Chronograph, 43mm in current collecton. Bucherer also scaled the whole watch up, including the lugs. Mosso says the lug-to-lug length is 53.2mm.
5. New 2020 Carrera, 42mm. TAG Heuer scaled the watch to 42mm, but the lug-to-lug length is 48.2mm. Nice.

 
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I agree with your thoughts sir @OttoWilliam For me, it is part of the experience when you use a mechanical watch. I don’t like a noisy rotor, but the “noise” or sound of the rotor is part of the appeal. I still like my Calibre 16 and also the other Calibre movements. Each car (watch) has a different engine (movement) which driving (wearing) it has its own unique experience 👍 No perfect watch and by no means most expensive is most perfect.

When I was learning to drive and learning the nuances of car modification, initially I didn’t want to change my muffler because I know it doesn’t add any real power to the car nor it can actually make me faster. Slowly I realize, adding a good toned exhaust can add to the over-all experience and make driving more fun and enjoyable even without the added speed or power 😉

My point is, it’s not all that bad. Depending on how one looks at it. Perspective is key 👍
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