Ownership Experiences- 2018 TAG Heuer Connected Modular 41

[M47R1X]

Glad the reset process turned out well and you are enjoying your watch again

 

[Hubert]

M47R1X

Glad the reset process turned out well and you are enjoying your watch again

Well done @M47R1X; thanks for posting the details.

 

[vrehal]

Hi all

I'm a newbie to forums but thought I'd ask your expert opinion as to whether the modular 41 would be suitable with my iPhone 7? Is there some functionality that I won't get because I don't have an android phone? I really want to be able to get alerts for emails, text messages and whatsApp, in addition to playing music through Spotify or Amazon music. Is that even possible?

Thanks in advance!

 

[kwilcox]

iPhone 8 here. Your desired alerts work. "playing music" depends on your definition. I play music from my phone, but my watch can control the playback.

 

[vrehal]

Yes I meant controlling the music from the Tag.

Can you respond to text messages etc. via the watch too or do you have to use our phone?

Are there any benefits to upgrading my iPhone too?

Can you use google maps on it?

Thanks so much for your advice and apologies for all the questions. It’s a big investment to make!

 

[Albert-AMG]

V vrehal

Yes I meant controlling the music from the Tag.

Can you respond to text messages etc. via the watch too or do you have to use our phone?

Are there any benefits to upgrading my iPhone too?

Can you use google maps on it?

Thanks so much for your advice and apologies for all the questions. It’s a big investment to make!

Hi!
Yes, you can control the music from the watch, you can use google maps on it (installing the app on the watch), and you can receive notifications from many apps you can manage from the Wear OS app (see the atached pictures), text messages, e-mails... but you can’t respond. You need the iPhone for that.


I’m using iPhone X (and I guess it would be the same with iPhone 7) and I’m very happy how it works together with this watch and Wear OS app, and now with the new TAG Heuer Connected app for iOS (to play with the factory faces)

 

[vrehal]

That’s perfect. Thank you.

I think I am going to splash out and buy one. Now to choose which one...

 

[Albert-AMG]

V vrehal

That’s perfect. Thank you.

I think I am going to splash out and buy one. Now to choose which one...

The black ceramic bezel seems the most resistant to scratches. Don’t worry about the rest: there are many straps and bracelets you can buy later as an accessory . The Modular 45 has even more available accessories (and two more mechanical modules available for that size), but the Modular 41 also has many, including the Calibre 5 mechanical module

 

[vrehal]

Yes I like the black ceramic bezel. I will go for the 41 as I have small wrists. I think they are around £1,200 her in the UK if I get a rubber strap. Does that sound about right or can I buy cheaper elsewhere?

I am also going to the US (Washington DC) at the end of the month so wonder if they may be cheaper over there, assuming I still get a global warranty etc.

 

[Feanor]

V vrehal

Yes I like the black ceramic bezel. I will go for the 41 as I have small wrists. I think they are around £1,200 her in the UK if I get a rubber strap. Does that sound about right or can I buy cheaper elsewhere?

I am also going to the US (Washington DC) at the end of the month so wonder if they may be cheaper over there, assuming I still get a global warranty etc.

I think it's cheaper than that, £1100, if I remember well. Mind you, if I'm not mistaken, you'll be receiving messages but not the ones from iMessage. There are also some other things that don't work with the iPhone, like synchronization between some apps. E.g. the TAG Heuer Connected comes standard with Google Fit as a fitness app, which synchronizes with your Google Fit on your Android, but I think this isn't an option with iPhone. I also have no idea if other fitness apps synchronize between a Wear OS smartwatch and an iPhone. Other example, I have a grocery list on my phone and when I'm at the supermarket I check my list on my wrist, but I'm not sure if this is possible if your phone is an iPhone.
One important thing that you should bear in mind is that TAG Heuer did a good thing and, as an exception in the Wear OS ecosystem, they trusted the dated but more powerful Intel processor. All other Wear OS watches that run on a Qualcomm chip are disappointingly laggy. I own also a Huawei Watch 2 and its performance goes from bad to worse. My TAG Heuer is noticeably faster.
So, enjoy your new watch!

 

[Feanor]

Feanor

I think it's cheaper than that, £1100, if I remember well. Mind you, if I'm not mistaken, you'll be receiving messages but not the ones from iMessage. There are also some other things that don't work with the iPhone, like synchronization between some apps. E.g. the TAG Heuer Connected comes standard with Google Fit as a fitness app, which synchronizes with your Google Fit on your Android, but I think this isn't an option with iPhone. I also have no idea if other fitness apps synchronize between a Wear OS smartwatch and an iPhone. Other example, I have a grocery list on my phone and when I'm at the supermarket I check my list on my wrist, but I'm not sure if this is possible if your phone is an iPhone.
One important thing that you should bear in mind is that TAG Heuer did a good thing and, as an exception in the Wear OS ecosystem, they trusted the dated but more powerful Intel processor. All other Wear OS watches that run on a Qualcomm chip are disappointingly laggy. I own also a Huawei Watch 2 and its performance goes from bad to worse. My TAG Heuer is noticeably faster.
So, enjoy your new watch!

Oh, sorry, £1100 should be the entry price with the steel bezel. Probably you're right about the £1200 for the ceramic model.

 

[vrehal]

Thank that’s really useful information. I guess I’ll just have to give it a go and hope some of the “non-functionality” doesn’t bother me too much. The fitness stuff I’m not too worried about as I wear a Casio to the gym (!) but iMessages May be a problem so I’ll check out if I can turn off iMessages on my phone.

Also reasuring to know that the intel chip is better and doesn’t suffer from as much lag. As for the grocery lists...what a great excuse not to go shopping

One final question that’s bugging me is a few people are saying that the watch will be redundant in a few years time as technically improves and Tag may not support the watch anymore. Is that a concern that any of you have? I know you can buy a mechanical module for it afterwards but that kinda defeats the point for me as I really want a smart watch.

 

[Silver Beard]

I've used my TH41 with an iPhone 7 and now an iPhone Xr and have always received iMessages with no problem.

 

[Feanor]

Silver Beard

I've used my TH41 with an iPhone 7 and now an iPhone Xr and have always received iMessages with no problem.

Really? This is interesting information, though somehow contradictory to what I know. I'm an Android guy, so I'm not affected, but it's actually good to know that iPhone users get full notification support (though as an Android user, I also receive attachments, like images. I don't know if this is possible with iPhone. Actually ironically last time I checked, my friends that have iPhones cannot even receive attachments to their Apple Watch. I don't know if Apple finally added this with WatchOS 5).

 

[Feanor]

V vrehal

Thank that’s really useful information. I guess I’ll just have to give it a go and hope some of the “non-functionality” doesn’t bother me too much. The fitness stuff I’m not too worried about as I wear a Casio to the gym (!) but iMessages May be a problem so I’ll check out if I can turn off iMessages on my phone.

Also reasuring to know that the intel chip is better and doesn’t suffer from as much lag. As for the grocery lists...what a great excuse not to go shopping

One final question that’s bugging me is a few people are saying that the watch will be redundant in a few years time as technically improves and Tag may not support the watch anymore. Is that a concern that any of you have? I know you can buy a mechanical module for it afterwards but that kinda defeats the point for me as I really want a smart watch.

Oh, wow. This is a tough question to answer. It really depends on individual usage. Strictly speaking, I'd say that the TAG Heuer Connected is already dated. There is a lengthy list of features not present:
- No heart rate monitor
- No rotating digital crown
- No SIM card holder for cellular connection
- Old processor
- No speaker for picking up calls
However, my fitness watch, the Huawei Watch 2 has all these things and I almost never use them. I use my smartwatch for notifications, my grocery list and fitness tracking (the TAG may not have a heart rate monitor for fitness tracking, but it still registers steps and contributes to my daily activity tracking anyway through synchronization with my phone. Also if you can afford a TAG Heuer Connected, chances are that you can shell out a couple hundred quid more for a fitness smartwatch, instead of risking damaging your TAG while training). So it may seem superficially that the TAG is already dated, but I think it will do what I need it to do until it dies on me. But most importantly the TAG is mainly a Swiss wristwatch with all the design and quality that you expect from a Swiss wristwatch and this is how it has to be viewed. First as a proper watch and second a smartwatch. Therefore its other unique selling point, its huge collection of proper curated, original TAG Heuer watch faces, is of a far greater importance than a heart rate monitor or a rotating crown. If there is one thing that I really miss (and Samsung does well with their smartwatches) is a more detailed "always on" mode, so that the design of the watch face doesn't get so reduced after only 5 seconds.
So, it may look that the Connected is already dated in pure technology terms, but smartwatches are still not evolved in a way that all their functions are so essential, so the Connected still covers 95% of what you'd use a smartwatch for.
I hope this helps.

 

[Albert-AMG]

I agree with your comment @Feanor , just two additional comments:

Feanor

the TAG may not have a heart rate monitor for fitness tracking, but it still registers steps and contributes to my daily activity tracking anyway through synchronization with my phone.

Anyway, with the current Google fit app you can connect a Bluetooth heart rate monitor belt to the TAG Heuer, which is more accurated than in-watch sensors

Feanor

If there is one thing that I really miss (and Samsung does well with their smartwatches) is a more detailed "always on" mode, so that the design of the watch face doesn't get so reduced after only 5 seconds.

This is very easy to solve installing the WatchMaker app, then you can really keep always on the full design of the watchface, and you can also set how many seconds the screen is in Bright mode before changing to ambient/dimmed mode... and then you can enjoy hundreds of TH faces, not just the few TH faces that come installed from the factory. I’m an iPhone user (with no intention to move to an Android phone), but this was one of the reasons I choose the TH over the Apple Watch: I don’t want to wear a black screen on my wrist, and the TH with the WatchMaker app can show a proper -and full coloured- face all day

 

[Feanor]

Albert-AMG

I agree with your comment @Feanor , just two additional comments:


Anyway, with the current Google fit app you can connect a Bluetooth heart rate monitor belt to the TAG Heuer, which is more accurated than in-watch sensors



This is very easy to solve installing the WatchMaker app, then you can really keep always on the full design of the watchface, and you can also set how many seconds the screen is in Bright mode before changing to ambient/dimmed mode... and then you can enjoy hundreds of TH faces, not just the few TH faces that come installed from the factory. I’m an iPhone user (with no intention to move to an Android phone), but this was one of the reasons I choose the TH over the Apple Watch: I don’t want to wear a black screen on my wrist, and the TH with the WatchMaker app can show a proper -and full coloured- face all day

The reason why I didn't download the Watchmaker is that I thought that the TAG Heuer watchfaces were banned. Also I am a bit concerned about battery life .

 

[Albert-AMG]

Feanor

The reason why I didn't download the Watchmaker is that I thought that the TAG Heuer watchfaces were banned. Also I am a bit concerned about battery life .

Try it! It’s a great investment I enjoy my TH Connected much more since I installed this app

You will not find TAG Heuer watchfaces within the WatchMaker app (because were banned), but you can find hundreds of them for free, made by private creators in Google+ and now MeWe. Just check our specific thread and you will find instructions and many links of very nice faces... to wear fully detailed all day:
https://forums.calibre11.com/thread...ces-which-watch-face-are-wearing-today.34319/

About battery life, it depends on the watchface, but with the screen “always on”, and the watchface “always fully detailed and coloured”, my battery is still at around 35-50% with most of these watchfaces after 11 hours (I don’t play with the screen during my working day, I just use the notifications), so battery life is not a problem if you charge the watch every day.

 

[Feanor]

Albert-AMG

Try it! It’s a great investment I enjoy my TH Connected much more since I installed this app

You will not find TAG Heuer watchfaces within the WatchMaker app (because were banned), but you can find hundreds of them for free, made by private creators in Google+ and now MeWe. Just check our specific thread and you will find instructions and many links of very nice faces... to wear fully detailed all day:
https://forums.calibre11.com/thread...ces-which-watch-face-are-wearing-today.34319/

About battery life, it depends on the watchface, but with the screen “always on”, and the watchface “always fully detailed and coloured”, my battery is still at around 35-50% with most of these watchfaces after 11 hours (I don’t play with the screen during my working day, I just use the notifications), so battery life is not a problem if you charge the watch every day.

Truth is that usually by the end of my working day I always have around 60% battery left, so I think it should be no problem for me. I'll give it a try.

 

[vrehal]

Feanor

Oh, wow. This is a tough question to answer. It really depends on individual usage. Strictly speaking, I'd say that the TAG Heuer Connected is already dated. There is a lengthy list of features not present:
- No heart rate monitor
- No rotating digital crown
- No SIM card holder for cellular connection
- Old processor
- No speaker for picking up calls
However, my fitness watch, the Huawei Watch 2 has all these things and I almost never use them. I use my smartwatch for notifications, my grocery list and fitness tracking (the TAG may not have a heart rate monitor for fitness tracking, but it still registers steps and contributes to my daily activity tracking anyway through synchronization with my phone. Also if you can afford a TAG Heuer Connected, chances are that you can shell out a couple hundred quid more for a fitness smartwatch, instead of risking damaging your TAG while training). So it may seem superficially that the TAG is already dated, but I think it will do what I need it to do until it dies on me. But most importantly the TAG is mainly a Swiss wristwatch with all the design and quality that you expect from a Swiss wristwatch and this is how it has to be viewed. First as a proper watch and second a smartwatch. Therefore its other unique selling point, its huge collection of proper curated, original TAG Heuer watch faces, is of a far greater importance than a heart rate monitor or a rotating crown. If there is one thing that I really miss (and Samsung does well with their smartwatches) is a more detailed "always on" mode, so that the design of the watch face doesn't get so reduced after only 5 seconds.
So, it may look that the Connected is already dated in pure technology terms, but smartwatches are still not evolved in a way that all their functions are so essential, so the Connected still covers 95% of what you'd use a smartwatch for.
I hope this helps.

Thanks so much that’s a really good answer and helps.