That camaro is really nice, I saw one in the metal a few months back and thought it was stunning.

 

Well I did say it would raise a few eyebrows didn't I.

And I did say it was Otto's idea, didn't I.

 

Well, I don't really frequent watch forums myself (this one aside of course, which is hardly likely to be representative) but the guy I work with is a TAG fan and he's on several and he gets very agitated about people criticizing TAG for every little thing. So it definitely happens, and I've seen elsewhere people (The Urban Gentry and Federico Talks Watches for example) commenting that they don't understand why TAG gets so much hate. So again, it's clearly not my imagination...
My friend has also shown me examples of people slagging off TAG one minute and raving about Heuer the next, and yes they may be raving about old Heuers, but the truth is a lot of people seem to get very excited about a modern Monaco with Heuer on the face, which is clearly no different than the one with TAG Heuer on the face.
Check out the CS2111 and the CW2111, they are identical save for the logo. And that's exactly what I'm saying in my post, clearly there are people who would rather have Heuer on their watch than TAG Heuer and that's why TAG are playing the marketing game.
Which is why TAG are in such a muddle, brand wise, because we like totally different things but from the same company. It's hardly cohesive, but then I suppose it gives them greater market share, which for a huge company like TAG is important. And as you say 'each to their own'...

And yes, I'm sure your brown leather straps would indeed make me gag.

 

Are they really in a muddle? They are selling Heuer branded vintage style watches to people who want vintage style watches, and TAG branded watches to people who want a mainstream or futuristic watch. They are cashing in on being a budget aspirational brand with their mainstream watches and hitting the futuristic and different sport with things like the 01 and 02. Seems like a pretty sound strategy, and their sales numbers reflect this, particularly compared to the market as a whole.

 

Agree. That camaro is golden.

I am not into buying vintage watch where most of the watch is pre-owned. But that camaro got me thinking...hmmm maybe...

 

I am always skeptical about buying anything with value that involve postal shipping. The custom in indonesia are nightmare filled with under-table dealings in past few years.

Thanks for the link. I'll check it. If i really want it. I guess i could always take a risk

Thanks, Hubert.

 

Sure. I read the partnership article.

Never doubt them as a seller. Just concern about the shipping. Most of online purchase i've done usually involve me asking the seller "have you ever shipped to indonesia?" first.

Yeah if i find what i really want, i'll drop inquiries to them.

Out of curiousity. What was that carrera that was given to Ed Sheeren ? It looks super beautiful. Is it pre-owned vintage watch ?

 

No, it's worked out very well for them in some regards, but while the Heuer brand doesn't affect the TAG brand much (in fact probably helps because it gives TAG it's 'since 1860' credentials) I don't think TAG helps the Heuer brand much (well let's be honest it probably puts off more people who might buy a Heuer than it gains, hence the Heuer Monaco).
Then again this isn't unique to TAG, there are always people who like 'older designs' and often when a company changes ownership the new owners want to 'meddle' (although few want to rip up the old ways and begin anew as TAG did - but then it was 1985 and Heuer wasn't cutting it). So yes, in effect they are having their cake and eating it, but it's hardly been a structured plan to get here. Let's not forget they could have done this right from the start, they could have brought out the Formula One as a TAG Heuer and left all the old models as Heuer, but at the time the Heuer range was either old fashioned or modern but not that great.
Of course it makes perfect sense to do this now, so that they can make things like the Heuer 01/02, and I can understand why people who like Heuer Carreras think they are horrible and indeed I'm not really sure that using the Carrera name was the right thing to do. But it seems to me that when people say they like Heuer and not TAG it's really shorthand for 'I like 60s styling not those hideous modern things', despite the fact that there are plenty of TAG Carrerras which are neither hideous nor particularly modern.
This again comes back to my original statement a long way back (which you may not have read) that TAG would (in my opinon) ideally like to split their brand completely in half and all the classic watches can be Heuers and all the modern pieces can be TAG. But that's easier said than done, and would cost a lot of money to implement and might be a lot of money spent for little reward... and confusing now that Carrera (in particular) has a foot in both camps.

 

Three more for you all to read and digest...

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/spotlight-on-carrera-calibre-16.html

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/on-wrist-monaco-24-calibre-36-concept.html

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/feature-my-personal-tag-heuer-top-ten.html

 

They are horrendously expensive, but so nice...

 

Likewise here. I was torn everytime i see it. Realizing i dont have much time left to have monaco powered by el primero, but at the same time, monza and next autavia even before that the heuer 01 43mm and heuer 01 rose gold...i dont think i'll have the chance...

 

There will be jack heuer 85 ? Oh my...happy...at the same time looking at my overly-abused wallet

 

Making this list has given me clarity and I feel like I should definitely keep going and go for one of those top two.

 

My take on the newbies...

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/first-impressions-carrera-calibre-16_15.html

http://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/first-impressions-aquaracer-quartz-watch.html