What was the last genuinely NEW TAG Heuer watch?

[Aquagraph]

Following on from the discussion in the CBK221B thread (the one where we discussed that the Heuer 01 Carrera and the Autavia Calibre 5 should have been given 'new' names, not shoe-horned to fit into an existing range that isn't really suitable) I wondered what was the last watch model that TAG Heuer made from scratch. I'm not counting the Aquaracer, because that was simply a name change to the 2000 range, indeed we had the 2000 Aquagraph and 2000 Aquaracer, which became the Aqugraph and Aquracer, so that's inarguable.

So I thought about it and I reckoned it was possibly the Microtimer, but that was 2002, surely they haven't been sitting on their hands since then?

So I looked back through the catalogues and it seems like the last time they made a new watch was either the SLR or the Golf, sometime around the mid-2000s.

For a company that prides itself on being modernist and Avant Garde doesn't this seem slightly strange? And do they really think the way to appeal to the young (as they keep on telling us they must) is to keep on banging the 'historical' drum in this way?

 

[RockBurner]

How many ways are there to display an analogue watch face?
In terms of movement, then they're likely limited to the available mechanisms?

Probably the latest 'new' thing is the 'Connected'.
Has to be said that I think Tag are the most successful 'watch' company in the wearables market.

 

[imagwai]

Plenty of new watches. Just using the old names.

 

[Aquagraph]

imagwai

Plenty of new watches. Just using the old names.

That's kind of the point though... using a new name would give them the freedom to do anything, rather than annoying people by making skeletonised and illegible Carreras and three handed Autavias.

 

[Aquagraph]

RockBurner

How many ways are there to display an analogue watch face?
In terms of movement, then they're likely limited to the available mechanisms?

Probably the latest 'new' thing is the 'Connected'.
Has to be said that I think Tag are the most successful 'watch' company in the wearables market.

Yes the Connected, but I ignored that as it's not a proper watch....





Sorry Albert, but it isn't.

 

[dtf]

Aquagraph

That's kind of the point though... using a new name would give them the freedom to do anything, rather than annoying people by making skeletonised and illegible Carreras and three handed Autavias.

For the record, I don't just hate them because they are a three hand Autavia, I also hate them because they are ugly and represent everything that is wrong with the watch industry and watch media currently.

Back to regular programming...are you counting the Grand Carrera as a Carrera?

What about the crazy haute horology pieces?

 

[Calibre11]

Grand Carrera was the last new series in 2007/ 8.

The last new design? I'm thinking the current Link collection?

 

[Remo]

dtf

For the record, I don't just hate them because they are a three hand Autavia, I also hate them because they are ugly and represent everything that is wrong with the watch industry and watch media currently.

Back to regular programming...are you counting the Grand Carrera as a Carrera?

What about the crazy haute horology pieces?

Do you think an additional GMT hand on the new Autavias could repair the damage? Just thought because of your (beautiful) profile image

Edited: Jan 25, 2020

 

[Aquagraph]

Grand Carrera is still trading on the Carrera name though, just prefixing it with 'Grand' doesn't change that.

Yes, Link... but again, still called Link and Link was essentially a rebranded S/EL.

Aren't most of the Haute Horlogerie pieces nominally 'Carreras' as well?

What I'm trying to say is the Kirium for example was a brand new watch with a brand new name. A genuine new 'range' to boot that came in different colours, chronos and non-chronos...

But I guess the argument will be something like this.. 'Watch brands only release genuinely new models when their current models aren't working for them and TAG Heuer in the 90s was in a mess and their models weren't working for them anymore.'

I guess, the truth is that creating a new watch from scratch is very risky, very expensive, and probably unlikely to sell more than what you already sell and the people know and understand. So it has little upside, and a great deal of potential downside.

It seems like watch companies have done the exact opposite of what car makers have done, where they have shared chassis, engine, drive-trains etc and focussed on creating new body shapes and exciting new models (and yes they do sometimes re-use old names, but not in the same way - a new Vauxhall Viva looks sod all like an old one) whereas watchmaking has gone the route that everything must be made in house and thus expensive because there's no 'economy of scale'.

I just find it disappointing that while we get a lot of new watches these days, we rarely get the excitiment of seeing something genuinely 'new' that isn't (sometimes) awkwardly anchored to a hashed up history.

And then there's the problem of social media. Unfortunately, if a watch company does bring out a genuinely new model there's every chance that the knee-jerk reaction on social media will kill the watch before it even gets to the stores. So I guess that's it then, it's Carrera, Monaco, Link, Autavia and F1 forever... oh well, perhaps we can get a re-issue of the Microtimer and the Kirium before I shuffle off?

It's funny though because people go on about how the last genuinely new Rolex (Skydweller) was in 2012....

Edited: Jan 25, 2020

 

[abrod520]

IMO, as much as I detest the Heuer-01 and other tuna-can skeleton models, I think it would have been much better to have called it the Grand Carrera, or something along those lines - separate it from the historical Carrera, and let it fly on its own merit. They were novel, and I think there is a place in the watch world for those models.

As for the Calibre 5 Autavia, well it's new for TAG but isn't very unique now is it.... it's basically an IWC Pilot's Watch with a dive bezel.

Also, the original Carrera Calibre 1969 was an interesting new direction too.

 

[Jim Dollares]

Aquagraph

So I guess that's it then, it's Carrera, Monaco, Link, Autavia and F1 forever...

No I dont think that is the case, who knows what trends there are in 10-15 years

 

[Mr_Orange]

Aquagraph

And then there's the problem of social media. Unfortunately, if a watch company does bring out a genuinely new model there's every chance that the knee-jerk reaction on social media will kill the watch before it even gets to the stores.

Witness the AP Code 11.59.

Aquagraph

It's funny though because people go on about how the last genuinely new Rolex (Skydweller) was in 2012....

The Skydweller is the only Rolex that interests me because from a complication point of view it is fascinating and tackles the GMT display in a novel way. The mechanics of the bezel interacting with the crown are awesome too.

abrod520

Also, the original Carrera Calibre 1969 was an interesting new direction too.

I can' believe they haven't done more with this design. It was gorgeous.

 

[Calibre11]

Aquagraph

Grand Carrera is still trading on the Carrera name though, just prefixing it with 'Grand' doesn't change that.

Yes, Link... but again, still called Link and Link was essentially a rebranded S/EL.

Aren't most of the Haute Horlogerie pieces nominally 'Carreras' as well?

What I'm trying to say is the Kirium for example was a brand new watch with a brand new name. A genuine new 'range' to boot that came in different colours, chronos and non-chronos...

But I guess the argument will be something like this.. 'Watch brands only release genuinely new models when their current models aren't working for them and TAG Heuer in the 90s was in a mess and their models weren't working for them anymore.'

I guess, the truth is that creating a new watch from scratch is very risky, very expensive, and probably unlikely to sell more than what you already sell and the people know and understand. So it has little upside, and a great deal of potential downside.

It seems like watch companies have done the exact opposite of what car makers have done, where they have shared chassis, engine, drive-trains etc and focussed on creating new body shapes and exciting new models (and yes they do sometimes re-use old names, but not in the same way - a new Vauxhall Viva looks sod all like an old one) whereas watchmaking has gone the route that everything must be made in house and thus expensive because there's no 'economy of scale'.

I just find it disappointing that while we get a lot of new watches these days, we rarely get the excitiment of seeing something genuinely 'new' that isn't (sometimes) awkwardly anchored to a hashed up history.

And then there's the problem of social media. Unfortunately, if a watch company does bring out a genuinely new model there's every chance that the knee-jerk reaction on social media will kill the watch before it even gets to the stores. So I guess that's it then, it's Carrera, Monaco, Link, Autavia and F1 forever... oh well, perhaps we can get a re-issue of the Microtimer and the Kirium before I shuffle off?

It's funny though because people go on about how the last genuinely new Rolex (Skydweller) was in 2012....

Well, depends on what you mean by "genuinely new". Clearly the Link and (Grand) Carrera names are from the past, but the current Link and Grand Carrera were totally new designs. The Grand Carrera- name aside- has nothing to do with the Carrera designs of the past and were in a new market segment. Likewise, the current Link is a 100% new case design with no ties to any historical model.

I'd argue that the Kirium was closer to a 4000 than the Grand Carrera is to any other Carrera model (just stick a 4000 in the microwave and then polish the melted remains ).

I do agree that it would be nice to see something totally new. The current Autavia is as close as we'll get for a while. I reckon in 5 years time, the Autavia will be a 100% aviation watch and that the current series will be seen as a bridge to that end.

 

[OttoWilliam]

How i hope Autavia will be a diver watch because i do like the vintage Autavia Diver...

But aviation makes much more sense though. I do hope they made it antimagnetic and stronger lume if they go full on aviation.

 

[Aquagraph]

Calibre11

Well, depends on what you mean by "genuinely new". Clearly the Link and (Grand) Carrera names are from the past, but the current Link and Grand Carrera were totally new designs. The Grand Carrera- name aside- has nothing to do with the Carrera designs of the past and were in a new market segment. Likewise, the current Link is a 100% new case design with no ties to any historical model.

The Link is an odd one though as it's defined by it's bracelet rather than the case... as for the Grand Carrera, they could easily have called it something else... indeed they probably should have. But I guess they already had the SLR and how many different kinds of racing chronographs do you need?

Calibre11

I'd argue that the Kirium was closer to a 4000 than the Grand Carrera is to any other Carrera model (just stick a 4000 in the microwave and then polish the melted remains ).

That's an interesting viewpoint and not one I've ever really considered before... but now that I have, I guess there are some similarities, most notably the left hand case bulge.

Calibre11

I do agree that it would be nice to see something totally new. The current Autavia is as close as we'll get for a while. I reckon in 5 years time, the Autavia will be a 100% aviation watch and that the current series will be seen as a bridge to that end.

I guess for there to be a genuinely new watch it needs a market segment to serve, and I don't really know what that might be - but it certainly isn't scuba aviation racing!

 

[OttoWilliam]

I know we are discussing about Tag Heuer here.

But different brands do it differently i guess.

For example IWC. They use Mark XIII, Mark VIII, etc etc...(maybe they use Ironman as an inspiration )

Carrera using Grand Carrera, Non Chronograph Carrera, Calibre 16 Carrera...well slightly less refined, if you asked me.

It all happened to all products that's been there too long. Take sneakers for example and the grand daddy of them all, the Air Jordan. Now you have Air Jordan Bred Toe Mid, Air Jordan Bred Toe High, Air Jordan Flu Game, etc etc.

Additional new line with new name would be welcome. But if a slight design change in size could even provoke the ever vigilant enthusiast, i don't blame the company for taking the safest route possible . It is a job and a business after all.

 

[OttoWilliam]

They could name the dressier watch completely different line back then but i guess they are sticking with Carrera Heritage and Link non chronograph now.