Now that I have your attention, please give me your opinions of Tag Heuers.
I get the feeling that a lot of watch people don't like them.

I told my brother the other day that I bought an Aquaracer (used), and he looked at me like I had just thrown away my money.
Why I wonder. The case is well made, the movement is the same ETA that's in my Seamaster Pro, it looks good. So what's not to like?

If you don't like Tags, please tell me why.

Do you not like the quality?
Do you not like looks?
Do you not like their history?
Do you think that they are just an overpriced fashion watch?
Or do you not like the people that own them?

Tag was the first "higher end" watch that I bought. I still have it, an '86 1000. I use it at the gym (it's my only watch that I will risk hitting with a barbell).

Look, I know that Tag has made some God awful watches


But that can't be the only reason people dislike them.
Could the reason be that every Frat boy we hated in college wore one?

I get the feeling that it's the brand everyone likes to look down their noses at.

I know that all of this sounds defensive, that's not intensional. If Tag disappeared off of the face of the Earth, I wouldn't shed a tear. It just seems like an interesting dynamic in the watch community.
It's the brand everyone loves to hate.

But why?

 

It was also the first expensive watch I bought at the ripe old age of 17. I have the F1 chronograph second generation, it had a better movement than the first. Perhaps the brands reputation has been tarnished a bit because its watches are percieved to be of poor build quality, I am not sure that this is a fact, but as Nike say, image is everything.
The plus side of them being less popular is that they can be picked up at reasonable prices, perhaps in years to come they will become more desirable, who knows. As long as the buyer is happy with it then thats all that really matters at the end of the day.

 

Our opinions of expensive sure can change over the years.

 

I bought a 4000 series cheap on eBay some years back and was immediately impressed with the build quality. I then sought out a Carrera as I like the design and it has proved to be the clearest to read watch dial I have seen.
I do agree that Tag Heuer appear to be a less expensive brand than, say, Omega.

 

True, but back then it was it was a small fortune, 200 quid it cost. You could buy a nice seiko or casio for about 50 quid which was more than most of my mates spent on watches. Most of my friends could not believe i would spend that much on a watch. If i was going to buy a new tag today it would be a Monaco.

 

I don't like the looks and if you look on eBay at used tags you will see that a lot of them look pretty beat up.

 

First expensive watch I bought was a Tag. I think Tag watches are solid pieces. Although the they use ETA movements they're still nice...some may frown on ETA but they're workhorses.

 

Not the new ones...they use Seiko movements.

 

Really? I didn't know that...which Seiko movements? Assuming not those found in Grand Seiko...

 

That organic tag bracelet in the first pic has always looked to me as though someone strapped a set of dentures around their wrist.

Pity the tag association because heuer pre-tag was fantastic.

 

Whatever those designers were thinking about some of those Tag references is surely a head scratcher.

 

Read for yourself, it's all over the Internet...

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f2/tag...manufacture-cal-1887-bought-seiko-336032.html

 

Thanks for sharing. I generally don't go out of my way to keep up on what Tag is doing...or isn't.

 

It was very hard to miss, it was on almost every forum, including this one.

 

Cool.

 

When I first started looking at luxury watches, I looked at Tag though I never ended up buying one. When I could finally afford one, they just didn't do anything for me. My tastes changed perhaps. Looking at their current lineup doesn't do anything for me either.

I did wear a fake Tag for 6+ years though. I got it for ~$30 and, thanks to the Miyota 0S20 movement, it was super reliable and a great value.

http://watchopenia.blogspot.com/2014/11/not-really-tag-heuer-not-really-limited.html
not mine - mine had the blue dial

 

Owned this one but sold it a while back...

It was a nice watch with a dependable ETA 7750 movement. My only issue with Tag is thier recent dishonesty about the new "in-house" movements.

 

Owned a few Heuers over the years - vintage and modern. Windy has a mother of pearl lady's Aquaracer with diamond markers.

Nice. I've always liked the Aquaracer - might be the best looking bezel on a stainless steel sport watch.

 

The blue of the dial was pretty spectacular as well.