Tag Heuer, Irelands ubiquitous expensive watch?

Cyrus

Just occurred to me the other day, someone in work admired the watch I had on, it was my IWC Portuguese. I just said thanks, my wife had got it for me when I got engaged. She was then telling us that her sister bought her fiancée a tag carrera when they got engaged, everyone was mucho impressed.

When I thought back on it, of all the watches I have and have had, the one that got noticed most was a tag carrera chrono that I no longer own. Irish people seem to have a real gra for tag heuers, and for most non WIS, I think tags represent the pinnacle of watch ownership.

Certainly a brand like IWC has very little recognition, ditto glashutte, panerai, and even omega, in fact a lot of people seemed surprised when I explained to them that omega would generally sit higher up the watch food chain than tag.

Anyone experienced similar?

Blackpitts

Cyrus wrote: »

Anyone experienced similar?

Everyday!

people struggle to understand why I spend so many money on a watch...most of my friends think I'd better buy something else. Rolex, Tag and Longines have a very good perception because of the amount of money spent in advertisment, so I'm not surprised when I get more compliments for my Fossil (70 euro) than my Omega speedmaster...

Even an Armani watch is perceived better than a Panerai.

knipex

I am aware of Paneri, IWC and of course Omega but never heard of glashutte.

I always thought Tag were over priced and over rated and don't even look that nice.

I don't have a watch collection (I tend to destroy watches as I have a habit of walking into the shed and coming out 4 hours later after welding up a bench, or stripping the paint of a wing of a car) but I have a soft spot for Omega watches and a fetish for Breitling (although looking at the Paneri website the Luminor Chrono looks nice)

Most expensive watch I own is a citizen divers watch that I picked up in Spain. Its about 6 years old, the face has some small pit marks from weld spatters and I have to get it cleaned a couple of times a year (I have access to a small ultrasonic tank) to get the gunk out but it has survived.

If it counts I bought a Breitling knockoff in Kuala Lumpor for $10 it ran perfect for 3 (until plating wore off the back and caused a rash on my wrist) it and got loads of comments everywhere I wore it.

buck65

Blackpitts wrote: »

Even an Armani watch is perceived better than a Panerai.

Even in the W~IS community!!

You are spot on about the Tag. I see more Tags than any other watch on peoples wrists. I would wager most are quartz.
I think if people were made aware by salespeople the difference between a quartz and an auto most would go auto. I remember before I knew anything about watches I bought a Seiko kinetic and everyone I told about it were blown away by the mechanics of it.

mailforkev

I have several friends who got Tags for engagement gifts from their ladyfolk.
They are the Audi A4/BMW 520d of the watch world at the moment, the default choice for someone who has a bit of cash but doesn't actually know anything about watches.

I usually wear a Seamaster and I can tell from the reaction of anyone that has asked what it is that a Tag would have had more recognition.

Having said that, I will pick up a Monaco chrono at some stage, have always fancied one.

bogmanfan

A lot of it has to do with availability. Tag are the most widely available 'prestige' brand, being sold in some Ernest Jones and Field's, as well as the usual watch shops. IWC, by comparison, are sold only in Sheeran's as far as I know. And Glashutte Original are only in BT.

Wibbs

I'd defo agree. Tags and I would say Breitling would be the two main ones. Tags for the "lower" priced market(mostly quartz) and the Breitling's for the higher price crowd. Often the blingier the better. Maybe because sometimes the ladies are buying for their guys and those two are the big names like mailforkev said?

Gavin1

It comes down to money and perceived quality.

Most people I know could not care less about watches. They think that 800-1000 euro on quartz Tag buys them a great piece of Swiss watchmaking. Each to their own and once they are happy that is all that matters.

When I try and "educate" them and mention Damasko, Sinn, Stowa or Nomos for around the same price they laugh. To be fair these are German brands, but essential equal to Swiss at this price point.

Few people know of Panerai, IWC, JLC or Zenith unless you are a WIS.

buck65

Well for 800-1000 a Tag quartz is probably a good example of Swiss watchmaking.
The exact same watch in automatic movement would probably be twice the price and wouldn't make sense to most.
It's only when one gets into watches that the difference becomes apparent. Whenever I see a Tag quartz or any other decent quartz watch I always think "Fair Play nice watch".

Wibbs

Gavin1 wrote: »

Most people I know could not care less about watches. They think that 800-1000 euro on quartz Tag buys them a great piece of Swiss watchmaking. Each to their own and once they are happy that is all that matters.

I'd reckon that's universally true alright.

buck65 wrote: »

Well for 800-1000 a Tag quartz is probably a good example of Swiss watchmaking.

*Pigeons, insert cat*

MiCr0

its a well-made watch with a dependable movement, isn't that a true defination of "good example of Swiss watchmaking"

it's just not interesting for someone who likes watches and the movements and all the detail

Gavin1

Well for 800-1000 a Tag quartz is probably a good example of Swiss watchmaking.

My first foray into this bizarre world was with a Tag quartz that cost 700 punts and I thought at the time that this was an excellent example of Swiss watchmaking.

If I look back on it and to be honest it was more about brand recognistion than fine Swiss watch making. Now I am looking after movements, case design and brand history.

Either way even the cheapest quartz tend to be alot more accurate that the most expensive mechanical movements.

Gavin1

bedlam wrote: »

They are a bit of a gateway drug^Hwatch. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of us here bought or at least considered Tag when starting out

I thought that this Tag 2000 was the end all and be all of Swiss Watches. At the time Tag was everywhere.

18 months later I saw a Bond Omega Sea-Master and moved heaven and earth to get it and so the downward spiral continued.. the voices continue in my head regularly.

ray o

Tag watches are definatley high on the list when the avergage joe has 1-3k to spend on a watch. I seen a couple of people I know by more than one Tag (some bought in discount outlets) and I knew they just were not for me. When the time came I did some resarch and I fell for a speedmaster. A stunning watch that still makes me smile - it looks great on both steel and leather bracelets. It gets noticed for its looks not for it's brand and percieved price point.

Owen

I've got a Carrera, I wanted to buy a nice watch, and went looking in the local shops and online. I thought Rolex had too much of an old man's image (Gold straps, blue faces, old fashioned fonts on the face), Breitling was a wanna be Pilot's watch (Even though I fly light aircraft) and Omega was for Bond Fans.

I bought the Tag for 3 reasons. It looked Modern, I liked being able to see the mechanism through the back, and because it's just Stainless Steel, no one pays it a damn bit of notice. It's not some ostentatious bling bling gold trinket draped off my wrist, it's just functional, discreet and well built.

Course, Mon-Friday I wear a 50 euro casio covered in Paint

Cyrus

PaintDoctor wrote: »

I've got a Carrera, I wanted to buy a nice watch, and went looking in the local shops and online. I thought Rolex had too much of an old man's image (Gold straps, blue faces, old fashioned fonts on the face), Breitling was a wanna be Pilot's watch (Even though I fly light aircraft) and Omega was for Bond Fans.

I bought the Tag for 3 reasons. It looked Modern, I liked being able to see the mechanism through the back, and because it's just Stainless Steel, no one pays it a damn bit of notice. It's not some ostentatious bling bling gold trinket draped off my wrist, it's just functional, discreet and well built.

Course, Mon-Friday I wear a 50 euro casio covered in Paint

i guess a lot of those would be the normal misconceptions,

for example i have the rolex pictured, a current model gmt 2, no gold, no blue face and no numerals on the face at all



also, there is a lot more to omega than the bond tie in!!

i have owned a few carreras in my time, mostly the chronos altho today im actually wearing a twin time on a strap, while the twin time is quite discreet the chronos are anything but!

Relatively big, relatively chunky, plenty of shiney stainless steel and immediately identifiable to most folk, far more people notice when you wear a tag compared to most other brands.

Owen

Hardly anyone notices my Tag at all. Which I like. And it's a Chrono.

Cyrus

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Hardly anyone notices my Tag at all. Which I like. And it's a Chrono.

differente experiences then, my carrera chrono was a comment magnet nice watches, id like to try the silver dialled one some time, or the new one with the 'new' movement