Tag Heuer or not Tag Heuer

murphyc106

Hi all,
I have got some cash and I want to purchase a really decent watch approx. €2500 to spend. I have always wanted a Tag Heuer but I want to hear peoples opinions. I have heard that the cost of ownership of a Tag is expensive- €300 services and €400 replacement straps.

I like the Carrera style and dislike the twisty Bezel style things. Can anyone suggest Pros-Cons of Tag ownership or alternatively anothe make i.e Omega etc... I am not against any mechanical movements or Quartz crystal makes just no over-priced Seiko's,,,,,,,,,,

Tigger

I negotiated a speedmaster moon watch for €2200 in teneriffe Santa Cruz
And a tag monaco cal 5 for about the same
I'd say the savings on a careers would be similar

murphyc106

Tigger wrote: »

I negotiated a speedmaster moon watch for €2200 in teneriffe Santa Cruz
And a tag monaco cal 5 for about the same
I'd say the savings on a careers would be similar

Is that legit? Did you travel to Teneriffe or negotiated via Web and phone?

blindsider

I'd suggest reading this (current) thread first. It's in a similar vein to yours....

if I had €2500 to spend on a watch, I would buy more than one. If you want a Tag, why not get one 2nd hand - with box and papers - and get 2 others also.

Try a Flieger from either of these:

www.stowa.de

www.laco.de

My personal favourite is this beauty (not a Flieger per se): (€580)

http://www.stowa.de/cgi-bin/cosmoshop/lshop.cgi?action=largepic&pic=/z/ikarus/g/Ikarus-11.jpg&artnum=ikarus&wkid=136062499019248&ls=de&nocache=1360625001-19374

You could also get e.g. a Steinhart

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/de/OCEAN-BLACK-DLC,259.html

and then you'd have 3 great watches to wear....just a thought!

Enjoy the search!

Bullseye1

For €2500 i would consider a pre-owned Steve McQeen Monaco (reissue) Calibre 12.
http://www.tagheuer.com/html.php/int-en/luxury-watches/monaco/monaco-calibre-12automatic-chronograph39-mm-blue-leather-bracelet

Tag are hit a miss. I've a couple and like them. Some of their 80-90's models have not aged very well but recently I've seen a vast improvement in many of their lines.

The best piece of advice I can give you is that you will get more bang for your buck with a good preowned watch.

repsol

I own a Limited Edition McLaren F1 Tag.Its 12 years old has never needed any parts and looks new.Get loads of compliments about it (surprising how many people notice a nice watch).Bought it in Ernest Jones Grafton Street who were £50 cheaper than Weirs

Tigger

murphyc106 wrote: »

Is that legit? Did you travel to Teneriffe or negotiated via Web and phone?

I was in Santa Cruz
Donno about doing a phone deal but you'd be much less likley to pay duty avd vat (40%) if you wear it home

Deep Thought

Plenty of Options out there, you could get a 2nd hand PO

Or as suggested get a couple of watches...Stowa, Steinhart et al

Look at Dornbluth as well

hfallada

Around €2,500 would get you a Rolex at an auction in Dublin in like o reillys. If you view their online catalog they usually have 3/4 women's watches.

CarltonBrowne

If you are going to spend this amount of money on a watch then services and straps are always, typically going to be that order of cost, and more, if you are going to use the manufacturer's approved service route. Give up now if you don't want to consider the implicit cost of ownership; having said this there are lots of excellent, non OEM, service routes available.

With straps I think there are a couple of tips.
1. If the watch is available with a bracelet always purchase the bracelet at the time of the watch purchase as you will be heavily spanked if you purchase afterwards.
2. If the seller (assuming an AD) is being stingy on discounts then angle for a spare strap to be thrown in. I've read of this working with normally non-discounted brands such as Panerai.
3. If you are purchasing secondhand make sure you go for a package with OEM buckles or deployant clasps; you'll get spanked later if you have to order them from an AD.
4. Check out some of the independent strap makers such as Camille Fournet (they make JLC straps), Hirsch (they make for Glashütte Original), APB and a chap called peter.watchacc. Often the same quality for a half or third of the price.

There is no reason for it but I dislike TAGs yet adore most pre-TAG Heuers (and Heuer-Leonidas); I'd spend that sort of money on a vintage Heuer. It's funny that, for me, TAGs will always be associated with the loadsamoney culture of the 1980s whereas I have a few WIS friends who have a real soft spot for them as, having entered the job market around then, it was their first "proper" watch. Clearly others mileage varies and there's nothing wrong with that but bear in mind that a lot of TAGs suffer significant depreciation from new. Spend wisely.

art

I'd have that sense for Rolexs still, the people I know wearing them just seem to know it's a Rolex and little else about it. Even find that with Omegas, people buying for the "I've an Omega" conversation line. And Tags too but I would have a softer spot there for the fact that their designs can be a bit more challenging in general, and for the original Monaco design: I guess, with these, it comes down to are you a James Bond guy, a Michael Douglas or a Steve McQueen groupie?

When you move away from that and start looking at Stowas, Lacos and Steinhart, it's a different kind of pleasure I think, and probably a more genuine "watch" pleasure in a way, but that's not to say that handling a Tag and feeling its heft and quality workmanship is to be disregarded either. Just buy the watch that gets you excited when you see/feel it.

peasant

art wrote: »

Just buy the watch that gets you excited when you see/feel it.

I'd say that's what swings it for the TAG for lots of people ...the fact that you can put your grubby hands on it pre-purchase at a dealership near you.

All the other nice niche watches you have to buy by picture and recommendation alone ...a bit of a risk at that kind of money.

Eoin

A Tag Monaco for 1250 on adverts.ie - looks like a pretty good price:

murphyc106 wrote: »

just no over-priced Seiko's,,,,,,,,,,

Huh?

ArphaRima

www.watchrecon.com
Look here for watches. Don't pay Irish retail prices, and if you really want a nice one, buy used.

Cyrus

try pre owned

should be something here that fits the bill

http://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Tag%20Heuer/Watches

Mredsnapper

murphyc106 wrote: »

no over-priced Seiko's,,,,,,,,,,

Not sure what you mean by this. The Seiko brand is quite well regarded and they produce excellent watches across a very large range of price points.

Patharagos

Yes, there are some great deals on a second hand Tag Heuer if you buy from a reputable dealer. I just bought a Tag Heuer Link at €1300 delivered to Ireland, it even came with 2 spare links which I actually needed. I understand it to be about €3,000 new. Arrived like new and love the watch. I bought it from a reputable second hand watch dealer in the UK. Its Automatic which I wanted for a change...if I ever decide to sell, I wont lose anything. I've always found Tag Heuers to be trendy and nice to wear. It's a personal thing of course...some friends have Rolex watches but are afraid to go on holidays with them so I just don't see the point in that, just my opinion that's all.

Lex Luthor

Patharagos wrote: »

Yes, there are some great deals on a second hand Tag Heuer if you buy from a reputable dealer. I just bought a Tag Heuer Link at €1300 delivered to Ireland, it even came with 2 spare links which I actually needed. I understand it to be about €3,000 new. Arrived like new and love the watch. I bought it from a reputable second hand watch dealer in the UK. Its Automatic which I wanted for a change...if I ever decide to sell, I wont lose anything. I've always found Tag Heuers to be trendy and nice to wear. It's a personal thing of course...some friends have Rolex watches but are afraid to go on holidays with them so I just don't see the point in that, just my opinion that's all.

That's almost identical to mine except I don't have the big day window at the bottom

I had it up on adverts for a while but after some really stupid offers from timewasters I took it down

MarcusP12

I'm not quite sure i'd pay 2500 on a tag brand new without looking at the likes of omega and breitling for second hand.....I like tags though and doubled my collection to two recently by picking up a good deal on a caliber 5 aquaracer in duty free (Middle East)...picked it up for the equivalent of less than 1400 euro (checked it out in weirs and retails at 2k) but also got 2 free bottles of smellies (125mm bottle of Davidoff and 100mm bottle of ralph lauren) and a tag beach towel so not a bad deal at all from an authorized dealer.

Check out creation watches....they've a decent stock of tags and are good prices but you won't get a AD warranty...I picked up my other tag there a good bit cheaper than you'd get in a bricks and mortar shop....

Also, be careful if going second hand....Tags are very commonly repped and apparently its difficult to tell them from the real thing if you're an amature and it wouldn't surprise me if some are fake that you'd see on adverts.ie for example or ebay......buy the seller as they say.....you'd be safe enough with the sites already posted though....

macsauce

One thing to note is that the Tag only comes with a one year warranty. I believe Rolex, Omega and others come with a lifetime warranty for parts and workman ship.

I bought a Tag Link Automatic and while I do love it now (10 years later i am still amazed by the motion which is visible through a saphire crystal back) i had an issue where the lubricant in the watch had hardened and this happened just outside the 1 year period. I bought it from a well know jeweler and they managed to get it repaired through Tag for very little cost (i think i just paid for shipping). It left a bit of a bad taste having just spent ~3,600 on a watch.

MarcusP12

macsauce wrote: »

One thing to note is that the Tag only comes with a one year warranty. I believe Rolex, Omega and others come with a lifetime warranty for parts and workman ship.

I bought a Tag Link Automatic and while I do love it now (10 years later i am still amazed by the motion which is visible through a saphire crystal back) i had an issue where the lubricant in the watch had hardened and this happened just outside the 1 year period. I bought it from a well know jeweler and they managed to get it repaired through Tag for very little cost (i think i just paid for shipping). It left a bit of a bad taste having just spent ~3,600 on a watch.

I'm pretty sure tag warranty is 24 months now but might be wrong, I remember checking the warranty card before I brought the watch back with me to the ME.....

Cyrus

macsauce wrote: »

One thing to note is that the Tag only comes with a one year warranty. I believe Rolex, Omega and others come with a lifetime warranty for parts and workman ship.

I bought a Tag Link Automatic and while I do love it now (10 years later i am still amazed by the motion which is visible through a saphire crystal back) i had an issue where the lubricant in the watch had hardened and this happened just outside the 1 year period. I bought it from a well know jeweler and they managed to get it repaired through Tag for very little cost (i think i just paid for shipping). It left a bit of a bad taste having just spent ~3,600 on a watch.

Rolex recently moved to a 5 year warranty from two, omega is 2-4 years depending on movement