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Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy a TAG Heuer Watch

Over 150 years of history makes for an extensive catalog of awesome timepieces.

collage of watchesTAG Heuer

By Allen Farmelo and Zen Love

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Many longtime watch collectors will tell you that their first “nice” watch was “a TAG” — or that their first watch obsession was a vintage Heuer. With strong motorsport associations and a number of bonafide icons, TAG Heuer is especially known for chronographs, and it’s a giant in the watchmaking world. It’s a brand with a history worth exploring and a modern collection worth dissecting — whether you’re a collector or in the market for a first “nice” watch.

History of TAG Heuer

In 1860, long before Techniques d’Avant-Garde (TAG) purchased a majority stake in the company (which was subsequently gobbled up by the LVMH Group), Edouard Heuer set up his eponymous watch manufacturing company in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Soon after, he was patenting unique mechanisms, some of which still operate in many mechanical wristwatches today. However, Heuer was most famous for making chronographs, starting with dashboard clocks used in both cars and planes. Then, in 1914, Heuer offered their first wrist-worn chronograph.

By the 1960s, Heuer watches were so thoroughly enmeshed with auto racing that it’s hard to find a photograph of Formula 1, Indy, or GT racing from that era in which their logo isn’t visible. Specifically, Heuer Autavia and Carrera chronographs were de rigueur among drivers. When Steve McQueen sported a square Heuer Monaco during his all-too-short racing career, both man and watch were immortalized in photographs that have become enduring templates for men’s fashion. McQueen’s 1971 film, LeMans, endowed Heuer’s racing pedigree with a dose of Hollywood’s ineffable mystique.

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Heuer, like so many other Swiss watchmakers, struggled through the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s, resulting in a situation dire enough that the company went up for sale. TAG was added to the name in 1985 when the holding company Techniques d’Avant Garde acquired the brand. For those of us who remember the Regan Era, TAG Heuer — which sponsored sailing, golf, tennis, and, of course, auto racing — became as much a status symbol as Rolex among well-heeled preppies who grew increasingly unabashed of displaying their wealth. Men and women both strapped on sporty two-tone TAG Heuers, popped the collars on their Lacoste shirts, tied cable knit sweaters around their necks, and sparked up Marlboro Lights in unruly Porsche 911s.

a watch on a wrist
The Carrera Chronograph for 2023 feels balanced between retro and modern
Zen Love
a watch on a wrist
…but in some iterations definitely leans toward ’60s styles. 
Zen Love

As grunge and (at least the veneer of) financial humility came into vogue during the 1990s, those 1980s associations haunted TAG Heuer enough that the brand began to drop TAG from some of its retro-styled watches, initiating what remains today a coveted section of their catalog that harkens back to the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. But most of TAG Heuer’s offerings during the 1990s tended toward the trends, with increasingly larger timepieces for men and relatively dainty models for women. Then in 1999, LVMH bought TAG Heuer, pumped in enough capital to revive the brand’s ubiquity, and by the 2010s was pushing “connected” TAG Heuer watches intended to compete with the Apple Watch. But TAG Heuer also pushed their legacy to the fore with retro-styled mechanical models and tasty reissues.

This bifurcation between forward- and backward-looking watches isn’t unique to TAG Heuer, but it does seem pronounced with this brand. For those who like vintage-inspired timepieces, “Heuer” released a slew of new models in recent years that will satisfy; for those who like their envelope pushed, “TAG” offers a robust catalog of decidedly modern watches. The collections are broken down below.

The Monaco

Featuring an immediately recognizable square case as well as an automatic movement and hip, colorful accents, the Monaco has become an automotive icon (as well as a horological one) since its inception in 1969, when it was named after the famed Monaco Grand Prix.

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TAG Heuer Monaco Automatic Chronograph

  • Size: 39mm
  • Features: chronograph and date

Square, iconic and the one that Steve McQueen made famous. These chronographs have heaps of presence and are true conversation starters. Nab it with a modern movement designed to offer the layout of the landmark Calibre 11 movement the Monaco debuted, featuring a crown on the left side of the case (as pictured) or with the more traditional-looking Calibre 12.

The Autavia

The modern Autavia has gone through some design and conceptual vicissitudes. At first, they were re-concieve to look a bit like dive watches while also referencing the dashboard clocks Heuer built for planes and cars (“Automobile” plus “Aviation” = Autavia). The brand did, at one point, produce a remake of the collector-favorite Autavia chronograph (now discontinued) of the 1960s, but the current Autavia collection has its own modern (if retro-inspired) personality.

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TAG Heuer Autavia Flyback Chronometer

  • Size: 42mm
  • Features: Flyback chronograph (COSC-certified chronometer)

The modern Autavia sometimes feels like it’s in an identity crisis and, at time of writing, consists of only three models: two rather handsome flyback chronographs and a GMT. It’s not clear where the brand is headed with the collection, but it seems to offer a sporty outlet with its prominent bezel that perhaps feels more natural than it does for the Carrera line — but also continues to have heritage appeal.

The Aquaracer

Though not originally known for dive watches, by the 1980s, Heuer was competitive in this field, keeping pace with Rolex and Omega. Today’s Aquaracers come in many sizes and colorways, and they come with either mechanical or quartz movements. Some of their two-tone models look like their 1980s offerings, while the standard models are decidedly modern.

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TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200

  • Size: 36mm; 41mm; 43mm
  • Features: time and date

Automatic dive watches in the Aquaracer collection come in multiple colors, sizes and even configurations. You can find GMT versions with Rolex-like bi-color bezels, those with 200m (as shown here), more serious 300m models — and, of course, a bunch of colors.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph

  • Size: 40mm
  • Features: time and date, solar charging

TAG offers a wide collection of quartz watches in its Aquaracer collection which are largely indistinguishable from their mechanical counterparts (usually, the former has smooth dials while the latter has horizontally textured dials). With a range of sizes, colors and variations, there’s something for everyone. The addition of a 40mm titanium model with solar charging, however, surprised fans and helped this segment of the brand’s collections stand out.

The Carreras

The Carrera label is a large umbrella under which an array of models have come and gone over the years, from technical skeletonized chronographs to handsome time-only models. Thankfully, TAG has simplified and focused the Carrera collection (a bit) in recent years. As the line is best known for its 1960s chronographs, this complication still features heavily and many models draw upon the classic lines of those vintage models — while a few still offer an aggressive, modern style that echoes TAG’s sister brand Hublot. Most Carrera chronograph watches today use the brand’s in-house Heuer 02 chronograph movement, while those with sourced movements appear to be being phased out.

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TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph

  • Size: 39mm
  • Features: chronograph, date

The current Carrera chronograph watches strike a balance between recalling the brand’s 1960s icons and just looking like a solid modern everyday watch. That speaks to the timeless design and versatility of the original, and they’re made even more attractive with the in-house Heuer 02 movement inside. We’re partial to the 2023 models with 39mm cases, box-style sapphire crystals and lots of dial depth.

TAG Heuer Carrera Sport Chronograph

  • Size: 44mm
  • Features: chronograph, date, tachymeter scale

Featuring the Heuer 02 automatic movement, the Carrera Sport Chronograph watches also mix classic Carrera design with a contemporary feel. In a range of variations, these have a distinctly sportier look with a tachymeter bezel and aggressive 44mm case sizing.

TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic Chronograph

  • Size: 43mm or 45mm
  • Features: chronograph, tachymeter (one model includes a GMT)

When the Heuer 02 movement was introduced it was meant to help revitalize the brand and make a splash, and its controversial styling seemed taken straight from the then-CEO’s background at Hublot. The semi-skeletonized look and brash styling were meant to offer an experience similar to those higher-end watches but at a more affordable price point. Some even come equipped with tourbillons.

TAG Heuer Carrera Date

  • Diameter: 29mm, 36mm, 39mm, 41mm
  • Features: Date

Though the Carrera was conceived as a chronograph and it feels most at-home in that form, the brand has long offered the likes of time-only and GMT versions. They share the case design and dial elements that define the collection but don’t feel as sporty, making them versatile everyday watches. These used sourced Sellita movements which TAG brands with names like Calibre 5 and Calibre 7.

Formula 1 Series

Back in the 1980s, the Formula 1 was the watch to have among sport-oriented folks who understood that durability and pizzaz didn’t have to mean buying a Rolex. Today the Formula 1 models represent a similar spirit. They’re relatively affordable, very sporty, waterproof, durable, and often quite colorful. The current Formula 1 collection is primarily populated by quartz watches in time-only and chronograph variants.

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TAG Heuer Formula 1

  • Size: 41mm; 43mm
  • Features: time, date, chronograph

From chronographs to time-only models, Formula 1 watches come in a range of variations but feel remarkably consistent. Bezels of time-only models feature a minute scale while chronographs have a tachymeter, but the bold numerals, case shape and angular dial elements make the collection instantly recognizable. Starting at about $1,200, here you can find some of the most affordable TAG Heuer watches.

Link Series

These do not link to your smartphone; rather, “link” refers to the bracelets, whose curvy interlocking shapes are distinctive to TAG Heuer (how many watch brands can claim that?). While many brands race into the luxury steel “integrated bracelet” market today, TAG Heuer has been right there for decades.

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TAG Heuer Link

  • Size: 32mm; 41mm
  • Features: chronograph, date, integrated bracelet

The link collection is relatively limited, with only four current men’s models: two chronographs and two time-only watches, each available in black or blue dial versions. All feature third-party automatic movements. The remaining models are designated as women’s watches and feature 32mm cases, quartz movements and feminine elements like diamonds and mother-of-pearl.

Connected Watches

TAG Heuer was at the forefront of the Swiss efforts to get watches talking to smartphones. The ubiquity of the Apple Watch has put stress on this approach for Swiss brands who dared, but there’s much to like about a connected watch that doesn’t look like everyone else’s. Configurable in multiple styles and able to display even more watch faces to match, these are interesting luxury smartwatch alternatives for those who actually want to Think Different.

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TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4

  • Size: 45mm
  • Features: touch screen, smartwatch connectivity

Sometimes you can’t tell in pictures, but don’t be confused by an analog dial: these are full touch screens that can change between multitudinous designs. Running on Google’s Wear OS platform, it offers all the connectivity and features you can expect of modern wearables — and like other smartwatches most versions are geared toward sports and fitness activities.

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