Tag Heuer Formula 1 Watches

It’s had its ups and downs, TAG Heuer—and perhaps more recently, the ups have been outnumbered by the downs. There’s a positive future on the horizon thanks to the efforts of brand fixer-upper Jean-Claude Biver, but a look to the future isn’t always enough to give us hope—we need to look to the past as well.

You probably know TAG Heuer best as the entry-level Swiss luxury watchmaker famous for its big, square Monaco, but I expect you never thought you’d see the day when the following sentence was true: here’s a TAG Heuer that costs over £13,000.

You’re one of two people. You either look at vintage watches as a challenge and an adventure, jumping in and reaping the many pleasures that are to be had by purchasing a watch that comes from an era when mechanical was current tech; or you’re someone who eyes them with caution, hesitant at the idea of owning a watch older than you are. If you’re the latter, it’s understandable—not everyone wants to take that particular leap—but it’s a shame to miss out. There is a third option however: cheat.

In 2016, over 55,000 members of the watch-buying community collaborated on the design of the brand new 'Heuer'-badged re-issue of the classic Autavia. If you've ever seen the episode of the Simpsons where Homer gets to design his own car, you'll also understand that asking the public for design advice invariably goes wrong. So, has TAG Heuer successfully managed to crowdsource the design of the new TAG Heuer Autavia, or do we have a Watchy McWatchface on our hands?