Customer Reviews

TAG Heuer Men's CAH1112.BA0850 Formula 1 Chronograph Watch

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

4/5/2011 Edit

I had to adjust my rating after the timer hand on my Tag now resets itself to the 58 second mark instead of the 1 minute mark. Notice how the black hand in the picture points up to 12 o'clock? Mine sits two clicks clockwise to that. While not a debilitating problem, it's very annoying considering how much I paid for this watch. More problematic, I can't get the thing serviced without paying a a ton because the warranty is only good for 11 months. While I stand by my earlier review about how nice this watch looks, I'd be wary of buying one without the full warranty. Repairs ain't cheap.

Everything still looks great. The only scratches are on the bottom of the band, which isn't surprising. As another reviewer said, the only disappointing thing about this watch is Tag's quality control. While I understand that mistakes happen, they should be rare in an $800 watch.

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I can't claim to be a connoisseur of fine watches but I'm very impressed by this Tag. My first Tag was actually a fake given to me by a friend, which died shortly after being taken waterskiing. This new watch is certainly of better quality and feels like it is built for water sports. I feel very confident that this Formula 1 could survive just about anything thrown at it.

The one thing that really surprised me is how well it fits. I have small wrists and had to remove a number of links in order to find an appropriate length. I was concerned that it may appear too large since I'm accustomed to wearing smaller Bulovas and the like. Such fears were unfounded; in fact, I believe it would look good on all but the smallest of wrists. Just stop by a fine jewelry store to try it on, though you may have a heart attack after seeing how much they're asking for the same watch. I think Macy's had a sticker listing it at $1,200.

Another surprise was just how classy the red background is. I wanted a watch of superior quality, which is why I chose a Tag, and also wanted something that would stand out a little, which is why I chose the red one. My plan was to wear it strictly on the motorcycle or while skiing. That plan was destroyed when I tried it on with a suit. The Formula 1 did not clash with what I was wearing at all. I think I am much happier with this color than anything else I could've gotten (white and black just seems boring now). I'll admit it's flashy and that's what drew me towards it. Even so, most people will have few regrets getting this.

Other than the one reviewer who had an unfortunate run-in with a defective watch, the Tag Heuer name speaks for itself. The chain is solid without being too hefty, the sapphire crystal seems un-damageable, and the styling is subtle but still noticeable. The chronometer feature is very cool and will, hopefully, impress anyone who takes the time to pay attention to it. I am more than happy with the Formula 1 from Amazon and will never buy another cheap watch again.

This is the first Tag I have purchased, and I absolutely love it. I picked this up as a casual piece. I wear it in uniform (USAF) to meetings/gatherings, and out to bars/parties as well. To people with an eye for watches, it is always nice to get a compliment. It's a rare thing now though, since everybody checks the time with cell phones now! The only down side to this watch, is the 40mm size. I'm a big guy, and I'm used to my 48mm Citizen Skyhawk, so it is definitely a noticeable difference when I wear the Tag. All in all, I'm VERY glad I bought this watch, it's a good piece to start a nice collection. No regrets on buying this, and I hope you enjoy yours!

The look and feel of this watch are great, but the one I purchased was a mechanical wreck and needed service immediately after I bought it. The date changed every 36 to 48 hours and was horrifically inconsistent, among other things.

It's a *VERY BAD SIGN* when a company like Tag Heuer allows a watch to leave their factory in such bad mechanical condition. People who don't care about the mechanics of a watch can go buy a fake Rolex, but for those of you who do care about such things, think twice before purchasing this watch.

I got this watch as a gift April 2007 on the weekend of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Never owning a watch at this price range before, I was a bit apprehensive about wearing it out and about, but today, I wear it nearly every day. The quality and craftsmanship is superb, the watch (especially the watchface) is pretty durable against scratches and bumps. Not that I would want to scuff it up, but it's held up well. I like the overall look...the red, silver, and black is pretty bold. I've gone in the water with it, and I've used the stopwatch on occassion too...after all, it is a sportswatch.:) For those that don't know, this watch was worn by 2-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso of McLaren Mercedes. His teammate (well, former teammate if you've read the news lately) rookie Lewis Hamilton wore the orange-faced version. If you want to own a sporty timepiece with connections to Formula One, and are willing to spend it, I'd strongly recommend this watch.

My first Tag Heuer chrono. I have a decent collection with many different types of watches old and new and felt this one would be rugged and compliment the others. The watch came in one piece, this is a good thing. the packaging is nice but not any more special than my Invicta. Not that packaging is a big issue. The watch was packed well and its shipping/storage case is very nice. It comes with its bracelet closed over a pillow. Adjusting the bracelet is easy, if you have the right tools, by removing pins from each section you want to remove and fine adjustment is done by moving pins on the clasp.

Setting it us is easy but the instructions are very poorly written. Illustrations and a little of your intuition will enable you to set the time and date. The movement does not feel precise as watches costing much less and there is some lash in forward/backward movement of the hands during setting. The stop watch second hand can be calibrated to reset to 12:00 position but it is half a second off between 12:00 and the first second, something that shouldn't be an issue with this type of watch costing as much. One of those irritants that's not enough to warrant sending it in for repair but still annoying. The older, pre Tag, Heuer watches and stopwatches never had this kind of qc issue. There are also other calibrations for dial functions. The luminous hands and dial markers are clear and easily read at night.

Operation of the watch is simple and seemingly faultless in normal or stop watch modes. Buttons are solid and operate with a sure click. The crown is a screw down type for a water tight seal but not sure I'd take it diving. Time keeping is, so far, right to the second synced up to the atomic clock. We'll see if it stays. The good news is there is no reason not to believe the watch will perform well for years to come. The bad news is you're paying a steep price for a watch that is similar in quality to the much lower priced Swiss Bulova and Accutron movement chronos that are every bit as nice, if not nicer. Even my Marine Star Bulova chrono with a Japanese movement-don't know who makes them, is comparable. Seiko and Citizen are possibly superior to the Tag Heuer and represent a much better value. Having mentioned that, don't let it stop you from buying the Tag as it should provide good service for years to come if you take good care of it. The movement should be serviced and remember that because this is a battery operated watch meant for diving, you will need to replace the case seal when you replace the battery to ensure it's water tight seal.

Bottom line: I got the Tag because of the unique red dial and simple curiosity. If you're looking for quality for less, you can easily find it but if you want the Tag, you should be well pleased. Is it worth the nearly 1k price tag? You'll have to decide once you own it. Buy it for the novelty if you wish but for quality and ruggedness, there are better choices for less.

Disclaimer: This review is intended for informational purposes only. It is not published as a means for debate and the writer requests that those wishing to do so find another venue. This statement is included as a result of previous abuse and abusive feedback will be reported.

Picked this watch up yesterday. Feels good, works good, looks great. Amazon and UPS were on time, no complaints. The point I would like to mention is that the reason you are getting this watch for $632, instead of $1200, is that you will get no support from TAG at all. I called TAG's 800# just to verify if the serial number was genuine and they could not or would not give me any info on any watch that was not purchased by an authorized dealer. The TAG came with no paper work from Amazon, not even a packing slip. Something to think about if the TAG ever needs service.

This watch looks even better in person than on line. I bought it as bonus for an employee and he couldn't be any happier with it. He gets complements every time he wears it and has deemed it the best gift he's ever received from anyone. It is a fine timepiece and I'd highly recommend it to anyone considering a watch in the $1k and below price point.

To keep this short, I finaly got one of these as a birthday gift and it looks like the battery is flat. Not something many people can change under gaurantee, so I had to send it back to Tag Heuer locally here in England to have it changed, which costs £50.00.

These watches are not covered by Tag Heuer's warranty because Amazon is NOT an authorised dealer, though it comes with a 2 year warranty that's part of Amazon but not the manufacturer...and the small print states batteries are not covered. Even if the battery were under warranty sending it insured back to the U.S. would cost just as much so unless Tag Heuer state that it's not the battery and that it's faulty there's no point paying to send it all that way. Read the small print regarding the gaurantee.

I don't normally have a bad word to say about Amazon but this one's tricky, on one side there's a great saving to be made and the product details make it seem like it's an official warranty and I know I should've paid more attention. So no one else has the same issues please think twice before purchasing. I love my watch more so becuase so many people contributed towards it and means a lot to me before I've even had the chance to wear it. Having these issues with it not working and finding out the battery isn't covered isn't a nice feeling for something so meaninful. I also couldn't send it back because it arrived in July and birthday was in September so I didn't see it until then, but to be honest I wouldn't want to refund a gift like this... just to get it working and start wearing it.

I bought this watch directly at Amazon.com but Tag Heuer did not give me any warranty at all when the watch knob broke within one year. I was told I need to pay over $300 to fix. The standard warranty for Tag's products are two years. The battery went out in about one year and cost $50 to replace at a Tag authorized dealer. It is not a good product!

The review for the watch is rather simple. It's a Tag Heuer! One of the best. My review is on Amazon which has the best price, the best purchase process, and the best customer service. I actually don't know how anyone else competes.