- This topic has 1,876 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 1 month, 2 weeks ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Nice one!
I have the same protrek. I bought a set of sunnto strap adapters that had the bolt set and changed the band over to a NATO. It really increased the wearing comfort for me.Just curious – why so few Tags? I see watches in all price ranges so I don’t think that’s the issue. Anyone want to enlighten me?
Just curious – why so few Tags? I see watches in all price ranges so I don’t think that’s the issue. Anyone want to enlighten me?
Can’t speak for others but I have a Love/Hate relationship with TAG Heuer. Love the looks of many of their watches. Especially their Aquaracer and Carrera lines. Love that they kicked Tiger Woods to the curb as a brand Ambassador when he showed what a scumbag he is off the golf course. Hate pretty much everything else about the brand.Ever meet a girl that is really pretty and you get to know her a bit? Find out that there really isn’t much else to her. But you WANT to like her more than for her looks or for other superficial reasons in general. So, you spend even more time getting to know her … And you learn that what there is about her on a deeper level is not something you wanted to discover.
Well, that’s me and TAG Heuer. What I discovered is that when it comes to actual quality, T.H. comes up incredibly short for what they charge for their admittedly gorgeous watches. Same Q.C. issues especially on their Aquaracer and Carrera models. Big, ugly, black plastic movement holders across the board. And if you ask their customer service department why they use plastic instead of metal; they’ll lie to you! Their reason is, added shock resistance. (No, no it’s not.)
I asked a highly experienced independent watchmaker. He told me that if you drop a watch and it lands flat on its face or on its caseback, a plastic holder isn’t going to do anything to protect the watch from shock. Even if it lands on its side, the whole shock protection argument is dubious, at best. He then went on to explain that plastic holders can dry up and become brittle inside a watch. This can take quite a few years. End result being that the movement can’t be taken out for servicing without the movement holder breaking apart or breaking off. Once that happens, there’s no way to put the movement back inside your watch. Not as though you can jam a piece of plastic in there. You need another plastic holder off of the same model watch or from the factory. On a discontinued model, the latter isn’t going to happen. But if you find an exact model donor watch, there’s no guarantee that its holder won’t be dry and brittle too.
Plastic holders are used for one reason … to save money on the cost of each watch that a brand puts out there. Now that type of cost-cutting measure is fine on something like a $200 Seiko Monster. But on something like a $2500 TAG Heuer WAN2110 diver? Nope. Especially since there are other brands competing in the same price tier or lower than TAG Heuer but using metal movement holders instead. The Longines HydroConquest model can be found for just over $1200. But the movement is decorated and housed within a metal holder. Both the WAN2110 and the Hydro have solid casebacks. Difference is, the Longines costs half as much as the TAG Heuer, but is better quality. Higher-end brands such as Rolex and above, use metal holders or no holder at all. Never plastic. And it’s not just the holder.
Numerous crown issues reported across the Aquaracer line. Mainly with the older model 500M. But also on the 300M (WAN2110 and WAN2111). And what a headache it was for Aquaracer owners to get TAG Heuer to admit that there was indeed a widespread problem that needed fixing.
Awhile back, the CEO of TAG Heuer started a topic on the watchuseek.com forums in which members were invited to post questions that he (the CEO) would respond to. Personally, I was very excited and thought that was a wonderful idea! What a great way to get watch enthusiasts excited about the brand. It was a great opportunity for TAG Heuer to cement the loyalty of existing customers so they’d buy more TAG Heuer timepieces. Plus, it would be an excellent opportunity to bring those who didn’t own a TAG Heuer, into the brand by putting a personal touch in a way no other brand (except maybe Bremont) had been able to pull off in a very long time.
Instead it turned into a disaster that ticked off a lot of individuals. Ironically, including the CEO. Things were fine at first. Some easy, friendly questions by members who were obviously already big fans of TAG Heuer. Okay, nothing wrong there. CEO responded promptly to each new set of questions. Even seemed to do so rather enthusiastically … Then came the tougher questions. The ones from dissatisfied TAG Heuer owners who wanted to know why their expensive timepieces failed on them. Or, why their warranty claims were, in quite a few examples, simply dismissed outright without a proper explanation as to why. Now instead of responding to the tough questions and taking the opportunity to turn everything around into a great way to create publicity for the brand; the CEO instead stopped responding. He made one post in which he said he was “too busy” to participate in the topic. Then he vanished. The angry posts kept coming because upset customers thought they had a direct line of communication with the CEO. I watched as one upset TAG Heuer owner after another kept posting and waiting for a reply that clearly was never going to come. I ended up recommending to a moderator that the topic be locked. He thought that was actually a great idea, and did just that. I lost even more respect for TAG Heuer after that fiasco.
If I’m honest though, perhaps the real reason you’re not seeing too many TAG Heuers in this topic is simply because not too many members of EDCF own one. Though sadly, there are good reasons not to buy one.
#724Monocrom, Sep 2, 2013Can’t speak for others but I have a Love/Hate relationship with TAG Heuer. Love the looks of many of their watches. Especially their Aquaracer and Carrera lines. Love that they kicked Tiger Woods to the curb as a brand Ambassador when he showed what a scumbag he is off the golf course. Hate pretty much everything else about the brand.
Ever meet a girl that is really pretty and you get to know her a bit? Find out that there really isn’t much else to her. But you WANT to like her more than for her looks or for other superficial reasons in general. So, you spend even more time getting to know her … And you learn that what there is about her on a deeper level is not something you wanted to discover.
Well, that’s me and TAG Heuer. What I discovered is that when it comes to actual quality, T.H. comes up incredibly short for what they charge for their admittedly gorgeous watches. Same Q.C. issues especially on their Aquaracer and Carrera models. Big, ugly, black plastic movement holders across the board. And if you ask their customer service department why they use plastic instead of metal; they’ll lie to you! Their reason is, added shock resistance. (No, no it’s not.)
I asked a highly experienced independent watchmaker. He told me that if you drop a watch and it lands flat on its face or on its caseback, a plastic holder isn’t going to do anything to protect the watch from shock. Even if it lands on its side, the whole shock protection argument is dubious, at best. He then went on to explain that plastic holders can dry up and become brittle inside a watch. This can take quite a few years. End result being that the movement can’t be taken out for servicing without the movement holder breaking apart or breaking off. Once that happens, there’s no way to put the movement back inside your watch. Not as though you can jam a piece of plastic in there. You need another plastic holder off of the same model watch or from the factory. On a discontinued model, the latter isn’t going to happen. But if you find an exact model donor watch, there’s no guarantee that its holder won’t be dry and brittle too.
Plastic holders are used for one reason … to save money on the cost of each watch that a brand puts out there. Now that type of cost-cutting measure is fine on something like a $200 Seiko Monster. But on something like a $2500 TAG Heuer WAN2110 diver? Nope. Especially since there are other brands competing in the same price tier or lower than TAG Heuer but using metal movement holders instead. The Longines HydroConquest model can be found for just over $1200. But the movement is decorated and housed within a metal holder. Both the WAN2110 and the Hydro have solid casebacks. Difference is, the Longines costs half as much as the TAG Heuer, but is better quality. Higher-end brands such as Rolex and above, use metal holders or no holder at all. Never plastic. And it’s not just the holder.
Numerous crown issues reported across the Aquaracer line. Mainly with the older model 500M. But also on the 300M (WAN2110 and WAN2111). And what a headache it was for Aquaracer owners to get TAG Heuer to admit that there was indeed a widespread problem that needed fixing.
Awhile back, the CEO of TAG Heuer started a topic on the watchuseek.com forums in which members were invited to post questions that he (the CEO) would respond to. Personally, I was very excited and thought that was a wonderful idea! What a great way to get watch enthusiasts excited about the brand. It was a great opportunity for TAG Heuer to cement the loyalty of existing customers so they’d buy more TAG Heuer timepieces. Plus, it would be an excellent opportunity to bring those who didn’t own a TAG Heuer, into the brand by putting a personal touch in a way no other brand (except maybe Bremont) had been able to pull off in a very long time.
Instead it turned into a disaster that ticked off a lot of individuals. Ironically, including the CEO. Things were fine at first. Some easy, friendly questions by members who were obviously already big fans of TAG Heuer. Okay, nothing wrong there. CEO responded promptly to each new set of questions. Even seemed to do so rather enthusiastically … Then came the tougher questions. The ones from dissatisfied TAG Heuer owners who wanted to know why their expensive timepieces failed on them. Or, why their warranty claims were, in quite a few examples, simply dismissed outright without a proper explanation as to why. Now instead of responding to the tough questions and taking the opportunity to turn everything around into a great way to create publicity for the brand; the CEO instead stopped responding. He made one post in which he said he was “too busy” to participate in the topic. Then he vanished. The angry posts kept coming because upset customers thought they had a direct line of communication with the CEO. I watched as one upset TAG Heuer owner after another kept posting and waiting for a reply that clearly was never going to come. I ended up recommending to a moderator that the topic be locked. He thought that was actually a great idea, and did just that. I lost even more respect for TAG Heuer after that fiasco.
If I’m honest though, perhaps the real reason you’re not seeing too many TAG Heuers in this topic is simply because not too many members of EDCF own one. Though sadly, there are good reasons not to buy one.
Wow, great response. Thank you! It irks me to hear that a watchmaker can charge that kind of money and not back their product. Sounds like one to take off the list.M.TEX said: ↑
good looking knife…could you tell us whois the maker?
i also like to know the price range for a piece like that?I see the maker’s name but need more info….
It’s by Serge Panchenko. It’s called the Arion. Most of his locking folders are one-offs. This is one of one.Wow, great response. Thank you! It irks me to hear that a watchmaker can charge that kind of money and not back their product. Sounds like one to take off the list.
You’re welcome. You asked an honest question, it deserved an honest reply. I love the look of their WAN2110. (Main reason I did so much research into it and the brand.) Was very disappointed to learn that TAG Heuer refuses to stand behind their products.[IMG]
Brand new Timex Expedition Metal Combo – anniversary gift from my wife. So far I’m really digging it.Went with the seamaster today to cheer myself up
[IMG]
Sent by tapatalk while I am taking a dump
That watch would cheer me up too.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.