TAG Heuer 4000 Series Watch Watch

Author's product rating:   

Advantages:	Quality, reputation, solid, diving potential, the tests they go through .
Disadvantages:	Automatics are a nightmare, too expensive, can do a lot better, you wonder if yours was ever tested .

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

I've had a TAG Heuer 4000 series watch since 1997 and always wanted to write an opinion on it since I joined Ciao. Unfortunately, or fortunately, this is no longer available, but this opinion may be helpful if anyone wishes to buy a second hand one or if anyone was thinking of purchasing on at the sales. When I bought this (or was given this to be precise) it retailed for just under £1000, but 50% off was easily found at the sales.

<Timeline>
I was aware of TAG Heuer through it's sporting participation, the most notable achievement being the official timer for the formula one world championship and the sponsorship of the McLaren team (Go on, admit it, you want the same watch as Mika, DC or Boris Becker!).

TAG Heuer is a Swiss watchmaker, they have been with us since 1860, and they pride themselves in manufacturing professional sports watches, and they are without doubt the crème de la crème along with Rolex and Omega etc, but they specialise at a younger market, with hi-octane passion and their reputation as their selling point. They also had an aggressive advertising programme in the UK in the late 90's, I am sure you must have seen a dozen of their tasteful black and white advertisements and wonderful photography in the press or the television.

<The Promise>
"Each TAG Heuer watch has been created to meet the most exacting requirements. The materials we use guarantee the exceptional durability of our watches, even under particularly difficult operating conditions. Extreme care is taken at every stage of production. Before leaving our workshops, each watch is submitted to more than 30 precision and quality checks

We feel sure that your new TAG Heuer will give you complete satisfaction"
(quote from manual)

After laying my paws on the watch and reading that, I was over the moon with my gift; one cannot express the pride when they read something about that when they purchase something.

<The 4000 series>
Well this is what this opinion is about after all, well at the time of buying the watch, TAG Heuer had around 5 main ranges, the plasticy diving series, the 2000 series, the 4000 series, the top of the range 6000 series (with chronometer status) and the desirable S-El (also with chronometers available, but replaced by the “Link Series” now). (Chronometers are automatic watches that go through official rigorous testing for accuracy). Things are very different now.

I felt it was something that suited my character, smart and modest, not as "cheap as the plasticy ones" more polished than the 2000 series (which is fragile, but looks wonderful nowadays) not as glorious or antique-esque as the 6000 series, and not as stylish and avant garde (at that time) as the S-El. Apart from the price, I would say that the 4000 series was ideal for me.

It was available with a few style permutations; mine has a silver dial, silver steel bracelet and a gold crown. They are also available in 3 sizes (from smallest to largest), ladies, boy-size and man-size. There was also the choice of a steel bracelet or shark-skin.

<Justifying the cost>
I think it's very difficult to justify to a Citizen watch wearer to buy a Rolex or a Tag Heuer etc, but here are my emotions as the box arrived in my hands. As the grey textured box landed in my hands, I slowly opened it to find a beautiful and soft grey leather cylindrical container with a zip to open it. After admiring the beauty of the box, rather much like an engagement ring I suppose (though I don't know what it feels like), I opened the container to find my beautiful watch just sitting there, then I slowly released it from it's perch and opened the clasp and separated it from the soft cushion it had been wrapping, then to the safety of my left hand, I was so happy that it fit perfectly.

Then one cannot help admiring the watch itself, all the logos making it unique (except for the identical models - a Murray Walkerism), the stamp below the watch is beautiful as is the golden logo on the dial, as well as the intricate hands showing the time.

Once that was done, I delved back into the box to find the guarantee booklet and the manual. Noting special there right? Wrong! Inside the booklet was an international guarantee card, rather like my watch's birth certificate, stamped by the retailer and information of the dealers worldwide, I felt like not just an owner of a watch, but a member to an elite club, okay, fair enough, lots of "normal" manufacturers have official distributors and service centres worldwide, but I don't want to spoil the flowing of my emotions (=-P)

<Superiority>
This doesn't just apply to the 4000 series, but to most TAG Heuers, you really feel as if you are the owner of a professional sports watch. Added to the quote near the beginning, you get:
-A diver's watch, all TAG Heuers are capable of at least 200m (660ft) water resistance. The 4000 series features a "extension system" where if you take off your watch, you can extend it so that you can wear it over your diving gear (at your sleeve), nothing I have ever used, but I can assure you it works. Also, there is a double security clasp (on steel bracelets only) this is a big plus point, basically aimed at making it difficult to accidentally fall off (I know an awful lot of other manufacturers have this now on their models). There's a uni-directional turning bezel to know how much you have been under water for (or for me, how long my car has been parked for) and obviously a screw in crown.
- Apart fromt his, you get scratch-resistant sapphire glass, full marks for that, I have no scratches whatsoever, and luminous markings, which were immensely sensitive to bright light (very easily excitable) however they have faded somewhat after its short life.

The automatics have a self winding mechanism which when worn, the natural movements you make turn a rotor to keep the watch wound. The manual says that you should get 36 hours once fully wound, that is way too optimistic, 24 seems to be slightly more accurate, you can also wind it manually by unscrewing the crown and winding. I don't think there is any need to go through the quartz watches unless you have never worn or seen a watch in your life.

<Back to earth>
I'm disappointed with my TAG Heuer, one of the catalysts for this opinion, I wish I bought (or was given) a quartz one, I have had so much trouble with it. After half two years or so, the rotating bezel was bi-directional, i.e. it broke, oops, maybe I shouldn’t have played with it so much.

It has been back to the dealer twice, the first occasion was when I realised that it gained 5 minutes in a few days, it spent a week or so at the hospital then it was fine. Then it stopped a few times or lost a few hours, probably due to my negligence because I hadn’t worn it for 24 hours or so. Then one winter's morning it stopped, it wouldn't start again the normal way and I just put it on anyway hoping I could charge it up. Well it did charge up and was okay, so I left it as it was. A few weeks later, it stopped again, and the same procedure was applied and it worked again. Then, weeks later, the watch began to slow down again, probably due to it stopping for 5 minutes or so upon wearing it, just my theory, I tolerated this for a few weeks until it saw the doctor for the second time, and the doctor said that it was a pretty common failure in automatic watches, I was shocked.

"Extreme care is taken at every stage of production. Before leaving our workshops, each watch is submitted to more than 30 precision and quality checks", I just cannot help it but get the feeling that they forgot to check my watch. You may argue that I should have worn it more, I would disagree, I cannot wear a watch 24/7, it is just a watch. I know that Citizen have made a solar powered watch (and now a conductor based energy) watch, and they give 6 months of power reserve, 24 or 36 hours is just nonsense, given the fragile nature of the system.

<Customer loyalty?>
From a young age I have liked watches, and I want a new watch, I feel it is time to move on, the Seiko Kinetic Auto Relay and the Citizen Eco-Drive ranges have me curious, the former being able to stop after 3 days and lay in suspended animation and know the time if you move it after 3 years! And maybe I will buy it if I manage to save enough money (I don't think my Ciao fortunes will get me £300-400, not even at US prices LOL). As to whether I will buy TAG Heuer again, possibility, but it would be a Chronometer or a quartz, TAG Heuer really do deserve their reputation and they make stylish and functional watches, but I doubt I shall be visiting their stands or asking for their brochures in the mean time.
Also, feel free to visit www.tagheuer.com if you wish to find out more.
<Time's up>
Thanks for reading, if you haven't got the message, try not to buy a standard automatic watch, TAG Heure is a really classy outfit, and it is a brilliant experience to own one. The 4000 series is great, it is a shame it is not longer with us as one of the current ranges. It has probably been replaced by the beautiful Kirium series. I am sure you have your own view whether a TAG Heuer is worth the money because it is not as prestigious as owning a Rolex and is far more expensive than something like a Seiko or a Citizen.

I’m giving this 3 stars because the current range is much better, and I am not recommending this for the same reason, shallow a bit, but it is my honest opinion.