TAG Heuer Gents Kirium F1 Watch

...possession.

ABOUT TAG HEUER

The brand dates back as far as 1860 when a Swiss man Edouard Heuer founded a watch making workshop in a small Swiss village. Heuer had one guiding principle right from the outset – he wanted to design and build timepieces that exceeded the standards of any other watchmaker. In 1882 Edouard patented his first invention and in 1887 he patented the “oscillating pinion” – ...
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The company Tag Heuer wasn’t born until 1985 when Heuer joined the TAG group (which stood for Techniques d’Avant-Garde) and the company’s association with sporting event sponsorship has continued ever since. Tag Heuer have been associated with the Skiing World Cup, the America’s Cup, and most notably the FIA Formula One World Championship. Tag Heuer continue to produce an ever-changing range of timepieces – ... more

All through my childhood and teenage years I had a thing about watches. I would stop outside jewellery store windows and stare in awe at the timepieces displayed behind the glass. I always swore to myself that as soon as I started full-time employment, I would spend my first month’s salary on an expensive watch. Things being what they were at the time, I didn’t of course, and it wasn’t until 2000 that I decided that I would finally invest in a classy piece of kit. I’d still continued to window shop right up until my purchase, so I had a pretty clear idea of what it was that I wanted. Sat in the window of Ernest Jones, in pride of place, on its very own plinth, was the 1/10th Chronograph Kirium and ever since, this watch has been a prized possession.

ABOUT TAG HEUER

The brand dates back as far as 1860 when a Swiss man Edouard Heuer founded a watch making workshop in a small Swiss village. Heuer had one guiding principle right from the outset – he wanted to design and build timepieces that exceeded the standards of any other watchmaker. In 1882 Edouard patented his first invention and in 1887 he patented the “oscillating pinion” – major mechanical innovation, which continues to be used by watchmakers to this day. For years thereafter, Heuer was at the forefront of the industry, inventing the first dashboard stopwatch for racing cars, the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second and keeping time at the Antwerp, Paris and Amsterdam Olympics. In 1971, Heuer was appointed as official timekeeper for the formula one Ferrari teams, and retained the position for another eight years.

The company Tag Heuer wasn’t born until 1985 when Heuer joined the TAG group (which stood for Techniques d’Avant-Garde) and the company’s association with sporting event sponsorship has continued ever since. Tag Heuer have been associated with the Skiing World Cup, the America’s Cup, and most notably the FIA Formula One World Championship. Tag Heuer continue to produce an ever-changing range of timepieces – the Kirium series was launched in 1997 and continues to be produced currently.

WHY CHOOSE TAG HEUER?

Buying a watch isn’t quite like buying a fridge freezer or a new pair of shoes. For one thing, you want a watch that will last, and that you will continue to appreciate for many years to come. As such, fashion watch brands, such as Swatch or Kahuna have never really appealed to me. I’m also something of a purist at heart, and if I’m totally honest, I’m also a bit of a brand snob. I wanted an expensive watch that would be admired and that would make me feel good whenever I decided to wear it. I should point out that I had no intention of wearing the watch all the time – my decision was based purely on the grounds of selecting something that I would wear on certain occasions only. The Tag Heuer brand is fashionable and sporty and generally quite youthful. Whilst I do like Rolex or Cartier watches, they are generally targeted at the dressier end of the market and seem to be worn most often by more mature gentlemen. The only logical choice for me was, therefore, a Tag Heuer, as I was happy to wear the watch casually or for more professional occasions.

PURCHASING, PACKAGING AND PROTECTING

Tag watches are surprisingly accessible in high street jewellers. Most of the well-known stores stock at least some of the Tag range – I purchased mine in Ernest Jones. One of the most delightful things about the watch is the fantastic case that you receive when you make your purchase. The watch itself is held in a round, brushed leather case, inside which the watch is mounted. The case is held shut by a sturdy circular zip fastener and has the Tag Heuer logo embossed into the leather on top. The leather case is itself then presented in a strong Tag Heuer cardboard box, which also contains an instruction booklet, a registration card and details of the product guarantee.

The Tag range is, of course, expensive – my Kirium watch cost £1325. As such, it is worth considering security and insurance BEFORE you make the purchase. Although most credit card companies advertise product insurance for up to thirty days after you have made the purchase, it is worth noting that there is very often a limit of £1000 per item, per claim, and that the policy does not cover you if you have any other form of insurance. I therefore made sure that the item would be covered by my home contents insurance right from the point of purchase. It’s also worth noting that as an item of jewellery, your insurer may insist on a validated certificate of value from a jeweller before they will provide cover on an existing home content policy. My insurer accepted a copy of the jeweller’s receipt, purely because the item was brand new, but it’s worth checking out.

AESTHETICS AND FEEL

The Kirium range has a clear emphasis on sports excellence. The design of the Quartz Chronograph is generally quite understated – a bold, easy to read face with a selection of practical functions and simple styling. This doesn’t make the watch unattractive though – it oozes style and masculinity and is guaranteed to court attention wherever it is worn. The watch is also extremely heavy - the case and bracelet are both fabricated from solid steel, so you can imagine how the watch feels on your wrist. I hadn’t worn a watch for years before I purchased my Tag, so I found it particularly unusual to have such a heavy weight on my wrist. One of my favourite features of this watch is the satin-effect steel finish throughout – only the control buttons on the side are polished and bright, which makes the watch more reserved and less flashy. Aside from the obvious sporty uses, I sometimes wear the watch if I go clubbing, or if I go to business meetings – it really is versatile enough to wear anywhere.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATION

Since I purchased my Quartz Chronograph, the manufacturers have made some minor aesthetic changes to the design, but in general, the following specifications still apply:

 The cover to the watch face is made from a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, with an anti-glare coating. Although I don’t wear my watch at all times, even today, two years after I bought it, the face is completely unscratched and as new – I am therefore extremely impressed with its scratch resistance. The anti-glare feature is also very impressive – at virtually any angle you can easily read the time, even in very bright sunlight.

 The hands are fabricated from diamond-polished nickel (you can also get them in gold plate) and give excellent visibility. The hands are tipped in a light, luminescent material that enables you to see the time in poor light, without lighting up your whole wrist. There is also an additional minute counter.

 The dial (which is silver on my watch, but is available in a large selection of colours) has luminescent applied hour-markers, and no numbers. The small Tag Heuer logo is applied by hand and sits subtly at the top of the face. The watch is easy to read, without being garish or over-complicated and looks extremely smart.

 The case is cut from a solid steel block followed by a number of operations from above and below that ensure a perfect elegant finish. The brushed and polished surfaces are hand-finished – you can tell that a lot of time and effort has gone into the manufacture of these watches.

 The steel bracelet (also available in 18-carat gold) is hand assembled from over 200 different parts. The new watches have alternated brushed and polished links – mine has solid brushed links.

 The screw-in crown and case back are water-resistant to 200 metres.

 There is an uni-directional turning bezel, which enables you to easily record the amount of time spent underwater during a dive. This is also fabricated from polished steel.

 The bracelet has a double security clasp – this is easy to use, but ensures that your watch never comes loose.

OPERATION AND CARE

In daily operation, all watches are easy to use – you just look at them and they tell you the time. These sports watches are, of course, designed for people who want to use them rather more actively than that, so it will come as no surprise to learn that the watch has a number of sporty features including:

- simple chronograph functions (measure simple times independently and then add them up at the end)
- split-time or intermediate timing
- compared times
- tachometer (calculates average speed over a distance)
- bezel (measures time spent diving)

When you first get the watch, it takes you a little while to work out how to use all these functions, but once you’ve got the hang of it, they are very simple – and the watch is very user friendly. All the functions are controlled via two buttons on the side, with the occasional support of the screw for resets or adjustments.

The amount of care necessary with this watch depends very much on your usage. After contact with salt water, you need to give it a rinse in soap and water to ensure there are no salt particles left on the steel. Occasionally, slight condensation appears under the crystal – this normally disappears on its own (it always has for me) but if it doesn’t then seek a watchmaker’s advice.

GUARANTEE AND PRODUCT SUPPORT

Surprisingly, Tag Heuer watches are only sold with a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects. For the relative cost of the item, I was expecting a much longer guarantee. Of course, one would expect that the cost of the watch would indicate precision workmanship that can be relied on for many years. Whilst this may be true, Tag are not prepared to commit to this in writing. When you purchase your watch you receive an international guarantee card that needs to be sent off to register your cover. This also contains the serial number of your watch, which when stored centrally, can be used as evidence in the event of a theft.

The battery of the watch is supposed to last eighteen months, which is about right, as I had to buy a new one earlier this year. A replacement battery cost me £35 and was guaranteed for eighteen months from purchase.

The watch is supplied with a relatively basic instruction booklet, but the details of how to use all the features are clearly explained. The booklet also advises whom to contact in the event of a fault.

MY VERDICT

What can I say? This watch has met with all my expectations and is a fantastic item to own. It looks good, it feels good and, for me, was worth every single penny.

Highly recommended
 

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