A Connected Watch Connecting Two Worlds
Swiss made luxury watches and smart watches seem like a world apart. One world draws on a history of handmade craftsmanship, legacy and a reverence of the past, the other is all about the latest bells and whistles. The merging of these two worlds seems a tough one to reconcile, but over the last few years, TAG Heuer has done this masterfully by combining the best of both with their latest connected watch.
TAG Heuer pioneered the luxury connected watch segment in 2015 and has since introduced a variety of models, most recently the Connected Modular Golf Edition in 2019. But of course, it’s 2020 and the start of a new decade should come with a TAG Heuer Connected watch. And thankfully, they have answered the call with the third generation of its groundbreaking Connected timepiece – a unique combination of the refinement and elegance of a chronograph-inspired timepiece crafted in watchmaking tradition, with a state-of-the-art, custom-designed digital experience geared towards performance.
The 45-mm stainless-steel or titanium cases echo the distinct design of TAG Heuer chronographs, including their signature facetted lugs, polished and brushed details, a graduated ceramic bezel, a central rotating crown now flanked by two functional pushers and a screwed caseback.
The dial features an ultra-legible all-active and flush OLED touchscreen protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. To extend the battery life, the screen alternates between active and ambient mode, but it always indicates time. And speaking of battery life, a 430 mAh battery is optimised to give 20 hours of standard use, including a one-hour sports session using GPS, audio streaming and heart-rate monitoring. For longer activities, the battery can support up to six hours of constant sports tracking using GPS, heart-rate monitoring and music, and can be fully recharged in just 1.5 hours at temperatures between 15°C and 45°C.
On the screen, you can choose between five always-on mechanical- or digital-inspired TAG Heuer watch faces, and can further customise each. Taking inspiration from the brand’s timekeeping heritage, watchmaking expertise and timeless design codes, the dials include a three-hand version of the Heuer 02 manufacture movement skeletonised dial, a digitalised Carrera Heuer 01, a liquid crystal like display, a unique algorithm-based neural network animation named Orbital, and a tribute to the hexagonal nanotube structure of the brand’s carbon composite hairspring. The watch faces can easily be set to different dial options and colours and even programmed to highlight individual preferences: activity progress, notifications, weather and more, directly on the watch or from the new TAG Heuer mobile companion app.
Connection is, of course, a big part of the Connected watch and the services offered from Wear OS by Google, like Google Assistant and Google Translate, using the microphone located on the left side of the case, e-mail and message notifications and Google Pay. You can also get immersedin the sports experiences, thanks to the new TAG Heuer Sports app, which provides detailed tracking for golf, running, cycling, walking, fitness and other sessions, thanks to the watch’s built-in GPS and heart-rate monitor, which, among other sensors, opens up a very large world of connectivity.
You can also further customise your TAG Heuer Connected watch thanks to an interchangeable bracelet system with a choice of durable rubber straps available in a classic black scale pattern with red stitching, or bolder perforated red, orange or khaki.