The Best TAG Heuer Watches
TAG Heuer is a Swiss watchmaker founded in St-Imier, Switzerland, in 1860 that now operates under the French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH. The company’s past expertise in producing precision-driven timing instruments for the motorsport and aviation industries has led to its eclectic and unique modern-day portfolio. While covering all the collection-worthy TAG Heuer watches in one comprehensive guide would be impossible, I have chosen what I think are some of the best and most sought-after on the market today.
The TAG Heuer Monaco, Autavia, and Carrera collections are generally the most coveted collections among watch enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the relatively affordable Aquaracer and Formula One models have enjoyed great mainstream success. I’ve included some of the best variants of each of these TAG Heuer watches.
The Best Modern TAG Heuer Autavia: Flyback Chronometer Ref. CBE511A.FC8279
The name Autavia, an amalgamation of the words automotive and aviation, first appeared in the 1930s, originally as an automobile dashboard timer and then later as the brand’s first wrist chronograph with a rotatable bezel in 1962. It was also the first watch that founder Jack Heuer personally developed for the brand. While the collection was discontinued in 1985, it once again has a place in the brand’s regular production lineup, with flyback chronographs and a GMT model added in 2022 to celebrate the collection’s 60th anniversary.
Initially, the new collection featured two flyback chronographs, one in steel with a silver dial and the other a black DLC-coated model with a black dial. TAG Heuer replaced the DLC model in 2023 with the stainless steel ref. CBE511A.FC8279:
This newer black dial model sports a rotatable bezel, a classic tri-compax dial with cockpit-inspired Super-LumiNova-filled Arabic hour markers, and a sophisticated black leather strap with sleek red lining and a convenient integrated quick-release system.
Inside the 42mm stainless steel case is the HEUER02 movement with a flyback function that allows the wearer to restart the chronograph with one push–no need to separately stop, reset, then start again to time a new event. With a lug-to-lug measurement of over 50mm, it may not be the best TAG Heuer for those with slim wrists, but overall, the classic black and steel design set of the CBE511A.FC8279 makes it a great all-rounder and a worthy chapter of Autavia history.
Autavia Flyback Chronometer Ref. CBE511A.FC8279 Specs:
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 42mm |
| Case Thickness: | 15.68mm |
| Lugs: | 21mm |
| Water Resistance: | 100 Meters |
| Crystal: | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Bracelet: | Black Leather/Red Lining Pin Buckle |
| Dial: | Black |
| Movement: | Caliber HEUER02 Automatic 80-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $6,750 |
| Market Price (July 2024): | $5,500 |
Carrera Chronograph Skipper Ref. CBS2213.FN6002
TAG Heuer released the first Carrera Skipper in 1968 via ref. 7754. The vintage model is a regatta chronograph with a vibrant blue dial and teal sub-dials in a similar hue as the 1967 America’s Cup winner, the Intrepid. One of the most stand-out features is the multi-colored sub-dial at 3 o’clock, which serves as a 15-minute regatta countdown. Each color represents 5 minutes, with the final 5 minutes before the start of the race in bright orange. It’s a nautical and distinctively retro design that, decades later, has been revived on the modern Carrera Skipper in either 18K 5N rose gold or stainless steel.
Even more fascinating is the domed glass box crystal, which doesn’t have a traditional bezel. Instead, it attaches directly to the case. The dial’s outer rim curves upward to follow the domed shape of the crystal, allowing the wearer to see the minute track from the side profile of the watch. The dial also features polished and applied indices and an understated small seconds counter above 6 o’clock. Despite its unique design, the Skipper is instantly recognizable as a product of the Carrera collection with its signature angled lugs and pump-style chronograph pushers.
Carrera Chronograph Skipper Ref. CBS2213.FN6002 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 39mm |
| Case Thickness: | 13.9mm |
| Lugs: | 20.7mm |
| Water Resistance: | 100 Meters |
| Crystal: | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Bracelet: | Blue Fabric Strap Folding Clasp Push-Button Buckle |
| Dial: | Blue w/ Intrepid Green Sub-Dials |
| Movement: | Caliber TH20-06, Automatic 80-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $6,750 |
| Market Price (July 2024): | $5,900 |
Best Affordable TAG Heuer: Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Ref. CAZ101AN.FT8055
Heuer was acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde (aka TAG), a well-known manufacturer of race car components, in 1985. A year later, the freshly minted TAG Heuer brand would release the Formula 1, a colorful collection of motorsport-inspired watches initially outfitted with a time-only quartz movement, resin case, and sporty rubber strap, much like many of the affordable quartz watches flooding the market at the time.
Today, the collection has expanded to include several types of watches, some colorful and some not. It earns a spot on our list because of its affordable yet distinctive cutting-edge design. While the original men’s models were only 34mm, a more contemporary 41mm size is now offered.
Like the early series 1 Formula 1 watches, which inspired the brand’s TAG Heuer x Kith watches, the quartz chronograph is available in various colors, including yellow, red, green, blue, and black. Ref. CAZ101AN.FT8055 is a red edition featuring a black PVD tachymeter bezel, contrasting black snailed chronograph sub-dials, and a vibrant red rubber strap with a brushed steel pin buckle. The stainless steel case is rated waterproof up to 200 meters and features a black PVD-coated crown and chronograph pushers to drive home the contemporary black and red colorway. Retailing for under $2,000, the Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph is one of the best TAG Heuer watches in the entry-level segment.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Ref. CAZ101AN.FT8055 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 43mm |
| Case Thickness: | 12.4mm |
| Lugs: | 21.5mm |
| Water Resistance: | 200 Meters |
| Bracelet: | Rubber Stainless Steel Pin Buckle |
| Dial: | Red/Black |
| Movement: | Quartz |
| MSRP (July 2024) | $1,950 |
| Market Price (July 2024) | $1,450 |
Best Automatic TAG Heuer Under $3,000: Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT Ref. WBP2010.BA0632
The Aquaracer is TAG Heuer’s collection of dedicated dive watches. It has a fascinating history because, even though the name “Aquaracer” didn’t start to appear on TAG Heuer watches until 2004, its roots date to the 1970s and TAG Heuer’s first 1000 Series diving watch. It is essentially an evolution of the third generation 2000 Series released in 1998, which was discontinued briefly in 2002, only to pop back up in 2004 in catalogs as the “2000 Aquaracer.” Since 2005, it has been known simply as the “Aquaracer.” More recently, TAG Heuer revamped the collection to feature more refined and contemporary design elements and a new GMT option. This TAG Heuer is one of the best GMT watches available for under $2,500:
Ref. WBP2010.BA0632 is the blue and white GMT model on a matching stainless steel bracelet. The two-tone ceramic bezel features dark blue and white to distinguish between day and night hours and 24-hour graduations for an extra time zone. It sports the collection’s signature horizontal dial but is now decorated with newer applied octagonal hour markers and sword-shaped hands with solid luminescent inserts. Additionally, the date is presented at 6 o’clock and features the sleeker Cyclops lens, which is now located on the underside of the sapphire crystal. The result is a thoughtfully designed modern diver with water resistance to 300 meters, a bi-directional bezel, and multi-time zone capabilities.
Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT Ref. WBP2010.BA0632 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 43mm |
| Crystal: | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire Inner Cyclops Magnifier |
| Water Resistance: | 300 Meters |
| Bracelet: | Stainless Steel Folding Clasp |
| Dial: | Blue Horizontal Embossed |
| Movement: | Calibre 7 Automatic 50-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $3,900 |
| 2024 Pre-Owned Price: | $2,350 |
Monaco Chronograph ref. CBL2111.BA0644
Founder Jack Heuer developed the Monaco in 1969, making it the first chronograph to boast a square waterproof case. The uniquely shaped watch has become one of the brand’s most recognizable models and a platform for various design elements, such as a split-seconds chronograph and a skeletonized dial.
Currently, the collection includes 39mm and 41mm models in titanium or steel and with rubber, leather, or metal bracelets. Ref. CBL2111.BA0644, with its sporty steel-on-steel finish, 3 o’clock crown, and the classic blue dial so many associate with the collection, is among the best and most wearable of the bunch.
It features an H-link bracelet inspired by the 1970s Monaco and the caliber HEUER02 movement released in 2017, which we have a nice view of through the exhibition-style case back. Square-shaped sub-dials display chronograph hours and minutes, while small seconds are just above 6 o’clock. This discreet tri-compax configuration is a newer design that reserves the sub-dials for only the chronograph. Of course, the watch also sports the iconic square-shaped case with 100 meters of water resistance, a beveled sapphire crystal, and a dynamic polished and brushed stainless steel finish.
Monaco Chronograph ref. CBL2111.BA0644 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 39mm x 39mm |
| Case Thickness: | 15.21mm |
| Lugs: | 22mm |
| Water Resistance: | 100 Meters |
| Crystal: | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Bracelet: | Stainless Steel Folding Clasp w/ Push-Buttons |
| Dial: | Blue |
| Movement: | Caliber HEUER02 Automatic 80-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $7,900 |
| Market Price (July 2024): | $5,200 |
More About the Monaco and Other TAG Heuer Releases:
Watches and Wonders 2024: Tag Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith New Releases
All the New Watches from LVMH Watch Week 2024
Long-Term Review: TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 12 Final Edition
Best TAG Heuer Carrera “Glass Box” Chronograph: CBS2216.BA0041
Next is another modern Carrera with a “glass box” crystal, a domed sapphire without a bezel that recalls the shape of the vintage plastic crystals on 1960s Carrera chronographs. The brand has released several noteworthy models outfitted with the domed sapphire crystal since it first appeared in the TAG Heuer catalog in 2015, including the Carrera Skipper mentioned at the beginning of this article and the panda dial Carrera Chronograph ref. CBS2216.BA0041.
While the models that preceded it had black or blue dials and matching leather straps, this 2024 novelty has a striking silver panda dial with black sub-dials and a three-row metal bracelet – a bracelet option we haven’t seen on the 39mm Glass Box Carrera Chronograph until now. This is one of the best TAG Heuer models when it comes to balancing vintage influence and modern design.
The panda dial is inspired by vintage ref. 7753SN, featuring black sub-dials and similarly shaped hands and hour markers. It has a concave shape, with the tachymeter scale printed around the upward slope of the dial’s outer perimeter and minute hashes on the opposite, silver downward slope. The black scale contrasts sharply against the silver watch face for optimal legibility. Tucked inside the approachable 39mm case is the caliber TH20-00 with an 80-hour power reserve.
Carrera “Glass Box” Chronograph Ref. CBS2216.BA0041 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 39mm |
| Case Thickness: | 13.9mm |
| Lugs: | 20.7mm |
| Water Resistance: | 100 Meters |
| Crystal: | Glass Box Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Bracelet: | Stainless Steel Folding Clasp w/ Push-Buttons |
| Dial: | Silver “Panda” |
| Movement: | Caliber TH20-00 Automatic 80-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $6,650 |
| Market Price (July 2024): | $5,400 |
Carrera Date Ref. WBN2111.BA0639
It wouldn’t be a proper best-of list without at least one all-occasion, time-and-date watch. Ref. WBN2111.BA0639 is a variation of one of the three dressier Carrera models released by TAG Heuer just a few years ago in the hopes of appealing to a broader range of collectors. The elegant trio initially included Date, Twin-Time/Date, and Day-Date models. These watches are available today in various design set options that are worth exploring further if the model in this guide doesn’t speak to your style and if you’re still on the hunt for the best everyday TAG Heuer watch.
Ref. WBN2111.BA0639 is elegant and timeless in all-silver. The clean dial delivers a classic dress watch aesthetic, while the angled lugs pay homage to the rest of the Carrera’s enduring and sporty design codes. The dial radiates in brushed silver sunray and features polished rhodium-plated hour markers, hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova, and the date at 6 o’clock. It relies on the caliber 5 self-winding movement with a 38-hour power reserve, which is relatively modest compared to the rest of the TAG Heuer watches on this list.
Carrera Date Ref. WBN2111.BA0639 Specs
| Finish: | Stainless Steel |
| Case Size: | 39mm |
| Case Thickness: | 11.5mm |
| Lugs: | 20.5mm |
| Water Resistance: | 100 Meters |
| Crystal: | Scratch-Resistant Sapphire |
| Bracelet: | Stainless Steel Folding Clasp w/ Push-Buttons |
| Dial: | Silver |
| Movement: | Calibre 5 Automatic 38-Hour Power Reserve |
| MSRP (July 2024): | $3,200 |
| Market Price (July 2024): | $2,400 |
Whether you’re looking for a polarizing square-shaped Monaco, vintage-inspired chronograph, or understated dress watch, the TAG Heuer portfolio has a watch for nearly any wrist, and Luxury Bazaar is one of the best place to buy TAG Heuer watches on the secondary market.
