Let’s get one thing straight before we start: I’ve never been a great fan of smartwatches. Technology is not really my thing. As far as watches are concerned, my taste is pretty traditional. If you need proof, I generally wear a mechanical timepiece: a TAG Heuer Carrera. But I must admit that, after a week road-testing the new TAG Heuer Connected 45 mm (3rd generation), I’ve changed my mind. And there’s a good reason for that: this is an extremely versatile watch.
Out of the box, I began by synchronising the watch with my mobile phone and setting it up. I’m not sure what happened, but I had a slight problem during the Bluetooth synchronisation phase. I have no idea what went wrong, but in any case, after reinitialising the watch everything was fine. I then began to explore the watch and its functions (which is probably why I had to recharge the 430 mAh battery, which takes an hour and a half, every night). The watch is very intuitive. After acquainting myself with this new way of being connected to time, the third stage was to test the watch in a variety of different situations.
At work
The TAG Heuer Connected is a real plus for day-to-day life. It helped me to remain more focused on my work, and less distracted by my phone. Let me explain. Before I had this watch, I would regularly pick up my phone to “stay connected to the outside world” and, all too often, there was nothing to see. Nothing on Whatsapp or Instagram, no emails, nothing. But by repeating this pointless exercise, I wasted time that would have been better spent working. “But you’re only wasting a few seconds!” I hear you protest. True, but if you add all those seconds together, I can guarantee that over the course of a day, that’s a significant chunk of time.
As you can imagine, people who work in the watch world look at each others’ wrists all the time. My colleagues and I are no exception. The fact that, the week before, I couldn’t stop talking about how much I was looking forward to receiving the watch, ensured that my left wrist garnered even more attention. Reactions among my colleagues were overwhelmingly positive, ranging from “That’s a super cool watch” and “I didn’t realise it was a smartwatch – I thought it was mechanical” to “Can I try it?” So, aesthetically speaking, it passed with flying colours.
Evening wear
The watch comes with a range of different dials. It has five basic dials and several additional customisation options, with further dials available to download. These dials come in extremely handy for a range of situations. For instance, on an evening out with friends, I opted for a more casual display with a liquid crystal effect (the “Timekeeping” dial), while for a restaurant meal I went for a more traditional dial such as the “Carrera 3C”. A black tie reception might merit the “Heuer 02” dial. Although Suzanne Wong told me to make the most of my test-drive with a non-traditional dial (which, I should point out, I did!), I must admit that I tended to switch to the “Heuer 02” dial after work, because for me it was a good compromise between traditional watch and smartwatch (sorry, Suzy...).
The strap is equally customisable. Several colours of rubber are available, and they are easy to swap out thanks to the quick change system. The watch is a true chameleon: it can be altered to suit your situation, or your mood. It’s also worth noting that when you buy it, you can opt for a steel bracelet, a titanium or stainless steel case, and a black or metallic PVD bezel.
Sport
Whether walking, running or lifting weights, the TAG Heuer Connected was my sports coach for a week. Not only did it track my geographical location (thanks to its integral GPS) and the calories I burned, it also monitored my heart rate via a sensor in the caseback. The TAG Heure Sports app is a major plus point of the watch, accessible via a quick press on the upper pusher. It was a great help during my preparation for the Geneva Marathon (I hope it won’t be cancelled because of coronavirus).
Among the four watches available, I chose the one with a grade 2 titanium case, because I knew I’d be doing sport, and I’d need a watch that was a light as possible. The other three are in stainless steel. My choice proved to be judicious, because the watch didn’t bother me at all. The same goes for the strap – rubber (sustainably sourced) makes the watch even lighter. It also makes it hug the wrist more securely. The perforated design of the strap adds a practical note to its aesthetic appeal. During sports activities, it allows sweat to evaporate (sorry if this is TMI, but it’s worth pointing out), as well as ensuring that water flows smoothly through it (this new TAG Heuer smartwatch is water resistant to 50 metres). It’s also important to note that the strap is adjustable (at least, the rubber strap is), which is a major point in TAG Heuer’s favour. This comes in very handy for men with smaller wrists, like myself, or even for women, because there’s no need to take it back to the shop for adjustment.
Conclusion: this new TAG Heuer Connected 45 mm luxury watch is well worth its CHF 2,300 price tag, at least for people with a similar lifestyle to my own. It can accompany me in all my daily activities – not a given for every watch. This TAG Heuer Connected is an aesthetic choice, but it’s also a useful tool for people who live their lives at 100 miles an hour.
