Which watch to wear when driving your car?

Marcus · 05-25-07, 09:46 AM

Not everyone likes wearing (let alone affording) a Rolex.

But I´m quite sure many of you love period-correct chronographs.

When it comes to the famous TAG-Heuer watches, you can get some
fascinating information from

OnTheDash

Note the "Racers Only"-section...

Best,
Marcus

David Morton · 05-29-07, 05:10 PM

Marcus,
Do you notice that the really nice ones are in fact Heuer with no mention of TAG. I had one of their stop watches which I always carried when I was flying and it never failed (it didn't use a battery - a real watch !!)
Manser Ojeh was the man who bought Heuer and rebranded it Tag-Heuer.
Dave

Keith Hardy · 05-29-07, 07:06 PM

Is he still "the man" ( or one of them) at McLaren Dave?

David Morton · 05-29-07, 07:27 PM

Yes - Him and Big ron are major players (and fixers?) in the Woking outfit.
I was told that some of the early TAG watches used Seiko movements but
I don't know if it had any truth. The Heuer company was on it's knees when Manser stepped in, but the earlier Heuers were a work of art. Can you remember them in the Monte Carlo rally cars? Quite a few heuer watches were rebranded in the USA as well - Hamilton, Abercrombies, etc.
One on ebay at the moment (A&F HEUER) which may be a Heuer Leonidas movement which is the most beautiful peice of engineering that I think ranks alongside Rolex and IWC in terms of quality.

Bill Musarra · 05-29-07, 09:07 PM

David,
Do you mean this one!!! LOL

Bill

Dalton · 05-30-07, 07:59 AM

David,

I love those old Heuers. And they are valuable too. I think the watch to wear when driving, or anytime (no pun intended), is the one you like, whether it's a cheap or expensive one. However, the sort of person who is fussy and serious enough to invest considerable time/money in an impractical car (no, let's be realistic here) is likely to look for a bit of quality in a watch. It may be an unusual model, or an expensive one, preferably mechanical, but whatever you will enjoy wearing. As with cars, something that holds its value, lasts well, and gives you great pleasure, is always worth enjoying. Life is too short for anything less.

My 2c worth,

Dalton

**Chris K** · 05-30-07, 12:43 PM

In my mind there is really only one choice when taking my GT40 Replica out for a drive, that of course being a Rolex Daytona replica watch, lets see my GTD is @ $60-70k knock off of a $1-3 mil. car, so my watch is a $100-150 knock off of a $15-25k watch, makes sense to me ;-)

David Morton · 05-31-07, 02:19 AM

One other 'classic' watch which is from the late 50's and is still in production without too many changes is the black faced Speedmaster from Omega. Not all that collectable but IMHO still a classic. Along with that is the Breitling Cosmonaute 24 hr face on the Mobylot bracelet - I think this watch is still produced but the bracelet is not and a good one with the bracelet went through Sothebies about 10 yrs back at a huge premium. Then their are two classic of classics - the Rolex Oyster manual (none perpetual) stainless on Oyster or President bracelet from the 60's. In good condition/boxed and with service history if available and the second - much more collecteable than any other - The Rolex Prince in almost any condition. All mechanical watches all benefit from being worn, even occasionally.

Marcus · 06-01-07, 03:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Morton

Marcus,
Do you notice that the really nice ones are in fact Heuer with no mention of TAG. I had one of their stop watches which I always carried when I was flying and it never failed (it didn't use a battery - a real watch !!)
Manser Ojeh was the man who bought Heuer and rebranded it Tag-Heuer.
Dave

David,

great to see someone who is really into those classic watches. Nice that you kind of share my taste, because I´m very happy with my Heuer "Carrera" from the 60`s. Beautiful plain little watch without the "TAG"-branding (although there`s nothing wrong with that...) and even without a display for the date. I really do enjoy winding it up every morning which has become some kind of a ritual.

The Rolex Daytona is another classic racer`s watch, just love the famous classic "Paul Newman"-Daytona, but unfortunately its price has skyrocketed over the last couple of years.

Old Breitlings are another adornment on your wrist, but IMHO some of them in a way look a bit overloaded. A friend of mine who is a commercial flight captain (Airbus A 320) once smiled when saying that many of those big chunky Breitlings (Navytimer etc.) are worn by people who don`t know that much about flying. But who cares, they are beautifully made.

Best,
Marcus

Pete. · 06-01-07, 05:54 AM

Telepathy is alive and well, I bought a Tag Heuer F1 on the way home from Monaco, at the stopover in Singapore.

David Morton · 06-01-07, 08:00 AM

Pete,
Manser loves you......
Dave

David Morton · 06-01-07, 08:19 AM

"A friend of mine who is a commercial flight captain (Airbus A 320) once smiled when saying that many of those big chunky Breitlings (Navytimer etc.) are worn by people who don`t know that much about flying".

Never a truer statement. Big sunglasses, big black briefcase, big watch, big ego, small -----.

Every flight deck these days has very good clocks installed in the panels, the FMCS calculates everything including holding patterns and thankfully NDB approaches are becoming less and less so the requirement for stopwatches etc is nearly a thing of Noah's Ark.

A great deal of it is commercial hype to sell watches that need batteries.
As an aside:
My wife - ex crew in BA - told me "What does a BA pilot use for contraception?"
"His personality...."

David Morton · 06-01-07, 12:54 PM

Marcus,
If your Heuer Carrera is a manual watch there is quite a good chance that it is either a Valjoux or Leonidas movement. Don't ever part with it except for having it cleaned and serviced (about a 3 year cycle). Next time you take it in, ask what's inside. There are countless different Carrera models but being manual singles it out just a bit more.
Here is a website detailing the Heuer Carrera:
Heuer Carrera Chronographs: A Brief Overview

CraigB · 06-01-07, 01:02 PM

Just updated my "normal" TAG Heuer F1 to the "chronotimer" version - the semi digital one. A stop watch function comes in handy at work sometimes.

I have small (4) but growing collection of Ltd.Ed. TAGs, I would love a 60's Heuer Carrera though

BTW there is a 2nd "SLR for Mercedes" coming out this year (the 722 edition) + a Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso Aquaracer Ltd.Eds. (The better half works for a TAG Heuer stockist jeweler, so I am pre-warned the bank account is going to be emptied!!

)

Scott Calabro · 06-01-07, 01:14 PM

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction, to a reputable watch repair outfit. My mid '80s Heuer 1000 luminescent face dive watch, needs some repairs.

Thanks much,
Scott

JimmyMac · 06-01-07, 02:16 PM

Original Rolex Cosmograph Daytona - Black Face for driving.
Accept no substitute for a day out.

Gold Rolex Day Date President for cocktails afterwards.

David Morton · 06-01-07, 04:55 PM

Scott,
'About Time' on PCH, South of LAX. Google it. Is it Tritium or Promithium ?
They may change the face completely for the safer type ie non-tritium.
How about trading it in for the Avenger Seawolf from Breitling. Tested to 333 ats.(10,000 ft) but you'd have to adopt the squeaky voice to test it out......

James,
GMT for work, and simple Oyster perp. for everything else.

John Fitzpatrick · 06-01-07, 05:41 PM

The old self-winding Zodiac Aerospace GMT is hard to beat for reliability & ruggedness, although it doesn't look as fancy as many others. A lot of the guys I flew with in the Sixties wore them.
I have to adnit I mostly used it to see if I was going to make it down in time for happy hour though. Seemed like those times you really needed to time something you were much too busy to take your eyes off the guages.