Inside of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 GMT watch is their Calibre 7 automatic movement. Also note the new crown design that the GMT and chronograph versions of the new Formula 1 models have. An interesting detail that most people will miss is the fact that the TAG Heuer brand logo is done in black and white, whereas it is often fully colored (green and red) on many (but not all) of the Formula 1 watch dials. Like the Rolex, the GMT hand is mostly blue and is legible, but does not overpower the dial.
The applied hour markers are painted with lume, and the hands are well-sized. TAG Heuer did a good job with the dial that mixes Formula 1 and TAG Heuer brand identity with legibility. Mostly brushed, the case and bracelet have a decidedly sober and sporty theme to them. As mentioned above, the steel case is 41mm wide but wears large, given the tonneau-style (barrel-shaped) case. The bezel of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 GMT happens to be aluminum. Let’s just say that the two watches aren’t exactly neck-in-neck competitors, but it is a good idea to know how and when watchmakers “give design compliments” to one another. While the TAG Heuer Formula 1 GMT doesn’t have the fancy two-tone ceramic bezel as the Rolex GMT-Master II Day/Night, it does cost about $7,000 less. TAG Heuer did it gracefully and retained the Formula 1 DNA, as well as that Autavia-style case that the new Formula 1 watches have. Rolex is the subject of a lot of homaging, so I don’t think they will mind.
Allow me to broach the obvious issue that TAG Heuer was clearly influenced by the 2013 Rolex GMT-Master II BLNR (hands-on here), with its two-tone blue and black ceramic bezel. Consumers really just need to decide whether or not they are more comfortable with a sportier timepiece or something a bit more elegant (as is the case with that particular Carrera model). They each share the same movement and are both 41mm wide in size. In a sense, the Formula 1 GMT lives next to the TAG Heuer Carrera Dual Time which is a dressier GMT watch that will probably be priced a bit more than the Formula 1 GMT. Attractive and of course familiar in design, the question still remains whether or not TAG Heuer should even be focusing on automatic watches in the Formula 1 product family. The final mechanical model is the TAG Heuer Formula 1 GMT ref.
I recently discussed the new automatic three-hand and chronograph models in the 2014 TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection here. Toward the end of 2014, TAG Heuer will release one final new Formula 1 watch as part of its recent design overhaul of the Formula 1 collection.
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