Some things you look at once and you’ll want to know more about it. Ever feel that way about a watch? For me it happens—quite often if I may add, since I generally handle quite a lot of beautiful watches on the job—and with the TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph, there it was. An instant connection.
And the timing cannot be more perfect. Just as I was thinking about how new watch launches these days seem to be getting quite predictable, TAG Heuer comes out and delivers one that checks all the right boxes. Alright let’s get into it.
Handsome on the outside
First things first, the TAG Heuer Autavia is by all accounts a good looking watch. Sure, you can chalk it up the hard-to-go-wrong combo of a simple classic case meets simple bevelled lugs meets sporty knurled bezel. Like how a person can be quite good looking as long as the face is symmetrical. But there is a whole lot more going on if you inspect the watch up close. That, and if you knew a little more about TAG Heuer’s auto-racing heritage.
TAG Heuer’s design team deserves a giant pat on the back just for the dial work alone. I’m not awfully certain where the new typeface comes from but it works like a charm here. Even on me which is unusual because I tend to prefer hour markers over numerals. (The latter feels “too much” on most watches.)
But significantly more important are the smoked coloured dials because they are completely on trend and totally on point. With options in blue, grey and black, the colours go from light at the centre to dark on the rim.
One watch, many straps
Another important feature that’s become increasing de rigueur in luxury watchmaking circles is an interchangeable strap system. Some argue that this takes the luxe factor out of a watch, which I beg seriously to differ. As long as the mechanism is well executed. And as long as it will not cause scratches under the lugs.
Voila, the TAG Heuer Autavia is easy enough to manipulate. Simple push buttons on the underside of the case can be operated by hand, with no special tools needed—again, de rigueur, ‘cause who has time for toolkits, amirite? Interestingly, the watch is sold separately from the strap, and there’s quite a few you could choose from, so have fun with that. The real surprise, though, is hidden deep inside its sturdy 42mm case.
The magic within
Chronometer-certified Calibre 5 seems to be your average garden-variety self-winding movement. But please look at the new in-house Isograph hairspring because it makes all the difference in the world. For real.
The Isograph hairspring is made of a cutting edge carbon composite material that TAG Heuer debuted with the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph. Created by a team of mathematicians, physicists and chemists, this state-of-the-art component brings a wealth of tangible benefits to the table.
Lightweight and low-density, the Isograph hairspring curbs the age old horological triumvirate—gravity, shock and magnetism—with distinction and flair. According to TAG Heuer, the hairspring has a unique nanoscopic hexagonal pattern and it yields perfectly concentric oscillations thanks to its special geometry.
Another unusual feature about the TAG Heuer exclusive Isograph hairspring is that it is produced with the collect attached. It functions alongside the balance wheel made of an aluminium alloy (lightweight) and studded with white gold inserts (dense) to effect optimal thermal compensation and aeroelasticity.
This simply means that it operates in a stable and uniform manner that’s consistent with its name. Iso means equal in Greek.
Final thoughts
There you have it, everything new about the TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph both inside and out. Now how much do you think a watch as far ahead of the curve as this one would cost? Would you believe it costs no more than the average Carrera? That’s right. This is not a drill. TAG Heuer’s latest state-of-the-art tech timepiece is priced from just $4,900 for the steel models and $6,050 for the bronze cased ones. It really doesn’t get better than that.
