Why We Love It

When TAG Heuer announced not only that it was going to reissue a classic chronograph design, but that collectors would also be able to choose it, we were all on board. And when we saw what came out of it, we couldn’t have been happier. The TAG Heuer Autavia reissue is, quite simply, everything we could want in a modern watch—one that’s clearly modeled on classic principles, but updates them to current tastes.

Neo-vintage, if you will.

This particular example is quite special indeed, being a low serial number from a limited edition of 150 for the UAE. Rather than the white-on-black “reverse panda” color way that’s more commonly found, this is a “panda” variant, with the chronograph registers and bezel being “topicalized” to give the illusion of age. Coming from the original owner—and complete with the full set of box and papers—this is a thoroughly modern watch that even vintage collectors could love.

The Story

Crowdsourcing isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon, but in this Digital Age in which we live, it’s certainly more prevalent—even pervasive. Nowadays, one could vote on a track list or a t-shirt design, or name a star or a submersible. While this can sometimes result in somewhat odd choices (like an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle being christened Boaty McBoatface), generally it’s a good thing, because everyone’s voice is heard, so everyone is happy.

Even the watch industry is not immune to the phenomenon. Last year, TAG Heuer announced that it was planning to reissue one of its classic chronograph designs, and put the choice to a public vote. The international watch community banded together in this singular cause, and the choice was unanimous: the Autavia, Heuer’s first named chronograph design, would live on. Forums, blogs, and social media were all atwitter with this choice, which was tailor-made to modern collectors’ tastes. The classic compressor case design of the 1960s was chosen, but updated to a thoroughly modern 42mm, and made slightly thicker to accommodate the manufacture’s proprietary automatic chronograph calibre.

The resulting watch is an Autavia for the ages, one that embraces old traditions while looking firmly toward the future, which makes this watch a clear candidate for a future classic.