The Low-Down

When the smartwatch boom threatened to finish what quartz did not, TAG Heuer was one of the first from the Swiss watchmaking industry to mount a pretty comprehensive response in 2015, with its Connected smartwatch. It wasn’t just an Apple Watch wannabe or a fellow contender in a field of aggressively-priced Google wearables. It came from a storied Swiss brand with design, quality (and price) to match. It also had continuity, since for a price, one could trade it in for a mechanical watch developed exclusively for owners of Connected watches, after two years.

The latest addition to the Connected range consists of three watches in two case sizes – 42mm and 45mm – using the new fourth generation Connected Calibre E4 module, and updated Sports App. The 42mm model has a slim bezel and comes in steel; the 45mm features a ceramic bezel, in either steel case or Grade 2 titanium in black PVD.

At their core, the new watches are powered by a faster and more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100+ processor. An altimeter has also been added to the range of sensors to achieve more accurate activity tracking. As an all-new feature, the updated Sports App now delivers guided workout routines, autonomously without needing the phone, with the help of onscreen animations to illustrate the exercises. Users can also add and customise their own routines. As one has come to expect, new watchfaces have also been added, in an ever growing digital ecosystem of health monitors and activity trackers. What is unique on the software front is that with the Connected, one also has access to watchfaces inspired by the brand’s classic chronograph models. The watches run on Google’s Wear OS 2, with a free upgrade to Wear OS 3 when that becomes available.

Of the two watches, the 42mm looks sleeker by comparison, with a thin bezel; more smartwatch-like. The 45mm model is more angular, sculpted and facetted, matched with a marked ceramic bezel, resulting in an overall more aggressive and sportier feel. While the 42mm model is available in steel, the larger 45mm is also available in steel or Grade 2 titanium with black DLC.

It takes one and a half hours to fully charge either watch; both watches will endure a full day’s use with tracking apps operating. In particular, the 45mm model is claimed to have 30% longer battery life than previous models. The magnetically coupled charging station also functions as a watch stand that offers always-on display at night.

Also noteworthy is TAG Heuer’s trade-in program that allows owners of earlier-generation Connected watches to trade up to the latest model while enjoying credits up to CHF 450. While improving the Connected’s value proposition, it also affords a channel for TAG Heuer to responsibly dismantle, dispose and recycle where possible. It won’t make a dent on the mountain of e-trash we accumulate every day, but it’s something.

IMHO

The new Connected looks improved in every way. On the tech aspect, faster, more efficient innards with updated apps translates to greater performance. Design-wise, TAG Heuer has not only added a new case size, it has also added more curves throughout, in the case, pushers, such that the new 42mm and 45mm models stand out aesthetically refreshed and energised. The earlier models aren’t shabby, certainly not in the field of throwaways, but they now look somewhat stubby in comparison.

Yet the point about the Connected is not just in building a better, prettier, smarter smartwatch; it is also about the continuity that TAG Heuer brings to digital gadgetry from the realm of mechanical watchmaking. Whether it’s in swapping a smart module for a mechanical watch, or discounted upgrade path to the latest model, it’s this kind of strategic thinking that adds value to what could have been yet another future addition to a landfill.

Tech Specs

Connected Calibre E4 – 42mm

Movement: Mod Connect 42mm, 330mAh all-day battery, Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100+ processor, full charge in 1h30min (at temperatures between 15° and 45°C)
Functions: Wear OS 2, heart rate sensor, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, NFC, microphone, barometer, GPS
Case: 42mm steel, domed sapphire crystal, 1.28-inch OLED display (416×416, 326 ppi), water resistant to 50m
Strap: Steel bracelet, grained black calf leather, or black rubber strap
Price: USD 1,800

Connected Calibre E4 – 45mm

Movement: Mod Connect 45mm, 430mAh all-day battery, Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100+ processor, full charge in 1h30min (at temperatures between 15° and 45°C)
Functions: Wear OS 2, heart rate sensor, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, NFC, microphone, barometer, GPS
Case: 45mm, steel or Grade 2 titanium with black DLC, domed sapphire crystal, 1.39-inch OLED display (454×454, 326ppi), water resistant to 50m
Strap: Steel bracelet, grained black calf leather, or black rubber strap
Price: USD 2,050 (rubber strap), USD 2,250 (bracelet), USD 2,550 (full titanium)