We get lots of watch reviews from By-Tor who does lots
of independent writing for Replica Collector and other forums. Here are
By-Tor’s investigations about the TAG Heuer Link Automatic Chronograph
piece, which deserves some much-needed eyebrow-raising.
With replica watches
it’s hard not to turn common knowledge on its head and go for quantity
over quality – they’re so cheap, and you know they’re not really going
to be exceptionally-made anyways. I find its tempting to make impulse
buys and fan out in all directions with styles and types of watches,
even if half the watches you buy don’t get much ‘wrist-time’ and get
left out of the loop. This TAG Heuer changed all that for me –
especially the part about quality and quantity. It immediately looked
like a high-end Tag Heuer replica and I immediately started bugging my
dealer Precious Time to get one for me. When it finally came to me, it
was just as beautiful as I expected, and didn’t have a scratch on it.
The delivery was great too – thanks PT! No hassles with international
shipping, no UK mumbo-jumbo, no haggling, just a pristine TAG to prod
and poke and write about for you folk.
The TAG Heuer Link Automatic Chronograph is a truly excellent replica watch,
and I don’t say that often. It’s up there with the Bentley I almost
bought but didn’t since I had a Breitling already- so I went TAG
instead. I’ve never actually owned a TAG Heuer – or rather a TAG Heuer replica.
In fact, I’ve never had a watch with a blue face at all come to think
of it. It’s a dashing look I have to say, bright, bold, beaming.
Dials can be difficult to make for this brand due to the
Seamaster-esque wave-like stripes that adorn the surface at the center.
The sort of electric-y look is hard to show here, unless you use
reflections:
You can see too that the crown is a regular screw-top
and it works just fine – though the pushers could use some lubrication
because they’re pretty tight for manipulating.
There are of course lots of amazing replica watches out
there that this watch stacks up to – the PO fourth version and the 45mm
version, the Bentley I mentioned not buying, the IWC Jones & GST, the Navitimers
that just came out, just to name-drop a few. They’re all perfect in
their own way, shape, and form. In fact, there are so many great fakes
these days, you almost feel like replica buyers are getting a little too
snug and comfy in this replica world and forgetting their place –
you’ll see people so much more obsessive-compulsive than before about
every little detail of a watch – me included! But I like to think that
with my review I’m acting as a sort of watch-dog (no pun intended) for
the replica houses so they know that someone is taking notes and keeping
score regarding the challenges and successes.
But the replica companies too are getting pretty anal
about the business, especially when companies like TAG are starting to
use some serious celebrities to pump their brand – from Tiger Woods to
Kimi Raikkonen, and more:
However, hardcore WIS gang knows how to keep TAG in
check. TAG is certainly way overpriced and only the likes of Thurman and
Pit and their underlings can possibly afford the real thing these days,
which sometimes are even designed with quartz movements now. Also, WIS
believe that Heuer sold out when it was forcibly taken over by TAG in
the high eighties, which was a catalyst to the quartz switchover. (If
you wanna know more about the relationship between TAG and Heuer, you
can read some information HERE but I’ll leave that thread behind.)
Personally I had a real Aquaracer quartz one time, a tow-toned watch,
and I actually don’t have any complaints if I remember correctly. The
TAG Aquaracer 200 Chronograph it was – one of the hottest little numbers
out there, and I was sorry to see it go and I can’t wait for a good
replica to come out. Yeah, TAG can sure be uppity with their promotions,
but they make a good watch with it ‘taking a year to build’ as some
others claim!
TAG’s better chronos, like the Link and the Aquaracer
2000 Aquagraph and the Monaco and the Carrera, fit under the label of
‘mid-luxury’ watches like Breitling and Omega
and the seldom-mentioned Ebel. They all like to use outhouse movements
(no joke) and tend to steer towards the Valjoux 7750 particularly. The
Link Chronograph Calibre 36 utilizes the powerful 36,000 vibrations/hr
El Primero, which bumps it under another label with heavyweights like
Daytona and Broad Arrow and Zenith. Though the outhouse wouldn’t support
this claim horologically, it’s still kind of true in other ways. All
this is to prove the point that TAG definitely knows how to put together
some competitive sports chronos too.
Not unlike the Fighter of Breitling fame, the TAG Heuer
Link Automatic Chronograph’s sub-dial spacing is flawless, which is no
small feat, even where the best replica watches are concerned – sorry
PT. The image below is self-made so give it some slack; it’s just to
show my point. Forget the lighting and the other aesthetics – you can
plain as day see that the only real difference is the date window, which
is a big bigger. Unless even that is not different and its just the
factory picture that’s fooling me.
Subdial-spacing heaven is possible because of the way
the 7750 is made – it has a 12/9/6 sub-register format that allows the
necessary room. The newer high-beat 28.800bph Asian replica of this
movement is stirring a lot, a LOT, of talk right now and if proves its
meddle than a corresponding lot of change could be possible for replica
watches’ quality. It could then actually be doable to switch from a fake
movement to a real Valjoux ETA, thereby seriously upgrading your TAG
Heuer replica or any other compatible model. Reviews have been slowly
surfacing that rate the fake movement very highly in comparison to the
old attempts. One review is about the notorious seconds at 6 o’clock
model and its portrayed in a hesitantly pretty good light. The Replica of TAG Heuer Link Chronograph features its standard 12/9/6 which will probably make it more dependable, but we will have to see keep our eyes on it.
The TAG Heuer Link Automatic Chronograph has been
replicated eight different ways appealingly enough. It comes with
brushed bezel in black, white, and blue, and then in polished bezel in
blue, white, and – truly classy – grey. The brushed variations have
‘TACHYMETER’ printed on the inner ring of the bezel, while the likes of
mine have it right on the surface. TAG actually only has 4 different
versions of this watch. TAG’s brushed pieces are in black and white, and
its polished pieces are grey and blue, like mine. I figured that the
replica houses had ever so stupidly jumped the gun and made 4
non-existent watches – and even went so far as to text Precious Time to
beware of the superfluous quartet. But then I thought about it for a
second, and realized that maybe it’s interesting that the replica makers
believe enough in this watch to come out with four extra ones… Or maybe
they know somethings I don’t and there are some limited editions
floating around out there among the aristocracy.
Below is my collage of all eight replicas so they can
compared together in full light. Now, they might no make your jaw hit
the floor, but don’t forget, it wasn’t many years ago that there were
virtually NO respectable TAG Heuer replica pieces out there whatsoever.
Now, eight! Images are from Joshy (www.perfect-clones.net)
– I’m sure I lifted this pic, and that I call him Joshy(!). Just fyi,
I’m neither endorsing nor berating any dealer or any product in my
review; this is just a way for people to see what’s what the latest
products and judge their own selves. Anyway everyone’s got access to the
same stocks and pics, so it doesn’t matter.
NOTE: a very very similar watch – the Special Edition
Ayrton Senna – is also in existence, in two different colors. It’s just
that the dial of this watch has a Ayrton Senna signature on it as well
as a greenish nine o’clock second hand. There isn’t a lot out there
about this mysterious step-brother – trust me I looked hard and long,
but a personal connection tells me it’s a great watch, from personal
experience with it.
Can’t go without mentioning how much I adore the brushed
model a ton. It’s a dandy of a replica and has a great heft to it
really. It’s very identical, and kind of conjures up backwoods or
mountain-men, which I’m drawn to. Of course the date wheel is totally
off on this watch, but that’s not uncommon for replica watches.
The Link Chronograph and the Link GMT Chronograph have
also been replicated with the high-end Swiss ETA movements, which
couldn’t be better. These TAGS are simply unmatched in terms of build,
quality, and longevity, giving even the PAM and Omega copies a run for their money. If TAG sticks with this formula, they’re bound to build a huge replica watches fan base.
TAG’s trademark link bracelet is certainly not lacking
on the Link, and in itself is a huge draw with watch and non-watch
groupies both. It’s design is spectacular and stands apart from all your
other run-of-the-mill sporty bracelets. With the brushed casing and the
polished bezel this bracelet looks just perfect and will make any wrist
stand right up and say hello.
Ok – the thing is though with the bracelet, it has a
totally unusual resizing method – it can be done single-handedly, don’t
get me wrong, but you need some clear directions – if you can, see the
PDF attached to this post for the resizing procedure and warning. A
self-styled engineer provided this document and it will surely help
anyone who’s stuck on the wrong size with this beauty.
UPDATE: File too big to attach. Just look for TAG resizing info from the RWG.cc version of this post.
The oversize fliplock is a nice touch for the clasp shape, no?:
IN CONCLUSION
New watches are amazing and endlessly engaging
microcosms. I hope I’ve given an objective perspective here on the TAG
Heuer Link Automatic Chronograph watch – I know I can get carried away
and veer towards the positive, since I own the thing. But honestly,
there aren’t really any flaws to speak of with this one, with the
possible exception of the date window, which could just be a trick of
the camera. This Tag Heuer replica may simple be one of these diamond in
the tough replica watches that is nearly perfect in every way. I wonder
what it says though about TAG that the replica houses got this one so
right, when after over a hundred attempts at the Rolex Submariner,
there are still gaping holes in the watch. Either TAG isn’t as complex
as I think, or there’s something sinister going on in the replica watch
world…!
