My first Tag Heuer chrono. I have a decent collection with many different types of watches old and new and felt this one would be rugged and compliment the others. The watch came in one piece, this is a good thing. the packaging is nice but not any more special than my Invicta. Not that packaging is a big issue. The watch was packed well and its shipping/storage case is very nice. It comes with its bracelet closed over a pillow. Adjusting the bracelet is easy, if you have the right tools, by removing pins from each section you want to remove and fine adjustment is done by moving pins on the clasp.

Setting it us is easy but the instructions are very poorly written. Illustrations and a little of your intuition will enable you to set the time and date. The movement does not feel precise as watches costing much less and there is some lash in forward/backward movement of the hands during setting. The stop watch second hand can be calibrated to reset to 12:00 position but it is half a second off between 12:00 and the first second, something that shouldn't be an issue with this type of watch costing as much. One of those irritants that's not enough to warrant sending it in for repair but still annoying. The older, pre Tag, Heuer watches and stopwatches never had this kind of qc issue. There are also other calibrations for dial functions. The luminous hands and dial markers are clear and easily read at night.

Operation of the watch is simple and seemingly faultless in normal or stop watch modes. Buttons are solid and operate with a sure click. The crown is a screw down type for a water tight seal but not sure I'd take it diving. Time keeping is, so far, right to the second synced up to the atomic clock. We'll see if it stays. The good news is there is no reason not to believe the watch will perform well for years to come. The bad news is you're paying a steep price for a watch that is similar in quality to the much lower priced Swiss Bulova and Accutron movement chronos that are every bit as nice, if not nicer. Even my Marine Star Bulova chrono with a Japanese movement-don't know who makes them, is comparable. Seiko and Citizen are possibly superior to the Tag Heuer and represent a much better value.  Having mentioned that, don't let it stop you from buying the Tag as it should provide good service for years to come if you take good care of it. The movement should be serviced and remember that because this is a battery operated watch meant for diving, you will need to replace the case seal when you replace the battery to ensure it's water tight seal.

Bottom line: I got the Tag because of the unique red dial and simple curiosity. If you're looking for quality for less, you can easily find it but if you want the Tag, you should be well pleased. Is it worth the nearly 1k price tag? You'll have to decide once you own it. Buy it for the novelty if you wish but for quality and ruggedness, there are better choices for less.

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