A standout watch…

This past weekend at a special event hosted by TAG Heuer, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the new TAG Heuer Silverstone “reissue” .  I first wrote about this watch in Dec’09, and it was great to finally see the watch in the metal.  When it was handed to me, my first impressions of the new TAG Heuer Silverstone were in general positive.  In short, the watch has a great “retro” look all its own, it comes in 2 great colors, and it wears very comfortably on the perforated leather strap with a cool “Heuer” logo buckle.  My main only quibble is the price — a bit high for me at $6,500.  That and the case height (more on this below).  But overall, it’s a pretty cool watch.  Here’s a few looks (and please pardon my unfortunate camera work, which leaves a little bit to be desired):

Unlike many watches, the Silverstone looks virtually identical to the previously released press photos, although one thing that immediately struck me was how “thick” the case is.   This is one aspect of the watch that can only be understood appreciated in person.  While I do not know the exact case dimensions, I do know that the thick, square case sits…shall we say very “proudly” on the wrist.  Weight-wise, the watch is also quite substantial, and I say this in a good way.

As for the colors, I find both color variations to be very attractive and very well executed by TAG Heuer.  I’d probably select the blue version if I had to choose just one.  The strap is also quite comfortable and with a very cool “Heuer” buckle (not pictured).  Finally, the left-sided crown is also decorated with the “Heuer” logo and is a very nice touch, too.

As I noted in my Dec’09 post, the watch was originally introduced in 1974 and is named for the Silverstone racing track in England, famous home of the British Grand Prix. The original Silverstone housed the Chronomatic Caliber 11, the first self-winding automatic chronograph with micro-rotor, and the tribute pieces remain true to spirit with an updated version of the Caliber 11.

In closing, I’ll leave you with some words from TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.  I think he perhaps summed up this watch best when he said:  “It’s just a standout, as audacious and unconventional as the person who dares wears it.”  I couldn’t agree more.