In 2015, TAG Heuer ushered in a new era for luxury Swiss watchmaking, they debuted the TAG Heuer Connected watch. In the five years since the La Chaux de Fonds manufacture inaugurated the Swiss smartwatch, TAG Heuer has proven to be among the most innovative – its first, simply named the Connected, was one which then CEO Jean Claude Biver had famously understood the rapid obsolesce of digital watches and catered for that eventuality with the masterstroke of allowing TAG Heuer Connected owners a chance to swap out their smartwatch at the end of its 2-year warranty period for a mechanical Carrera with a “similar design” to the grade 2 titanium Connected “exclusively developed and reserved for owners of connected watches.”

Then, the follow up TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 with its interchangeable components was one where you could choose a variety of bezel options ranging from diamonds to aluminium, titanium to ceramic – but of course, a major downside for all those fashionable premium options meant that the 45 suffix referred to the diameter on the luxury Smartwatch which made it more than a little hard to wear. Again, keeping with the same, trade-in upgrade pathway. More recently, they introduced the Connected Modular Golf Edition in 2019.

“The TAG Heuer Connected watch was designed and engineered with the same passion and attention to detail as our mechanical watches.” – Frédéric Arnault, Strategy and Digital Director

TAG Heuer introduces its latest Connected Smartwatch based on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100

But for 2020, Frédéric Arnault, Strategy and Digital Director at TAG Heuer heralds the third generation of its visionary Connected timepiece, with a well designed technological statement that cements its position as an avant garde pioneer of the Swiss luxury smartwatch genre. Based on Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear 3100, the next generation smartwatch platform based on a new ultra-low power hierarchical system architecture, TAG Heuer’s newest Connected Watch comes much closer in replicating the “always on” display nature of a mechanical timepiece.

Arnault has led the almost 2 years of development effort on TAG Heuer’s 3rd generation Connected Watch and what was conceived is everything we’ve come to expect from one of the world’s pioneers in automatic chronographs – a unique combination of the refinement and elegance of a chronograph-inspired timepiece crafted in the purest watchmaking tradition, with a state-of-the-art, custom-designed digital experience geared towards performance.

Alas, it is still 45-mm and available in either stainless-steel or titanium cases echoing the distinct design, and refined finishes (like facetted lugs, polished and brushed details) of TAG Heuer chronographs but what’s of most interest (to us horological aficionados at World of Watches anyway) is the presence of fully functional pushers and a central rotating crown with which you can operate the TAG Heuer Connected Watch’s many functions.

Furthermore a screwed caseback makes this 45mm TAG Heuer Connected Watch eminently more wearable thanks to a thinner case profile and ingenious design tweaks with antenna placement; tapering lugs accompanied with elegant bracelet and strap choices in black rubber or steel with a folding buckle further accentuate the slimmer form factor as well as improve upon the wearability for TAG Heuer’s latest smartwatch.

The dial features an ultra-legible all-active and flush OLED touchscreen protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. To extend the battery life, the screen alternates between active and ambient mode, but it always indicates time (again, thanks to the low power Qualcomm chipset). The watch is fitted with a magnetic battery charger and a bespoke travel pouch.

A Complete TAG Heuer digital eco-system with its 3rd Generation Smartwatch

Quality of execution combined with a truly immersive experience, TAG Heuer’s newest Connected Watch offers customers a striking and versatile wristwatch to enhance their lifestyle, from daily connected services offered from Wear OS by Google, to immersive sports experiences thanks to the new TAG Heuer Sports app, which also provides detailed tracking for golf, running, cycling, walking, fitness and other sessions via inbuilt GPS and other specialist sensors.

A complete TAG Heuer digital ecosystem geared towards performance and sports augments the experience on the wrist with a newly developed TAG Heuer mobile companion app that allows for even greater personalisation and insights into the wearer’s achievements.

Designed with high-intensity activities in mind, the TAG Heuer Connected watch offers sapphire glass screen protection, ultra-lightweight grade 2 titanium on the matt black case, rubberised straps for optimal grip, breathability and comfort, a 5 ATM water resistance rating, suitable for low-velocity and shallow-water activities, such as swimming or running in the rain, and a 430 mAh all-day battery optimised