Baselworld, the biggest watch event of the year, is happening now at the Messe Basel in Basel, Switzerland. We’ve got a team on the ground there to bring you the most exciting releases. Follow our coverage here, and also be sure to check out Instagram. We’ll be posting to our feed throughout the week.
Price: $3,500-$4,300
Movement & Winding: TAG Heuer Calibre 5 automatic chronometer (ETA 2824-2 base)
Power Reserve: 38 hours
Case Dimensions: 42mm wide
Water-Resistance: 100m
Quick Take: The name Autavia tends to be associated with 1960s Heuer chronographs much like the one that the modern brand brought back in 2017 to the delight of vintage watch fans. The new TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph for Baselworld 2019, however, applies that design language to an Autavia for today in the form of a more affordable three-hand sport watch. While maintaining a certain retro charm, bold proportions and a carbon composite hairspring lend it a more current appeal.
Who It’s For: TAG Heuer’s current lineup ambitiously casts a wide net, aiming simultaneously at nostalgic fans of Heuer history and a young crowd who apparently want something fashionable and “edgy.” The new Autavia Isograph, however, could be seen as a way to offer something for more modern tastes within the brand’s Heritage collection. Watch enthusiasts will appreciate the benefits and innovation of the movement’s technology, while a chunky 42mm-wide case will help it wear boldly for those accustomed to modern sport watch sizes.
Key Features: The new three-hand Autavia Isograph for 2019 comes in numerous color schemes and strap and bracelet combinations, including with black, grey, blue, khaki and brown smoked dials; back, blue, plain ceramic or steel bezels; and a steel bracelet, NATO strap kit or brown or khaki calfskin straps. The textured dials feature a gradient (“smoked”) effects and sapphire crystals over these dial combined with ceramic bezel inserts makes the front of the watches largely scratch-proof.
Inside, the Isograph is powered by a modified ETA 2824-2 automatic movement which the brand has outfitted with its “Isograph” carbon-composite hairspring. More watchmakers are using materials like silicon to achieve benefits similar to what the brand’s Isograph offers. Claiming the material is impervious to elements that are known to be like Kryptonite to watches (gravity, shock, magnetism, and temperature changes), this should make the movement more stable, accurate, and robust over the long term. A COSC chronometer certification for an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day tops it off. The Autavia Isographs will retail for between $3,500 to $4,300 depending on configuration.
See more of our favorite new releases from Geneva. Read the Story