ReviewRed Devil’s pride: Review of the much awaited TAG Heuer Formula 1 Manchester United Watch

TAG Heuer has Manchester United in its heart and it proves that with the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Manchester United watch, an epic tribute to the most notable English club. It is not a clash of the Titans but rather a collaboration of the Titans, as both are prodigies in their own zone. The watch is an added reason for the Red Devil’s Army to rejoice after Manchester United moved past Liverpool to become the most successful team in English football.

The legacy:

Football started off as an outlet for passion and pent up frustration that the migrant workers of Europe had stored. They had nothing in common – not the language or ethics, but just one sense of connection- Love for Football! This is how clubs started to form and so did the rivalry amongst them. The competitiveness and fight for pride amongst the clubs were not restricted to just the players, but spread across their supporters and clan. Even religion and politics could not stay out of the growing popularity, strengthening the feeling of belonging to a particular club.

Manchester’s history is similar, the immigrants inhabited the city and football was leisure, which led to the formation of Newton Health L&YR Football Club, that became Manchester United in 1902. The accolades, trophies, and honour the club has earned in all of these years is unspeakable of, but facts simply state it as “the most successful English club, ever”. It is also the most feared club courtesy the impeccable tactics of Sir Alex Ferguson, the longest serving manager for Manchester United. The Munich air disaster in 1958 was the most tragic incident in Machester history as it marked the end of the Busby Babes. The Busby Babes were Matt Busby’s most promising team but the demise of 8 players under the then coach, paused the glorious spell. Yet the spirit of the club never seized. The result was a victorious comeback in 1963, where United lifted the FA Cup and continued the streak in ’65 and ’67!

The epic tribute:

So it comes as no surprise that the famed and celebrated club caught the fancy of the Swiss watchmakers who, share the same status in the watch industry! TAG Heuer’s legacy like Manchester United’s, is so decorated that it could run into endless pages. The company is known for its precision timekeeping, and that matched with ever revolutionizing technology and innovation made the brand a favourite choice for every sports event- from the Olympics to Formula 1! Richard Arnold, the Group Managing Director of Manchester United, is spot on to paint in words the collaboration: “Manchester United and TAG Heuer is an ideal partnership, two icons at the pinnacle of their industries, working together to build on their history and success.”

90 minutes are precious, and on every second ride hopes and prayers of fans and destiny of the players. The drama that surrounds till the last second of extra time, with championships and trophies up for grabs; the vibes are so intense. But TAG Heuer knows how to withstand the ‘drama and intense vibes’ and sticks to the “Don’t crack under pressure” attitude, better than any other player in the industry. The brand has proven to be the best choice as the official timekeeper for Premier League. It has put into play smartwatches for the referees and substitute’s boards which are now shaped like a TAG Heuer Carrera watch. TAG’s presence was limited to just across the stands and off the court, but it has taken a leap and has shown a 360-degree integration in the world of Football. The sport is extremely competitive and every decision needs to be precise as it’s scrutinized to the core and only the precision of TAG Heuer could match that level of accuracy. And with TAG now signing a three-year deal to be the official timekeeper for Manchester United, there have fans raving on both ends! “The Theatre of Dreams,” – Old Trafford stadium will now have TAG Heuer branding across it and on it as well!

With that comes the launch of the terrific special edition – TAG Heuer Formula 1 Manchester United Chrono Quartz. “Our partnership with Manchester United seals the important and strong involvement in Football of TAG Heuer.” – Jean-Claude Biver, TAG Heuer CEO.

And that’s not it, TAG has plans to capitalize on the popularity of the Red Devils in Asia, where the club is one of the most loved brands. This is not the first time though that a timepiece is launched to honour the club, their previous timekeeper sponsors – Hublot, too had joined the bandwagon of Manchester United Memorabilia and designed a watch exclusively for the club. Always striving for brilliance and the never ‘give up attitude’ shows in TAG Heuer’s special edition, which basis itself on the heritage and tradition the two brands have built over time. The launch of the watch at the club’s home ground – the famous Old Trafford, was a treat for the fans especially as Wayne Rooney – club captain, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David De Gea and Ander Herrera, made a surprise appearance to make the wait for the fans worth it.

The nuts and bolts:

In line with their other Formula 1 watches, the Manchester United Chronograph watch has an extremely edgy and sporty outlook. The watch is drenched in the Club’s hues and looks every inch worth the price it comes at. It is extremely durable, made of steel and coated in black PVD. With the black carbide titanium fixed bezel and a sleek tachymeter with raised number indicators, the all black on black timepiece has an athletic allure. The case is 43 mm in diameter and with that size it has quite a presence on the wrist (further fuelled by the colour scheme).

The deep black dial houses a chronograph 30-minute display adjacent to the 9 index, a second’s counter opposite 3 o’clock, both on a hypnotic circular pattern. The highlight is the Manchester United crest with the Red Devil and the added complication of a 1/10th second counter at 6 o’clock. The 1/10th second’s ‘red’ hand completes one revolution with every swipe of the chrono seconds hand, making this chronograph a visual magnificent treat for any watch aficionado. The dial has the date window positioned at 4 o’clock against a white backdrop and polished black and white hour and minute hands that are Super-LumiNova powered, both features leading to better legibility. The TAG Heuer logo is strategically placed and is boldly visible under the Arabic numeral 12 (finished in red lacquer). The hour indicating layout is extremely riveting – while 12 o’clock is denoted in bold red, all other hours are marked by Super-LumiNova coated indices. Around these indices runs a minute track in white, with every fifth minute in red. The black, white and red theme works exceptionally well in retaining the attention of the wearer (and grabbing that of others!). The ‘black beast’ vibes are further accentuated by the crown and two pushers on the side – the screw down crown to set the date and time, the top pusher to access the chronograph which starts and stops the 1/10^th of a second’s subdial, and the bottom one which resets the stopwatch.

“It’s not about the name on the back of the jersey, it’s about the badge on the front” is what David Beckham said when he was a star player for Manchester United. Well, this watch has the badge not just on the dial but on the case back too, which speaks volumes of the prestige it carries! The case back eloquently states TAG’s impeccable Swiss made lineage since 1860. In tandem with its predecessors from the same line of F1 watches, the watch is powered by a Ronda 5040D caliber quartz movement (quartz watches are often more accurate than their mechanical counterparts).

“The Formula 1 collection was designed for a high-speed life on or off the racetrack”, and the strap on this Manchester United watch couldn’t have reflected that better. The bi-injection rubber straps have so much going for the watch – the colour tone and even the design. Its design takes after the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph Senna Edition. The famous Red Devil mascot of Manchester United is seen holding a pitchfork in the logo and this is reference is represented in the rubber strap, which has the pitchfork head in red, sprawled across it. So whether you want to match the toughness of David de Gea, or just don the comfortable vibe Henrikh Mkhitaryan flaunts, this is a perfect everyday watch!

Price and availability:

“Glory Glory Man United, As The Reds go marching on on on..!” The Red Devils have a lot to chant about! This entry level sport watch will not just give you a taste of the flawless TAG Heuer experience but, also make you an owner of a grand memorabilia dedicated to currently, the world’s most valuable football club. Another good news is that it is not a limited edition; a wise move on TAG’s part, as they judged thousands of supporters of the United Armada would want to get their hands on this. There is more to cherish for the Mancs as the immaculate watch is priced at just INR 113,1150, and is a steal for the kind of technology and brand name(s) its built on. So, if you are a part of the Red Devil Army, time to expand your treasure of collectibles. Celebrate your favourite club by owning the Manchester United timepiece here!

TAG Heuer has many antics up its sleeves to keep the red flag flying high for Manchester United, but for now, this dedication is going to keep all the supporters engaged! The TAG watch is sure to get the Ballon d’or of the watch world, and compliments the fabulous start Manchester United hit off early this year!

Which Manchester player should sport this watch? We would love to hear from you in the comments section below!

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