Just Landed: The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Watch

Take your phone out of your pocket. Unlock it. Handle a plethora of pesky notifications. Lock your phone and put it back in your pocket. Or – get the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4. It’s a no-brainer.

The new Connected Calibre E4 watch is the new generation of Connected watches from La Chaux-de-Fonds-based watchmaker, TAG Heuer. It is distinguished by its new sporty, elegant style. In addition to a selection of eye-catching chronograph-inspired dials, the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 watches come with new Sport activity features, an innovative Wellness app and two sizes to choose from – a redesigned 45mm model and an entirely new 42mm model. The Connected Calibre E4 certainly beats using your phone.

If you know about TAG Heuer – you know its motto has always been “Swiss Avant-Garde since 1860”, but as CEO Jean-Claude Biver admitted back in 2015, to be a truly avant-garde watchmaker, a technical wrist-worn smartwatch or the equivalent of one needs to be offered – hence the TAG Heuer Connected watch was born. Since then, the TAG Heuer Connected watch has been offered in various forms, living up to that philosophy and offering smartwatch technology that looks and feels more luxurious.

The first generation took the brainpower of two leading names in the industry - microchip specialists Intel and internet behemoth, Google. The former provided the Atom chip, the latter brought Wear OS technology to the table. TAG Heuer’s own designers provided the virtual dials, the bands and the case, and the rest is history, right? Well, no – not realty. Because TAG Heuer’s Connected universe has grown significantly since then, tapping into a whole stratosphere of smartwatch-lovers looking for something different, and much of that is thanks to the brand’s classic take on the Carrera forming its backbone.

In 2017, the TAG Heuer Connected Modular was born, enabling the wearer to change the watch module with minimal effort. Mechanical modules driven by the Carrera Calibre 5 and Chronograph Calibre 16 have been offered in the Connected universe, as well as the in-house calibre Heuer 02 Tourbillon. To add to this, TAG Heuer enables the lugs, the clasps and the bands to be exchanged to fit a particular mood or occasion. In fact, by the time the third generation of the TAG Heuer Connected watch arrived, it looked more like the Carrera watch than ever before, making it virtually impossible to distinguish it from its mechanical counterpart upon first impression.

Frédéric Arnault, CEO TAG Heuer explains a little about the new Connected Calibre E4 breed; ‘‘With these two new, very different Connected watches, we hope to bring a new generation of TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 to a wider range of customers, becoming a companion in their daily lives: from business to sport activities to the most elegant dinners. Since 2015, TAG Heuer has been a pioneer in the luxury connected watch sector. The development of these new watches highlight how Connected has become a pillar of TAG Heuer, alongside Aquaracer and Carrera, building on 160 years of Swiss watchmaking experience.”

First thing’s first – the two TAG Heuer Connected E4 watches have differences. The smaller and more compact 42mm Connected watch is more elegant and sophisticated. These models are offered in steel only and designed to appeal to all ages and a broader scope of tastes, with thinner case designs and slimmer bezels along with a bracelet that is fully integrated into the design. For the new 42mm TAG Heuer Connected E4 watch – think streamlined, elegant and functional. The ref. SBR8010.BA0617 comes on a steel H-shaped bracelet, whilst the ref. SBR8010.BC6608 is fitted on a black grained calf leather strap with a red calfskin lining and a steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons. The ref. SBR8010.BT6255 is fitted on a black rubber strap with a steel folding clasp and double safety push buttons. In addition to these options, TAG Heuer also supplies a range of additional straps including navy blue, red, yellow, turquoise and orange rubber straps with a perforated or smooth finish.  The 42mm models feature a domed sapphire crystal glass front, a silver and grey integrated timer, a case that is satin-brushed and polished, a steel caseback, and shaped push-buttons, as well as a 50-meter water resistance.

The larger redesigned 45mm TAG Heuer Connected watch features a scratch-resistant and robust black ceramic bezel for a more mechanical-looking set of push-pieces to assist with chronograph functions and a broader, more grip-easy crown. The sloping design of the case also adheres more fittingly to the contours of the wrist for a refined and lighter feel. The ref: SBR8A10 is a polished and fine-brushed steel case with a ceramic black polished bezel, whereas the ref. SBR8A80 is a black DLC-coated grade 2 titanium case with a ceramic black sandblasted bezel and a matching black DLC-coated titanium caseback. From here, there are choices to be made between a steel bracelet ref. BA0616 with H-shaped links and a steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons, or two black rubber straps. One goes by the ref. BT6259 and secures with a steel folding clasp with double safety push buttons, whilst the ref. BT6261 is fitted on a black DLC-coated titanium folding clasp with double push buttons.  These models, also water-resistant to 50 meters, feature a flat sapphire crystal glass front and shaped push buttons.

Key features of the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 watch

The many faces of the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 watch are inspired by the famous brand’s rich heritage in traditional watchmaking. Artistic animations bring to life the displays whilst essential information relating to the model’s plethora of fitness and health-related apps, together with key notifications can be accessed quickly and easily. Whilst some dials are minimalist in detail, others put features like the wearer’s live heart rate, steps taken and other “Wellness”-related information (together with weather and calendar information) on show via these easy-to-read panels for instant accessibility. Classic Connected faces are also available, with more designs due to be released over the course of the year.

App-related features displayed on the dials of these Connected watches include the following; Sports Watch App with Running, Cycling, Swimming, Fitness, Golf, and Wellness features, along with micro apps that include a stopwatch, timer, and alarm. Sensors built into the design of the new TAG Heuer Connected watch include; a heart rate, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, NFC, microphone, and barometer.

TAG Heuer’s new Connected sports feature

The sports features of the new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 watches enable you as the wearer to track your fitness routine, either by uploading your own personal workout and following it on-screen or by following a pre-programmable workout routine. This new feature allows you to tailor a workout to your personal needs or capabilities by selecting a guided workout with lengths that can be pre-set. The on-screen prompts allow you to pace your workout perfectly, focussing on upper body or lower body workouts simultaneously alongside animations and vibrational indicators. TAG Heuer’s Sports App feature has also been revamped to allow for better tracking of indoor and outdoor runs, golf, walking, hiking, cycling, golf and swimming.

Charge your Connected Calibre E4 watch

Compact and travel-friendly – the innovative lit-up nightstand transforms this charger for your TAG Heuer Connected watch into a stylish focal point by night. It displays the time all through the night via a discreet light, along with the remaining battery percentage. The charger-come-stand is designed to enable the watch to snap into place courtesy of integrated magnets, whilst the battery itself tops up the watch as you stay on the move.

A legible display and longer battery life

The design of the new TAG Heuer Connected watch is particularly suited to the great outdoors, since its screen stays visible, even when used under direct sunlight. The strong contrast and high-fidelity colour composition of the dial are combined with longer battery life, promising a 30% increase (for the 45mm version) in power length compared to previous generations. Even when using the Golf feature, the wearer can enjoy a full day of intense sports tracking. For the 42mm models, the wearer can enjoy a full day of the innovative “Wellness” app.

The integrated Bluetooth 5.0 function for the new Connected watch by TAG Heuer promises quicker wireless data transfer for everyday tasks that include syncing your wellness data and sports activities across to your phone. Outdoor activities like cycling can also be tracked easier thanks to the addition of the altimeter feature, which works in conjunction with the accelerometer, heart rate monitor, compass and GPS features.  Powered by Google’s Wear OS 2 at the moment – wearers are promised a free upgrade to the Wear OS 3 once this becomes available later on in the year.

An environmentally-friendly approach to TAG timekeeping

This year, TAG Heuer extends its trade-in programme with yet another step towards sustainability. Its re-usable watchmaking concept will see previous generations of TAG Heuer Connected watches returned by customers, who will be offered a trade-in price. In return, TAG’s specialist team of experts will dismantle old Connected watches and re-use these parts. This environmental cause is to be rolled out across e-commerce websites and official TAG Heuer boutiques, whilst the face of the new Connected watch will be represented by no other than successful athletes, Naomi Osaka and Sydney McLaughlin – two new brand ambassadors promoting the theme of versatility under TAG Heuer’s new advertising campaign.