Right as Google’s Wear OS is hitting its stride—now feature-rich with robust smartwatches that can go toe-to-toe with the Apple Watch—luxury watchmaker TAG Heuer has decided to ditch the operating system altogether for its latest Connected Calibre E5 smartwatch. Instead, it runs a proprietary “TAG Heuer OS” (still based on Android). But unlike many of the latest Wear OS smartwatches designed only for Android phones, this one is compatible with iPhones.
That’s likely one of the biggest reasons for the switch, as Google seems to have abandoned making its smartwatch platform compatible with Apple’s hardware (Apple never made it easy, though this could change). It also allows the Swiss watchmaker to be less dependent on the whims of Google, but ultimately, it means TAG’s smartwatch will not have access to the wealth of apps found on Google and Apple’s respective platforms.
I spent a few days with the 45-mm Calibre E5 (there’s also a new 40-mm variant), and this fifth-generation smartwatch feels polished, despite the software change. It’s also striking in its design, unlike any other smartwatch, with premium materials like a ceramic bezel, domed sapphire crystal, and snazzy band options. Unsurprisingly, the version I tried will cost you a punchy $2,000 when it goes on sale this month (and goes up to $2,800 for other variations), though the smaller 40-mm Calibre E5 starts at $1,800.
A Luxe Smartwatch
Comfortable and premium: the new TAG smartwatch sports a ceramic bezel, flat or domed sapphire crystal, titanium and DLC, depending on what model you choose.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
The Calibre E5 has a nice heft to it that helps make it feel luxe enough to match that price point. A stainless steel polished case, black polished ceramic bezel with silver markings, and flat sapphire crystal also furthers the premium pedigree. TAG has, of course, several other variations. You can get a black diamond-like carbon (DLC) grade-2 titanium sandblasted case, white and green indices, or a domed sapphire crystal over the display, exclusive to the new 40-mm case.
The sloped lugs offer a comfortable fit, and the metal bracelet integrates well with the case. It’s interchangeable (there’s a button you press on the underside to release it), though these straps are expressly designed for the E5. Still, I was able to pop on a 22-mm pin buckle strap from one of my other watches without issues.
Despite being weighty, I didn’t mind wearing this smartwatch to sleep, though you may want a more comfortable strap. However, when I woke up the next morning, I spent a few minutes hunting for my sleep results, only to learn they don’t exist. Yet. TAG says it plans to add sleep tracking, likely in December via a software update, which is important considering this is a staple feature on most smartwatches these days.
One of the boons of smartwatches is you can switch between several watch faces, and the E5 is no exception, but nicely many here mimic designs of TAG’s mechanical watches, such as the Carrera or Aquaracer. It’s fairly simple to customize these on the watch itself, too, choosing different accent colors, backgrounds, and complications.
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