I attended the launch of the first TAG Heuer Connected watch in San Francisco a few years ago, and today I’m reviewing the latest version, the TAG Heuer Connected E4 (first seen here). Over the last few years, TAG Heuer has really upped their game in the smartwatch market. I think it’s fair to say that TAG Heuer makes the most attractive Google Wear OS-based smartwatch at the moment. I can’t think of anything I’d want more right now. Of course, Wear OS faces stiff competition from other operating systems like Garmin and Apple, but for many people, whether they have an Android-based smartphone and are looking for a watch they can use in urban areas or want something that looks more impressive than an Apple Watch, a Wear OS-powered watch is ideal.
One of the best things about the TAG Heuer Connected series is not only the physical product itself, but also the software experience. TAG Heuer has a dedicated team based in Paris (as I understand it) that is responsible for the additional software layer that is added to the base Google Wear operating system. Google allows hardware manufacturers such as TAG Heuer to develop their own watch faces and software interfaces such as exercise tracking, travel, and other commonly used tools. Hardware manufacturers can’t make big strides with the software additions, nor can they really tweak the underlying Wear OS system. This means that companies such as TAG Heuer are, to some extent, at the mercy of Google’s whims. There are pros and cons to this status, but I think it makes much more sense for TAG Heuer to work with a popular and supported platform (Wear OS) rather than developing their own smartwatch operating system from scratch like some other companies have done.
TAG Heuer is currently expanding its smartwatch lineup. The Connected E4 is offered in two sizes, 45mm and 42mm wide, plus a variety of themed versions, including Golf, Porsche, and of course the fun Super Mario edition. These products have a lot in common, such as the underlying hardware and case shape, but the products may differ in material, appearance, and even software. For example, TAG Heuer uses different software for the Golf and Super Mario versions of the Connected as opposed to the base model. This is something to note. This review focuses on the base model (reference). SBR8A10.BT6259) is a 45mm wide steel TAG Heuer Connected E4 model on a black rubber strap.
While it wasn’t always this way (no pun intended), most of today’s premium smartwatches look and feel very similar to a traditional watch on the wrist. That being said, the size and shape of the TAG Heuer Connected E4 is very similar to a traditional mechanical watch. It took years of hardware miniaturization, but the result is that today’s wearable experience makes a Connected watch look and feel almost identical to a traditional watch, both to the wearer and the onlooker. As a result, many people looking for a more premium product experience (one that looks traditional, not like they’re wearing a consumer electronics product) can now enjoy the sexiness of a European luxury product, while still having the convenience and functionality of a modern smartwatch.
Measuring 45mm wide, the TAG Heuer Connected E4 is 15.3mm thick and measures approximately 54mm lug-to-lug. The strap is 22mm wide. The case is water resistant to 50 meters and features a sapphire crystal above the screen. The steel case is nicely polished with elegant lines, and the black bezel is made from scratch-resistant ceramic. In addition to the touchscreen interface, the watch has two pushers and a crown for controlling the operating system. The crown functions as both a button and a scroll wheel, allowing you to efficiently view the information on the screen without swiping your finger (and leaving fingerprints).
TAG Heuer has built common sensors and features into the Connected E4, including location sensors, activity sensors, and a heart rate monitor. This latter feature is crucial, because TAG Heuer knows that many users want exercise and activity tracking features in their watches. TAG Heuer also has its own exercise tracking software with an attractive interface and a range of specific physical activities.
Most people will love the variety of watch faces that TAG Heuer has developed specifically for its smartwatches. The combination of functionality and the DNA of the TAG Heuer brand makes the watch very satisfying and makes you smile with the small details. My favorite is that most of the analog watch faces have an always-on effect, making the luminous body appear to be glowing. Notice how there is a particular focus on keeping the look and feel of the smartwatch in the traditional TAG Heuer world, rather than trying to invent a whole new visual experience. This helps to preserve the value of the brand’s mechanical products (which it mostly produces), and also makes it very clear that TAG Heuer believes that a good smartwatch should closely resemble a traditional mechanical watch, rather than something unique with a different form of user interface aesthetic.
I won’t go into the technical specs of the Connected E4’s hardware. The main reason is that very few people who buy smartwatches today buy their products because they care about the technical specs inside. TAG Heuer seems to update the hardware of its Connected watches about every two years, which is appropriate given the pace of technological advancements today. Most of these products balance processor performance with battery life. The TAG Heuer Connected needs to be charged every day, and battery life performance varies greatly depending on the brightness of the screen and how connected the watch ultimately needs to be. Being a luxury brand, TAG Heuer always puts good, if not always the latest, hardware in their products. I think for most people, it’s the combination of software and hardware experience that matters (they expect snappy performance and crisp display). In that respect, TAG Heuer does it well.
While we like the software that TAG Heuer includes with the Connected E4 watch, we wish it had more options. We couldn’t find a way to download more TAG Heuer-designed watch faces or other software, although that may be possible with the TAG Heuer Connected app. TAG Heuer also reveals that the TAG Heuer Connected E4 can be used to display NFT graphics on the face. This requires special software and a connection to the applicable NFT wallet. So, if you have NFT graphics and want to display them on your smartwatch, TAG Heuer has you covered.
Photographing a smartwatch screen is a special challenge, so in most of the photos in this article the screen looks dark. In reality, this is not the case, and I feel that the brightness of the screen is the highlight of the TAG Heuer Connected E4. I wore the watch in a variety of situations and found it to be probably my favorite “urban” smartwatch because of how beautiful it looks. While others are better suited for more hardcore activity and fitness tracking, the TAG Heuer Connected E4 is a very well-rounded product, and thanks to the underlying Google Wear OS platform, it comes with a lot of useful features.
Perhaps the most salient point many consumers will consider is whether the premium pricing of the TAG Heuer Connected E4 is worth its exclusivity. Thankfully, that calculation is now easier, as TAG Heuer smartwatches have become more affordable over the past few years. This is important because, unlike traditional watches that are meant to last a lifetime, people are looking to trade their smartwatches in for ones with increasingly better technology. Prices rise from this base level, but the TAG Heuer Connected E4 45mm’s $2,000-plus price tag isn’t too bad when you consider the competition (which is few and far between, mostly from other LVMH brands like Hublot and Louis Vuitton).
The people who will enjoy the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch experience the most are sophisticated urbanites who want the best of both worlds: a modern smartwatch experience with a designer feel that expresses status and individuality. TAG Heuer delivers that more than any other luxury brand today, and the good news is that the experience is only getting better. We look forward to getting to know the design team at the TAG Heuer Smartwatch office and seeing what the brand has in store for future connected products. Retail price for this reference SBR8A10.BT6259 The TAG Heuer Connected E4 45mm Steel on Rubber Strap is priced at $2,050 USD. For more information, visit the TAG Heuer website here.
