Collaboration watches are often a chance to try something shiny and new, something that a watchmaker alone might not want to try if it were just their name involved. But that’s not the only way it can go, and in 2024 Tag Heuer worked with Hodinkee to do the opposite and raid the brand’s archives. From those vast repositories of chronographs racing and otherwise, they mined a gem of a watch: the 1968 Heuer Seafarer Reference 2446C.
It’s fitting that the Original Seafarer was already a collaboration, specifically one between Heuer and Abercrombie & Fitch, back when the fashion label was a bit more of a serious sporting brand. It wasn’t the first either; previously the pair worked to develop a ‘Solunar’ display that would tell the wearer the tides according to the alignment of the sun and moon. Apparently, a young Jack Heuer leveraged the expertise of his school physics teacher to build it. I assume he went to a decent school.
Either way, the ‘Solunar’ was presented across two watches, one with a chronograph (the Seafarer) and one without (the aptly named Solunar) and was more novelty than utility. But when Heuer combined it with the Regatta timer developed for the Skipper, the basis for Tag Heuer’s super cool revival of last year, it became a hit. Now however the Seafarer is back with a much more classical look. And the result might be the best-looking Tag Heuer of the year. And yes, I’m painfully aware at time of writing that it’s only January.
First, the case. The original Seafarer – or at least, the 1968 model Hodinkee used as a reference point – had a classic rotating dive bezel and a 40mm diameter that was deemed gigantic at the time in the same compressor style as the Autavia. The 2026 model is very different, predominantly because it instead uses the modern Carrera Glassbox as a base.
I have absolutely no problem with that at all. There are enough dive watches out there and while I’d love to see a more classic dive tool from Tag Heuer compared to the Aquaracer, the rounded crystal and magnified inner bezel of the Glassbox is just impeccable. It’s bigger than the original at 42mm, which makes sense for modern sensibilities, but doesn’t feel ‘big’. More than anything intrinsic to the watch, that’s just how times change.
More importantly however is the change to the dial. Gone is the black and royal blue of the original, or the lighter shade used in Hodinkee’s version. Instead, we have a stunning combination of beige flange, champagne dial and gorgeous light blue and yellow indicators. Apparently, the specific blue is ‘Intrepid Teal’, named after a 1967 Americas Cup winner, though I’d argue that it’s lighter than any teal I’ve come across. Either way, it’s a great pop of colour against a palette of gold indexes, yellows and creams.
That said, teal’s not the only name I take Umbridge with here. As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, Tag Heuer are calling their bracelet here Beads of Rice which, with it’s flat, almost sharp links just doesn’t sit well with me. There’s nothing grain-like about them. It shares some similarities in having the rows of smaller links towards the middle, but Beads of Rice bracelets have a very distinctive look and feel that Tag’s version veers away from.
I’m not saying it’s a bad bracelet; far from it. It’s comfortable, great-looking and while I’d hate to try and adjust it myself, sits really well on the wrist. I just also love a classic Beads of Rice, and this isn’t it. What I am interested to see (it wasn’t available for the brief time we had with the new Seafarer) is the optional beige strap with matching Intrepid teal lining. That sounds like exactly what I’d want on this.
Back to the dial, however. It has the same layout as the original Seafarer, tide (or Solunar) display at 9 o’clock, running a seconds at 6 and the minute counter come regatta timer at 3 o’clock. The chronograph hand is central, along with running minutes and hours, as per usual. The tide display is operable via the big, chunky button helpfully labelled ‘Tide’ at 9 o’clock, which flicks the disc round a quadrant. Just look up the tide times wherever you are and line up high and low as necessary.
All of that is powered by the TH20-04, a direct replacement for the Heuer 02 that was in the 2024 version. That means a solid 80-hour power reserve, column-wheel chronograph with vertical clutch and nice decoration through the exhibition caseback, all standard, modern Tag Heuer fare.
The bottom line here is that if I had £7,450 spare, I’d be very tempted to spend it here. I loved the 2024 Seafarer but with only 100 pieces it was barely around long enough for me to think twice. The new version isn’t just better, if less authentic, looking; it’s also non-limited. It’ll still be a hard choice between Seafarer and Skipper (particularly as the latter is £1,000 cheaper), so it might just depend on what I’m more likely to be doing, sailing or fishing. Like there’s much chance of either…
Price and Specs:
More details at Tag Heuer.
