1986

I have a list of watch brands that I am always on the lookout for. A few months ago, for example, I saw a TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch listed on eBay for an insanely low price. I did not win the auction but my loss just solidified my desire to have an example of this timepiece.

Here’s the backstory: The Formula 1 was the first piece produced after TAG (Techniques d’Avant Garde) and Heuer merged. It was also the company’s response to the quartz crisis (if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em) and the success of the fun, fashion stylings of the Swatch Watch.

The first generation of the Formula 1 was a totally entry priced professional watch, made with a colourful fibreglass case and an embossed rubber strap. But it still has some high end finishes like a mineral crystal and an easy-to-read uni-directional bezel. There have been many versions of the Formula 1 over the decades, but I was looking for an original, launched in 1986.

And I found one on Craigslist last week. I rarely trawl Craigslist so the find was a bit of a surprise. It cost a little more than I  budget for used watches ($36 is usually my limit and this one was missing its original strap. But still, a reasonable price and a rare opportunity so I snatched it up,

I was also lucky in that I found an eBay seller in Scarborough who just happened to have the matching yellow strap. Granted it was a few millimeters too small in the width department, but it works,

In a side coincidence note, Mr. Andrew and I went to see “US,” which is set in 1986.