The future of luxury imitation timepieces is either doomed or never to fail, thanks to a growing appreciation for the tradition of good watchmaking. But just in case, copies of Tag Heuer wear their new golf watches on both sides of the course, depending on whom you talk to.
However, TAG also unboxed a new Connected Modular 45 ‘Golf Edition’ watch. A sportier version of the Connected 45 collection that the fake TAG originally released with a cameo in the last Kingsman movie, it’s billed as a combination of advanced watchmaking with golf-friendly technology, for those looking to improve their performance on the links.
That’s the new TAG Heuer Golf app which features 3D renderings of more than 39,000 courses, designed to be the best tool for enthusiasts of the sport. The replica TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 ‘Golf Edition’ combines a golf-inspired design and shock-resistant materials, featuring a black ceramic bezel that is engraved with a scale of 1 to 18 indicating the number of holes in a round of golf.
The watch’s touchscreen is covered with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and it’s decorated with several sensors including GPS, NFC, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a microphone. Moreover, it has the function of sending messages, receives notifications, plays music, and download other apps. The luxury smartwatch movement is still in its infancy and the Tag Heuer replica is actually aiming to carve out a fair-sized market share.
One could even state that the Connected Modular 45 ‘Golf Edition’ is “the 21st century equivalent of the original vintage sports fake watches from the 1950s and 1960s that are now so respected by collectors,” notes one industry observer. And while this watch will never be a collector’s piece, it may yet mark a historical milestone in hybrid watchmaking and marketing.
Therefore, no matter if you’re into TAG’s re-issued and re-created heritage designs, which are actually mid-century sports replica watches, or their advanced sport-specific smartwatches just like this one, which is more next-century, there’s no denying the brand is embracing both the future and the past and hoping that both can flourish and coexist.
