Given the evolution of technology, many watchmakers have now begun to offer digital watches alongside traditional timepieces. We spend a week with the latest digital watch from Tag Heuer to see if it still offers the typical Tag build quality and appeal.
Digital watches have been a tricky minefield for most Swiss watch manufacturers. While the idea of a digital timepiece is fantastic on paper – you can track your fitness, changing time zones is super easy, etc – it’s not without a few downsides. For instance, you need to charge it regularly – something you don’t need to do with automatic watches. And then there is the problem of uniqueness – how do you give a digital watch its unique identity so that it can stand apart from something like the ultra-successful Apple Watch? Well, Tag Heuer has thrown its hat in the ring with the Connected E4, and we spent a week with it to figure out exactly how it would appeal to a watch connoisseur.
Solid build
The 45mm edition of the E4, which we tested, feels beautiful to touch. The titanium case, excellent build quality, and large size make it look quite appealing – it grabs eyeballs everywhere you go with it on your wrist. In fact, I got multiple compliments on how nice the watch looked. Now, the bright red rubber strap and the rather attractive Tag Heuer Porsche Carrera watch face further add to its stunning appeal. The watch also has an always-on mode and switchable watch faces, allowing you to customise it to suit your personal style statement.
The controls of the watch are driven by chronograph-style pushers in line with the traditional Tag Heuer design and a large crown. The display is a 1.39-inch AMOLED screen, which works in tandem with the crown and chrono pushers. The overall experience of navigating and scrolling through apps is buttery smooth. Moreover, its OS is based on Google’s Wear OS, for which you’ll need to download the TAG Heuer Connected and Google Wear OS app. With Tag’s in-house app, you can access all your wellness and workout data. On the other hand, the Google app supplies voice assistance and works as the control panel for the watch. You can use it to manage various features, like notifications, calendar, battery specs, privacy settings and, of course, the watch face.
The watch faces for the E4 make you feel like you’re wearing a TAG Automatic on your wrist. Whether you like a minimal, classy design or prefer showing off those Swiss mechanics, there’s something for everyone. Overall, with its fitness tracking and assisted workout modes, the Tag Heuer Connected E4 makes a lot of sense if you’re looking for just one watch to do everything for you. On top of that, the 45mm case looks great on the wrist and feels brilliant, given its lightweight titanium construction. If there is a problem, though, it’s the limited battery life – the watch never lasted more than two days on a single charge during my time with it. But, for everything else, the E4 makes a lot of sense – it’s a gorgeous watch that functions well and feels great on the wrist.
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