TAG Heuer Connected

With an always-on screen and new sports-tracking features, this is TAG Heuer’s best smartwatch

he first thing you’ll notice about the new TAG Heuer Connected is the refined design. The case is now completely circular, resulting in a design that feels more compact and looks more like a traditional watch.

To build on this, TAG Heuer has added physical buttons that resemble chrono pushers. Sitting in-between them is a rotating crown, which acts as a power button, as well as an additional way to scroll through the OS.

In terms of size, at 45mm diameter and 13.5mm thick, the watch is on the larger side, but thanks to a relatively short lug-to-lug width, it doesn’t feel oversized.

The front features a flush OLED touchscreen protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. It’s 1.39 inches and has a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels. We found it clear and easy to read.

Inside it is a 430mAh battery optimised to last up to six hours of sports tracking using GPS, heart-rate monitoring and streaming music.

There’s now a greater focus on fitness and sports tracking in the Connected. The headline

TFrom $2,600 tagheuer.com

addition is the new heart-rate sensor, made of high-tech resin and integrated into the case back. This optimises the tracking of calories burned, while the built-in GPS measures your position during workouts and can calculate different performance metrics. The watch also includes a compass for direction, as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope. However, it lacks certain health or wellness features. For example, the latest Apple Watch features things like excessive noise detection, menstrual cycle tracking and fall detection, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 can measure your stress levels. The Connect is currently lagging behind slightly.

TAG Heuer has also designed a new set of watch faces for the 2020 Connected, all taking inspiration from the brand’s timekeeping heritage. Each of these faces can be personalised, but currently there are just five and the collection feels a little sparse. TAG Heuer has hinted more faces will be released over time.

It’s difficult not to like the new TAG Heuer Connected – it’s the brand’s most accomplished smartwatch to date. It’s great looking and feeling and is the closest a smartwatch has come to feeling like a ‘proper’ mechanical wristwatch. If you’re looking for a luxury Android smartwatch – this is the best option out there.