New TAG Heuer Connected model?

Feanor
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One week ago I purchased a blue rubber strap for my Connected Modular 45. I asked if I could also order a black one and the shop assistant told me that it's highly unlikely, as they stopped stocking the Connected and most likely its accessories too. He said this is preparation for a new model due next year.
Somehow I feel that, if there were a new model coming out soon, I'd probably have already had it unearthed somewhere in the internet and I'd probably know more than the shop asissistant.
Anyone else having heard any rumours for a potential new model?
 
Albert-AMG
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The answer you got from that shop assistant doesn’t make any sense. I don’t have any news about a third generation of the TH Connected, but even if it were true, there’s no reason to stop selling accessories to all Connected Modular 45 and 41 owners, specially because of its Modular concept that makes us buying so many straps! 😁

For instance, my TH AD can still sell straps for the 1st TH Connected generation. They don’t stop selling them just because current watch is the 2nd generation.
 
Feanor
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Albert-AMG Albert-AMG
The answer you got from that shop assistant doesn’t make any sense. I don’t have any news about a third generation of the TH Connected, but even if it were true, there’s no reason to stop selling accessories to all Connected Modular 45 and 41 owners, specially because of its Modular concept that makes us buying so many straps! 😁

For instance, my TH AD can still sell straps for the 1st TH Connected generation. They don’t stop selling them just because current watch is the 2nd generation.
Exactly my thoughts. That's why I don't entirely believe that a new model is coming soon. Probably what he meant was that they stopped selling the Connected, but he didn't want to sound too negative by implying that there will be no Connected line in the future.
To be honest, I'm afraid that bringing out a third generation Connected seems like a very, very difficult task.
Edited:
 
Albert-AMG
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Feanor Feanor
Exactly my thoughts. That's why I don't entirely believe that a new model is coming soon. Probably what he meant was that they stopped selling the Connected, but he didn't want to sound too negative by implying that there will be no Connected line in the future.
To be honest, I'm afraid that bringing out a third generation Connected seems like a very, very difficult task.

They just need to update and sell the connected module 45/41 alone, and we can use it with the lugs, straps, and buckles of our current TH Connected Modular 45/41 😉
 
Feanor
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Albert-AMG Albert-AMG
They just need to update and sell the connected module 45/41 alone, and we can use it with the lugs, straps, and buckles of our current TH Connected Modular 45/41 😉
Of course but the challenges are different;
1. Sales: Electronics sell in very large numbers in comparison to Swiss watches and TAG Heuer has to generate a minimum threshold of sales to make sense for them to purchase processors, screens etc. I am not sure they are there yet considering that they are an expensive Swiss watch brand.
2. Processor: The Connected uses an Intel processor but Intel has announced roughly a year ago that they are exiting the wearables market. Looks like TAG Heuer would be better off with switching to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 but who knows what contractual obligations they have towards Intel.
3. Focus shift on wearables segment: Recent smartwatches emphasize their fitness and health monitoring functions and the Connected series has been left behind, because of lack of heart rate monitor. Sounds like a simple thing to add, but the Connected is the only modular smartwatch on the market and the modular system takes so much space that I think it may be a huge challenge to fit a heart rate monitor in the same body. For the same reason it is extra difficult for TAG Heuer engineers to add a digital rotating crown, an extra speaker for phone calls and a SIM card holder for cellular connectivity.
 
Feanor
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Actually on more reason:
4. Wear OS: I'd say feature by feature Wear OS is a better OS than Watch OS of Apple Watch, but the press has made it look like total trash. People may be thus indifferent towards a very expensive smartwatch running such a negatively perceived OS. It's a shame, because there's so much that Wear OS has gotten right in comparison to the Apple Watch but no one pays attention.
 
kwilcox
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I've been interested in what TH is going to do with the CM watch line ever since Jean-Claude Biver labeled it a "niche product" earlier this year. I think its more likely that they will kill off the line than update it with the new qualcomm processor. Maybe they will continue the modular concept by producing more mechanical modules after discontinuing the electronic ones. I guess we'll find out in January...
 
Feanor
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kwilcox kwilcox
I've been interested in what TH is going to do with the CM watch line ever since Jean-Claude Biver labeled it a "niche product" earlier this year. I think its more likely that they will kill off the line than update it with the new qualcomm processor. Maybe they will continue the modular concept by producing more mechanical modules after discontinuing the electronic ones. I guess we'll find out in January...
I'm also similarly pessimistic.
...what's happening in January?
 
kwilcox
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The CM 41 was announced in January 2018 around the time of the CES. So I'm hoping the trend will continue...
 
Feanor
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kwilcox kwilcox
The CM 41 was announced in January 2018 around the time of the CES. So I'm hoping the trend will continue...
Ah, but that wasn't in CES. It was in a Geneva watch show. There are more, like Baselworld etc.
Anyway, we'll see.
 
Albert-AMG
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Feanor Feanor
3. Focus shift on wearables segment: Recent smartwatches emphasize their fitness and health monitoring functions and the Connected series has been left behind, because of lack of heart rate monitor. Sounds like a simple thing to add, but the Connected is the only modular smartwatch on the market and the modular system takes so much space that I think it may be a huge challenge to fit a heart rate monitor in the same body. For the same reason it is extra difficult for TAG Heuer engineers to add a digital rotating crown, an extra speaker for phone calls and a SIM card holder for cellular connectivity.

Maybe it would be easier to make it work with an external (and more precise) Bluetooth heart rate monitor belt, instead of adding the heart rate monitor in the same body.

Anyway, I think customers of the TH CM want a “watch which is smart”, other than just a smartwatch. We are paying many times the price of a “normal” smartwatch (including the Apple Watch) because we want a high quality watch in our wrist. I want to see a watch face when I look to my watch, and not a black screen (this was one of the main reasons because I chose the TH over the Apple).

My current CM 45 offers enough smart functions to me: the notifications. It’s very useful because I normally walk with my phone in the back pocket of my trousers, and depending on the noise I have around, I would loose many phone calls without the notifications on my TH CM.
But having my iPhone X with me, it doesn’t make sense to write messages, to store/play music, to make a phone call, to see pictures/videos, or to use any other “smart” function by the watch and not by the iPhone, because obviously you can do all these actions much better by the phone, in a much bigger screen, better micro and speakers, memory, etc.

So, if there’s a third generation of Connected TH (maybe with Qualcomm inside?) and it’s not compatible with the current modular system, I’m not going to buy it, and I will stay with the current CM 45. I only would buy a 3rd generation if it were possible to buy the connected module alone and use it with the current CM 45 accessories... because I already did a big investment in lugs, straps, bracelets, and buckles for the CM 45! 😁

462A6BBA-91CF-437D-AB71-9344AF44578A.jpeg
Edited:
 
Feanor
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Albert-AMG Albert-AMG
Maybe it would be easier to make it work with an external (and more precise) Bluetooth heart rate monitor belt, instead of adding the heart rate monitor in the same body.

Anyway, I think customers of the TH CM want a “watch which is smart”, other than just a smartwatch. We are paying many times the price of a “normal” smartwatch (including the Apple Watch) because we want a high quality watch in our wrist. I want to see a watch face when I look to my watch, and not a black screen (this was one of the main reasons because I chose the TH over the Apple).

My current CM 45 offers enough smart functions to me: the notifications. It’s very useful because I normally walk with my phone in the back pocket of my trousers, and depending on the noise I have around, I would loose many phone calls without the notifications on my TH CM.
But having my iPhone X with me, it doesn’t make sense to write messages, to store/play music, to make a phone call, to see pictures/videos, or to use any other “smart” function by the watch and not by the iPhone, because obviously you can do all these actions much better by the phone, in a much bigger screen, better micro and speakers, memory, etc.

So, if there’s a third generation of Connected TH (maybe with Qualcomm inside?) and it’s not compatible with the current modular system, I’m not going to buy it, and I will stay with the current CM 45. I only would buy a 3rd generation if it were possible to buy the connected module alone and use it with the current CM 45 accessories... because I already did a big investment in lugs, straps, bracelets, and buckles for the CM 45! 😁

462A6BBA-91CF-437D-AB71-9344AF44578A.jpeg
Oh wow... You did a big investment indeed.
You can already link a chest strap to the smartwatch, I believe, via Bluetooth, I just don't know if it works with iOS.
I also find the functions of my Connected enough. Anyway it is not a comfortable watch for working out. I have a Huawei Watch 2 for that. But it doesn't matter only what we want, but how the product compares to the market standard. The latest Fossil watches have all the technology available, except of cellular connectivity. TAG Heuer needs to add at least something to stay in the game, just like Montblanc. But as we said, what with the situation with Intel, the complexity of the modular concept and the change of management in TAG Heuer, I'm not overall optimistic about the future of the Connected line. Still I hope I'm wrong and the shop assistant knows something we don't.
 
Albert-AMG
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Feanor Feanor
TAG Heuer needs to add at least something to stay in the game, just like Montblanc
In fact Montblanc is from the same LVMH group as TH, and the new connected Montblanc has same screen (390x390) and internal memory as the TH CM41, so maybe they are going to share components and technology in their connected watches...
 
Feanor
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Albert-AMG Albert-AMG
In fact Montblanc is from the same LVMH group as TH, and the new connected Montblanc has same screen (390x390) and internal memory as the TH CM41, so maybe they are going to share components and technology in their connected watches...
Unfortunately Montblanc is part of the competing Richemont Group, not LVMH. 🙁
 
Albert-AMG
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Feanor Feanor
Unfortunately Montblanc is part of the competing Richemont Group, not LVMH. 🙁
😲 I was wrong! I don’t know why, I thought it was also from LVMH 👎... Then it’s the connected Hublot the one to join forces
 
I
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I have the CM45 and the Apple Watch 4 Lte and only use this to run because with it I don´t need the phone with me.
The rest of the day use the CM because , like Albert, ( I´m from Spain too) I don´t want a watch with screen black and the first is more elegant.
 
kwilcox
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So during Baselworld in March he says niche product, then in November he says best seller. Interesting.
 
kwilcox
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I personally like the fitness capabilities of this watch. Its a simple, goal based algorithm that focuses on activity. Plus, I can sync my workouts with my healthcare provider to earn discounts on my health insurance premiums. This is a big deal here in the US where the cost of healthcare is out of control compared with the rest of the world. My provider won't work with apple watches because of the premium Apple demands to allow them access.
 
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