Swiss replica TAG Heuer recently released a watch that garnered quite a lot of controversy. This was the watch manufacturer’s collaboration watch with the American fashion brand Kith. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 × Kith — or “Kith Heuer” — was controversial but not because it was in any way a bad release. In fact, in many ways, it was a piece of marketing genius. For a couple of weeks, it seemed everyone in the watch world was talking about the perfect fake TAG Heuer Formula 1 × Kith. And as they say, any publicity is good publicity.

In a recent episode of Fratello On Air, my colleagues Mike and Balazs noted the global reaction to the Kith Heuer. You can listen to their thoughts on the subject here.

A controversial limited release
1:1 replica TAG Heuer’s collaboration with Kith developed notoriety because of the €1,500 asking price. According to a downloadable aaa quality fake TAG Heuer catalog from 1987 (the year after the Formula 1’s release), the original watch cost just £79. Adjusted for inflation, that would equal £278.49 — about €329 — today. But the release was not just controversial because of the asking price. I also believe it spawned debate because it fundamentally shifted the entire ethos of the original watch. You see, the original had been designed with attainable and affordable fun in mind. With most versions of the new release limited to 250 or 350 pieces, the Kith Heuer was neither very attainable nor (comparatively) affordable.

Granted, the new Kith Heuer has updates, particularly with better build quality and construction than the original. But I am here today to review the original for you, Fratelli, because the Kith Heuer has already sold out. Thankfully, many original Swiss movement replica TAG Heuer Formula 1 watches are out there on the secondary market, and I picked one up for this review for just €250.

The original TAG Heuer Formula 1
The original Formula 1 was a momentous model for high quality fake TAG Heuer. It was released the year after Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) acquired Heuer. In a sense, it announced to the world the watchmaker’s new direction under TAG ownership. Eddy Burgener designed the first-generation cheap replica TAG Heuer Formula 1 watches.

These top quality super clone watches used a mixture of a stainless steel inner case and a fiberglass exterior. They came in either 28mm or 34mm case sizes and a dazzling array of colors. Stainless steel versions with metal bracelets also came into the collection. These replica watches online were truly avant-garde. Using plastic bezels from which the paint would chip and fade, they developed a rustic quality to them as time wore on. Inside was a simple Swiss quartz movement.