TAG Heuer was the first luxury Swiss watch company to dive headlong into the smartwatch category and it remains the most committed to it. It’s just introduced the fourth generation of its Connected watch, the Calibre E4. Over the years, the Connected’s proportions have slimmed down to be more like a traditional analogue watch, while its tech has geared up so that it’s now packed with some very smart proprietary apps.

Design

A first for Connected: the Calibre E4 comes in two sizes. There’s a sporty 45mm version with a ceramic bezel which, on a steel bracelet (there are quick-change strap options in leather and rubber), feels more like a traditional mechanical chronograph than a smartwatch. A 42mm model does away with the bezel, making it feel more streamlined. Both become the first Connected watches with chronograph-style pushers, delivering extra functionality. In short, both look like “normal” watches.

Style

No self-respecting high-end smartwatch is complete without personalisation options and it’s up to you how you want the Connected E4 to look. As well as colourful straps, there are countless watch face designs to choose from. Some look like traditional analogue chronographs; others like smartwatches delivering activity and productivity information. All are displayed in hi-def under what TAG Heuer calls a “sapphire ultra-resistant glass”.

Sports

Whether you subscribe to TAG Heuer’s “don’t crack under pressure” or newer “beyond the edge” taglines, the brand has and probably always will be about speed, power and performance. All that is folded into the Connected Calibre E4, which comes loaded with TAG Heuer’s own Sports app. It records speed, pace, distance and heart rate, covering running, swimming, cycling and fitness. There’s also a golf app that offers yard-by-yard detail for more than 40,000 courses. The automatic Strava export is an added bonus.

Wellness

One of the defining features of any smartwatch is its ability to measure our activity. TAG Heuer has invested heavily in developing bespoke software that elevates basic goal-oriented activities such as daily step count and calorie burn, so that the Calibre E4 offers guided workouts, led from the wrist by a Vitruvian Man-style avatar. These can be set for length and area of workout focus, and are available on the go. They also work independently of a smartphone.

Technology

Behind all this customisation and functionality is Google’s OS Wear (TAG Heuer has always maintained there’s no point in battling the category leaders on operating systems), and, of course, Calibre E4 has GPS, accelerometer, barometer, microphone and heart rate monitoring hardware for precise measurements, location finding and so on. Upgrades to both sizes include an altimeter and Bluetooth 5.0 for super-fast syncing, while the 45mm version now has a battery said to deliver 30 per cent longer life than previous generations.

Trade and upgrade

One of the unavoidable criticisms of luxury smartwatches is that despite what they cost, they’re subject to the rhythms of tech R&D, and quickly outdated, unlike mechanical watches, which time has shown to be more or less beyond obsolescence. To counter this, TAG Heuer has introduced a trade-in service. No doubt this is a culture shift for a luxury watch brand, which is why it now frequently refers to itself as a technology company. 

From £1,500; tagheuer.com