TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45: Hands On With The Swankiest Wear Watch Of All

SOMEWHERE ON THE grand continuum of gadget nerdlery, there’s a consumer who will buy a very expensive—almost recklessly expensive—Android Wear watch.

- Jon Phillips

TAG Heuer had a surprise hit with its original TAG Heuer Connected, and now it’s embracing Android Wear 2.0 with the Connected Modular 45 (go.pcworld.com/thconmod45), an incredibly swank, finely machined, lusciously tactile smartwatch.

No, make that a family. It’s a smartwatch family. No, scratch that. It’s a smartwatch system. Officially described as a Carrera model, the Connected Modular 45 comes in 11 essential designs, with 45 more looks available for special order. But because its lugs, straps, and buckles are all user-interchangeable, the Modular 45 is, well, whatever you want it to be—if you have the money to spend. Pricing starts at $1,650 and reaches all the way to “If you have to ask...”

I’m a mechanical watch guy, and (disclosure) my first big watch splurge was a TAG Heuer Formula 1 in 2006. So I absolutely get the appeal of the Modular 45’s chiseled, brushed titanium case, and all the TAG Heuer flourishes and design cues. The 45mm case (ergo the name) definitely rises off the wrist with an aggressive posture, but the watches themselves are surprisingly light. The cases will visually overpower smaller anatomy, so small-boned buyers beware.

It took me about 10 minutes to master TAG Heuer’s parts swapping system. Basically, you have three elements in play: The central module itself, then the lugs and straps.

You first connect the lugs to the straps, which click right in, and secure with preciously fine pins. Next you connect the lugs to the case. It can be a fiddly procedure the first five or six times you try, and removing all the pieces is even a bit harder: To separate a lug from the case, you push a button, and then disengage the two pieces with jusssst the right angle of departure.