With its mirror-polished body, guilloched dial, and a set of finely-cut diamonds, the 2012 TAG Heuer Link Lady (ref. WAT1414.BA0954) could have been a serious competitor to the gorgeous Omega DeVille Ladymatic (425.65.34.20.63.001), if only it wasn’t powered by a simple quartz movement instead of a high-grade automatic caliber. On the other hand (no pun intended), the watch is still a good contender for the right to be chosen by those ladies who don’t care about the movement and other technicalities and simply look for a beautiful trinket that also tells time.
Surprisingly, although quartz mechanisms are usually significantly slimmer than automatic once, the Swiss-based watchmaking brand didn’t try to make the timekeeper thinner than a similarly sized watch that is equipped with a ‘normal’ self-winding movement. Perhaps, someone at the marketing department decided that, at only 29 millimeters in diameter, the watch is also slim enough for the target audience with its total thickness being less than 10 millimeters from sapphire top to engraved bottom.
Perhaps, they were right, too: there is a good chance that it will look great even on smaller wrists.
Although its mirror-polished case is crafted not from white gold, but from an ordinary stainless steel alloy, the new timekeeper still looks extremely elegant thanks to its fluid lines and almost four dozens of diamonds that adorn its rather thin bezel. The nicely shaped setting crown that also happens to offer a good grip, too, helps this timekeeper to look even more impressive.
The precious stones set on the bezel are accompanied with 11 more diamonds that also serve as hour markers and look especially attractive thanks to the concentric wave pattern guilloche that decorates the silvered face.
As the name implies, the TAG Heuer Link Lady comes with their new “Link” bracelet.
Constructed from Z-shaped elements, the bracelet is known not only for its elegant appearance but also for its convenience and wearing comfort. Unfortunately, it also means that finding a replacement bracelet from a third-party manufacturer may be a bit problematic since the watch features non-standard lugs.
The design, while looking gorgeous and all reduces its perceived “value for money” ratio for the purposes of this brief review especially if you factor in its minimum recommended price of $5600. Well, I am fairly certain that the Link Lady will soon be available from numerous “non-official” online retailers around the world with huge discounts that will probably make it a more attractive purchase.
See also: Balmain Opera Round Quartz
Photos: TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Link Lady (ref. WAT1414.BA0954) specification
Price: $5600 (MSRP)
Movement: Quartz caliber, powered by a non-standard battery, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case: Stainless steel, mirror-polished
Bezel: Set with 47 diamonds (0.52 carats)
Shape: Round
Size: 29.00 mm
Case height: 9.60 mm
Dial: Silvered, guilloched
Hour markers: 11 diamonds
Hands: Luminous, polished steel
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Polished stainless steel with central attachments, S-shaped links, and butterfly clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Solid