Introduction To The Calibre 5 Movement From Tag Heuer
The most used automatic mechanical movement in Tag Heuer watches is undoubtedly the Calibre 5. This movement for many has been shrouded in mystery mainly because Tag Heuer doesn’t usually provide much information on it. Lots of buyers want to know if the Calibre 5 is an in-house movement developed and produced by Tag Heuer or what is its accuracy rating. All that Tag Heuer provides is the power reserve, frequency, and jewel count.
For this article highlighting the Calibre 5 movement from Tag Heuer, we have researched and compiled data from not only Tag’s website but other multiple data points across the web to bring to you all the most requested knowledge surrounding this movement.
Learn more about the history & collections of Tag Heuer to explore the brand more in-depth.
Is The Calibre 5 An In-House Movement
Tag Heuer’s Calibre 5 movement is not an in-house movement. It is an outsourced Swiss made ETA 2824-2 movement that is occasionally altered with a custom rotor.
To some this may be a disappointment but to others a pleasant surprise. To those of you that may not like that the Calibre 5 is an outsourced Swiss made ETA 2824-2 movement, I understand.
Tag Heuer is an entry level Swiss watch luxury brand. Oftentimes buyers, including me at one point, bought a Tag only to realize that the most important part of the watch isn’t even produced by the brand itself. Personally to me it was kind of a let down. Tag Heuer can almost certainly do a better job of describing the movement better on their website.
To maintain an entry level price point, which Tag Heuer dominates in this space, buyers can’t get everything they want, which includes in-house movements. To Tag Heuers credit, the ETA 2824-2 is one of the most common outsourced movements because of its reliability and accuracy. It’s safe to say that Tag provided one of the best outsourced movements to name its Calibre 5 after and can do so at a price point buyers can enjoy.
How Accurate Is The Calibre 5
The Calibre 5 movement is not COSC certified, which means it does not have the top accuracy ratings of a chronometer. With that being said, the Calibre 5 accuracy is +/- 12 seconds per day, which is considered very accurate by Swiss watchmaking standards.
My first luxury Swiss watch was the Tag Heuer Aquaracer that housed the Calibre 5 automatic movement. I owned the watch for 3 years and had an excellent experience. There wasn’t a single moment over those 3 years that I noticed poor timekeeping or finding myself re-setting the time.
The Autavia collection from Tag Heuer uses the Calibre 5 but it differs from all the rest of the collections that house this automatic movement. The watchmakers at Tag Heuer have modified the Calibre 5 for the Autavia collection to be able to pass chronometer testing. Some may ask how that can be done. Essentially it involves watchmakers making fine tuned adjustments to achieve these standards. I want to add, and I’m speculating here, that maybe extra/upgraded components have been added to these Calibre 5 chronometers since there is little to no documentation on this movement provided by Tag Heuer.
Calibre 5 Specs
- Movement: Automatic
- Power Reserve: 38 Hours
- Frequency: 28,000 (4Hz)
- Functions: Hours/Minutes/Seconds/Date
- Jewels: 25
- Rotor: Bi-directional
- Height: 4.6mm
- Diameter: 25.6mm
- Production Year: 1982
Tag Heuer Watches That Have The Calibre 5 Movement
The collections from Tag Heuer that include the Calibre 5 automatic movement are the Aquaracer, Carrera, Autavia, Formula 1, and Link. Watches that have the simple 3 hand and date wheel at either the 3 or 6 o’clock positions within these collections are the ones that can house the Calibre 5 movement.
Summary Of The Calibre 5
Overall there is much to like about the Calibre 5 movement from Tag Heuer. It is a movement that allows Swiss watches to be affordable, it is very accurate for its price point, and it can easily be serviced by almost all watchmakers. What Tag Heuer can do better with the Calibre 5 has nothing to do with the movement itself but with their marketing of the product. Renaming an outsourced movement without providing additional details skirts the line of deception. I’m sure many of us would appreciate more transparency from not only Tag Heuer but the rest of the watchmaking world when it comes to how products are described.
