TAG Heuer recently released the Connected Calibre E4 and it received a big 5 stars from us. TAG has made a point in recent years of releasing versions of its upmarket smartwatch specifically for well-heeled golf lovers and this latest-and-greatest edition is no exception. So, meet the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition.
While we loved the previous TAG Heuer Connected as a smartwatch, we weren't quite sold on it as a golf watch. It's in our best golf watch list, but in terms of battery life and golf-specific features, it was heavily outgunned by Garmin's Approach range of club-pro timepieces. The good news is that Connected Calibre E4 addresses several of the shortcomings of the last model and also adds some wacky innovations of the type TAG often brings to the party – how about a ball marker secreted in the strap? You won't get that from Garmin! Our resident club swinger Dave Usher gives his views on the improvements below.
By the way, if you want more info on the Wear OS and general fitness functions of the watch, read our Connected Calibre E4 review – that is the non-golfing edition, though.
The Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition is big and bold
Dave Usher, T3's golf guy, runs through the big improvements in the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition.
"I wasn't massively impressed with TAG's last Connected golf watch. The phone app was great but the watch itself wasn’t the most user friendly and the battery life was awful – I could barely get 18 holes out of it and even then you have to switch off a lot of the functions. I much preferred my Garmin S62 even though the TAG Heuer naturally looks much better.
"However, it looks like they’ve made a few nice additions to the Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition."
We're pretty sure this is a first
1. Built-in ball marker!
For the benefit of non-golfers, this is a marker you place to show the position of your ball on the green, when you and your opponent/s are putting. You know: so your ball isn't obstructing anyone else's route to the hole.
Dave says: "The ball marker in the strap is such a cheap and easy little gimmick… but I’m an absolute sucker for that stuff! It’s like the little velcro bit on a golf bag that you stick your glove on. It’s those little things that make all the difference and so naturally I’m a big fan of the ball marker in the strap.
2. Better battery life
Dave Usher: "More seriously, it’s good to see they’ve improved the battery life, as that was the biggest drawback of the previous model. Hopefully now you can actually get a full round in without having to close down all of the background apps and switch to energy saver mode.
3. Upgraded golf app
Dave Usher: "I loved the app that accompanied the previous Golf Edition and it looks like they’ve now made that even better. The post-round 3D visualisation of your shots in video format is a really cool feature as it’s always nice to be able to relive some of the good ones and show them off to your pals, whilst quietly deleting the not-so-good shots, of course.
4. Tracking of tee shots
Dave says: "I’m also glad to hear that the new watch automatically tracks tee shots and you no longer have to activate that function manually to see how far your drive has gone. This is a feature Garmin watches have had for some time and when I tried the TAG Heuer Connected I would often forget to activate it as I’d become accustomed to my Garmin just doing that on its own. It seems it’s currently only for tee shots but presumably it’s only a matter of time before all shots are tracked, so that’s a big step in the right direction."
It's worth noting that only the first of these features will remain unique to the Golf Edition. You could run the app on any edition of the Connected Calibre E4, and even the tracking functionality is built into the standard model. TAG says that this feature will be exclusive to the Golf Edition initially, but will be added to their Apple Watch app at a later date.
However, if there's one thing we know about golfers, it's that they love to have the proper kit. So if you're a TAG Heuer fan who plays golf, you will just have to get the Golf Edition of the brand's best ever smartwatch.
While the standard Connected Calibre E4 comes in a choice of 42mm and 45mm cases, the Golf Edition is 45mm only, partly so you can see more of the course on the built-in maps and partly because bigger is just better. The large crown on the side scrolls through the map and 'can be controlled easily using just a fingertip while on the golf course.'
There's a new and improved interface on the built-in Golf app, with 'high-resolution 2D maps showing hazards and distances on more than 40,000 golf courses around the world.' It allows wearers to improve their game, no matter what level of player they are.
As Dave noted, there's also the all-new Drive shot tracking – although not tracking of any other shot, as yet. Swing detection is turned on by default, and maps your tee shot via the Connected Watch’s accelerometer and gyroscope, concluding when the watch detects you're on to your second stroke.
There are exclusive golf-themed watch faces (!) and the redesigned buckle has a ball marker discreetly attached to it via a magnet. TAG Heuer says, 'Ball markers are a must-have for putting, so having one incorporated into the watch buckle means one less thing for golfers to carry.' A spare marker is provided in the case.
With better tracking and more data for you to analyse, the latest Connected Watch Golf Edition should help you raise your game over time, by helping you to pick the perfect club and the perfect route to each hole on your favourite golf courses.
The map interface now shows more of the map and more information on screen, with distances, club information, scores, and hole numbers displayed clearly.
Arguably the most significant improvement is to battery life. This is described as lasting all-day, 'five hours of using golf functions'. There's also faster data synchronisation with your phone, thanks to an upgrade to Bluetooth 5.0.
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition: price and availability
The watch is available now at selected retailers, priced £2,200/$2,650/AU$3,850. There's more info and pics at TAG Heuer's own site.
