The Kirium was initially launched in 1997 and came to an end in 2008. Strangely, working in an engineering office, I am the only one at my work who doesn’t actually follow the Formula 1 championship.

The Kirium was designed by noted watch designer Jorg Hysek replacing the 4000 series of which I was never really a fan of either. However, the 4000 series had formed the mainstay of the mid-range watch segment for TAG Heuer since first released back in 1990. The digital/analogue version I own sports a much darker digital readout that the picture suggests. In fact, I struggle to read the the digital readout and have unsuccessfully attempted to turn it off, even before this I can’t say I’m a fan or the Kirium styling.

The Kirium graphics indicate the digital version can be controlled by the two press buttons that took me a while to work out due to a problem with the new movement. The initial Kirium models released utilised the six TAG Heuer features of 200 metres water resistance, a screw-in crown, the double safety clasp, a uni-directionel bezel, a sapphire crystal glass and luminous marking.

I had always thought the Mercedes hands formed one of the six features of a sports watch that TAG Heuer had pursued, I was incorrect on that count with the later Kirium models not featuring Mercedes hour hand. TAG Heuer is fairly famous for it’s high end marketing including the use of brand ambassadors; notwithstanding, McLaren Formula 1 driver David Couthard fits right into the Heuer motorsport heritage.

Needless to say, the TAG Heuer branding is also heavily criticised for expensive celebrity endorsements, so I could never work out why such a large watchmaking business needs to resort to such endorsements. I can’t say I really go for such marketing, that doesn’t change my perception of the brand. Yet, all the major brands have celebrity endorsement, so that argument doesn’t hold much weight either.