Garmin soon to face competition from Tag Heuer’s microLED watch

Tag Heuer is ready to unveil its next-generation smartwatch, a device that could put it in direct competition with Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro microLED. The new Connected Calibre E5 will make its debut on Wednesday, October 8 at 16:00 London time, marking the brand’s first major update in more than three years and the first to possibly feature a next-gen display of this kind.

A long-awaited successor

The Connected Calibre E4 launched in early 2022 in two sizes, 42mm and 45mm. Both are proper luxury builds with stainless steel, titanium, ceramic bezels, sapphire crystal and a choice of leather or rubber straps.

The 42mm has a 1.28-inch OLED screen, while the 45mm goes a bit bigger at 1.39 inches and offers slightly better battery life. It runs on Google’s Wear OS, keeping Tag Heuer firmly in the Wear OS camp.

The company also experimented with special editions, like the Super Mario version that sold out almost instantly. All of this defines Tag Heuer’s Connected series as something different from tech-first smartwatches. Now, more than three years later, the Connected Calibre E5 looks ready to pick up where that story left off.

Major upgrades under the hood

The biggest change is likely to be the switch from Qualcomm’s aging Snapdragon Wear 4100+ to the newer Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip. The new processor uses a 4 nm process and features four Cortex-A53 cores, which should make it more efficient and faster than the 12 nm, Cortex-A57-based 4100+. Theoretically, the W5 Gen 2 also supports satellite communication, though whether Tag Heuer will activate that remains to be seen.

Even more interesting is the rumoured microLED display, reportedly co-developed with AU Optronics. If this turns out to be true, the Connected Calibre E5 will become the second smartwatch in the world to use microLED technology, after the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro microLED. That device reaches a peak brightness of 4,500 nits, compared to 3,000 on the AMOLED version.

Garmin’s microLED model sells for around $2,000, roughly $750 more than its $1,250 AMOLED counterpart. That price gap hints that the Calibre E5 could easily exceed the $2,000 mark if it includes a similar display upgrade.

One unknown is how the new screen will affect endurance. Garmin’s microLED Fenix 8 Pro, for example, actually showed slightly shorter battery life than its AMOLED sibling. MicroLED technology promises greater brightness and colour accuracy, but it’s not yet a clear win for efficiency. It will be interesting to see how Tag Heuer tunes performance and battery longevity on the new model. Especially as it will be running on the power-hungry wearOS.

Luxury first, tech second

While the Connected Calibre E5 will no doubt get the newest processor, screen, and sensors, that’s not what really sells a Tag Heuer. People buy these watches for the craftsmanship and design, less so for charts and metrics. We will likely get two sizes, once again, with cases made from steel or titanium, ceramic or steel bezels, and sapphire crystal on top. Expect fresh materials, new colours, and a few limited editions down the line.

The company has already set up a holding page on its website with a ticking dial animation and a message that the new Connected smartwatch is “coming soon.”

At the end of the day, this is a smartwatch made for style as much as function. Tag Heuer knows its customers want something elegant on their wrist, not just another fitness tracker dressed up as a watch. And if you thought the Fenix 8 Pro microLED was expensive, just wait until you see what luxury does to that price tag.

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