TAG Heuer Connected Modular Titanium 45mm - SBF8A8001.10BF06. TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 Men's Watch SBF8A8025.82FT6138. 
By — Posted on May 18, 2018 9:30AM PST 05.18.18 - 9:30AM PST Bigger is not always better, but try telling that to luxury smartwatch makers. The is a 45mm watch that feels more like 45 meters, the is so large it has been scaled by fewer people than Everest, and the 49mm size swallows our wrist (and our wallet). Subtle they’re not, and they aren’t comfortable to wear either.
Tag Heuer has the answer with the Connected Modular 41, a slightly smaller and altered version of the Connected Modular 45. Does shaving a few millimeters off make much of a difference, and does shrinking the size impact usability? Or is this the optimum size for a touchscreen smartwatch? We’ve been wearing the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 41 for a week to find out.
More compact design This is a Swiss-made smartwatch, make no mistake. When Tag Heuer collaborated with Intel on the Connected Modular 45, the chipmaker how many design and technical alterations were necessary for both companies to be satisfied with the end result. This ranges from the watch body being clamped together with gaskets, rather than glued, to the ambient light sensor being concealed behind the screen so it doesn’t ruin the look.
The commitment to making a true Tag Heuer smartwatch also shines through in the materials. It has a smooth, lightweight titanium body, and sapphire crystal over the screen for example. Does this matter? Titanium makes the Connected Modular 41 so wonderfully light on the wrist. It’s barely noticeable, and very comfortable. Unlike the Connected Modular 45, the Modular 41 doesn’t have a plastic back, giving it an even higher quality feel.
The sapphire crystal is 2.5mm thick and subtly curved, providing the screen with more protection and visual depth, At least one person commented that they didn’t know it was a smartwatch at first glance, something that’s due to the beautifully engineered sapphire crystal, and expertly rendered Tag Heuer watch faces. This is a Swiss-made smartwatch, make no mistake.
What about the size? It’s surprising how much difference cutting back on a few millimeters makes. The body isn’t as wide, and therefore it’s so much better proportioned than the Connected Modular 45. The horns hug the case, and the strap flows from them in a more visually appealing way. The Modular 45 is much more chunky, and alongside the Modular 41 the screen looks massive, yet in reality it’s just 0.2mm wider.
Tag Heuer has deftly managed to avoid making the watch too small too. The 38mm Apple Watch skews in this direction, and the 42mm version is far more preferable unless your wrist is incredibly dainty.
We think it’s likely to appeal to both men and women because of this The Connected Modular 41 looked exactly right on my wrist, and I regularly wear very big watches. The lugs didn’t spill over my wrist, so you can see the whole design of the watch when looking at the screen. A luxury watch, smart or not, is worn just as much for our personal enjoyment as it is for functionality, and if it doesn’t sit right, it won’t make your. That’s important when you’re spending thousands of dollars.
You’re not limited to one model either. Tag Heuer produces seven versions with different straps, and in nine different colors.
It’s also great to see the strap has a traditional buckle, and not the more complicated and much larger clasp on the Modular 45. There are also two different strap lengths available, showing Tag Heuer’s thinking about male and female wrist sizes. The rubber version we tested was small — it wasn’t our choice, but the only non-metal version Tag Heuer had at the time of review — but it still fitted well. The rubber is quite “sticky,” and would catch wrist hair when taking the watch off, because the keeper liked to grasp the strap itself very tightly. We liked the leather strap more, which has a rubber under section, making it more comfortable, more resistant to sweat, and longer lasting too. There are also two titanium metal link bands, which are ultra-light, and the black PVD version does look very swish, however the rubber and leather versions’ wider ends visually fit the watch’s body better.