The new TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 brings upgrades, more customisation, and a new size
Jamie WeissSeven years ago, then-TAG Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver told Time+Tide that “quartz watches will be destroyed by the tsunami that is the connected watch,” while also reaffirming that mechanical watches will always remain “eternal”. It was a classically bold Biver statement: as of recording, quartz watches are still very much around – hell, we collaborated with TAG on a solar quartz Aquaracer just last year – however, smart watches continue to eat into the market share of traditional timepieces, and are still a massive focus for TAG Heuer, with the brand having just released its fifth generation of Connected smart watches, the Calibre E5, which offers more features, a new smaller case size, and more customisation than ever before.
The cases
The Connected Calibre E5 is available in two diameters: it can still be found in 45mm, but there’s now a very wearable 40mm diameter. This is great news for those of us with smaller wrists who were previously sized out by even the 42mm Calibre E4. Like the previous generation, the smaller model is visually differentiated from the 45mm model, with the latter sporting a fixed black polished ceramic bezel while the former is bezel-less, with the screen stretching to the case’s extremities. We’ll have a dedicated review on the 40mm model coming soon: I have big wrists, so the 45mm model is definitely more my jam.
Both variants are available in stainless steel, but the 40mm model also offers the first-ever rose gold PVD case for a Connected, which gives it a more premium, feminine look. On the flipside, like the last generation of Connected, the 45mm model has a black DLC titanium variant, which leans more masculine.
The Connected Golf Edition also makes its return for the E5 generation in 45mm, again in black DLC titanium, which has a golf-hole-denoting bezel and a unique golf ball dimple strap. TAG Heuer has also teamed up with sportswear brand New Balance on a collaborative 40mm model, which also has a black DLC titanium case, unique New Balance rubber straps, and launches alongside an associated TAG Heuer-branded pair of New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v5 sneakers. There’s a bit more to say about this New Balance collab; stay tuned for our dedicated review of that model in the coming weeks too.
Both sizes have sleek, very Carrera-esque cases, sporting faceted lugs and sleeker mechanical pushers, which, along with the rubber-trimmed crown, can be used to operate the watch’s many features. That said, the new TAG Heuer OS has been refined to have more intuitive navigation and supports more touch screen gestures, so you can use either the mechanical hardware or the screen. The pushers and crown feel very substantial, making the Connected feel much more akin to a mechanical watch in this regard than other smart watches. All variants are water-resistant to 50 metres.
The dials
We’re sticking to the same format we use for our mechanical watch reviews here, so time to discuss the Connected Calibre E5’s dial. Or rather, dials, as the wide array of customisable digital faces for the Connected has grown even larger with the E5 generation, with even more dials to be added following the release of the brand’s 2026 mechanical novelties. You can pick from a wide variety of TAG Heuer mechanical models’ dials, with everything from the Carrera Dato to the Monaco (it’s weird seeing a Monaco dial in a circular case!) at your disposal, as well as a number of more conventional smartwatch displays.
Here’s a fun fact: I’ve been told by TAG Heuer that the Formula 1 remains the most popular digital dial option for the Connected – interesting considering it’s the brand’s most affordable watch other than the Connected. I’d personally give mine a Carrera Glassbox Gold dial – but vive la différence. From a hardware perspective, the Connected’s ‘dial’ is actually an AMOLED tactile display, 1.39” + 454×454 (326 dpi) in the 45mm model’s case and 1.20” + 390×390 (326 dpi) in the 40mm model, with haptic feedback.
The straps
The strap system for both diameter cases has also been redesigned to be more integrated with the case and now offers far more strap options, including rubber, leather, metal and a new stretchy nylon strap option which is super light and sporty – although, I suspect the integrated steel bracelet will remain the best-selling option for both diameters, as it has been in previous generations.
The tech
This is where I’ll have to put my hand up and say that I’m not a tech writer nor do I regularly review smart watches, so the minutiae of some of the Connected Calibre E5’s software and hardware updates are a bit lost on me. However, I’ll do my best. The Connected Calibre E5 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5100+ chipset, and boasts heart rate monitoring, calorie monitoring, a step counter, a compass, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a barometer, blood oxygen saturation monitoring, breathing rate monitoring, sleep tracking (new for this gen), heart rate variability monitoring, dual-band GNSS, and runs the proprietary TAG Heuer OS. Phew!
Fans of the larger 45mm diameter will be pleased to hear that there’s a significant boost to that size’s battery life with the new Calibre E5, jumping from 2 days to 3 days, while the 40mm offers up to two days. For both models, you can get enough juice for a full day’s use after just 30 minutes of charging for the 45mm and 40 minutes for the 40mm. Both will charge to 100% in 90 minutes at temperatures between 15° and 45°C. One of the most annoying things about smartwatch ownership is having to charge them so often, so this is a big selling point, especially if you’re used to wearing mechanical watches.
Software-wise, another big quality-of-life improvement the E5 brings to the table is that it now fully supports voice calls: with the E4, you could receive calls, but you couldn’t talk directly on the watch itself; you needed to take the call on your phone – so this is a very welcome update.
Naturally, TAG has incrementally improved all of the fitness apps on the E5: it’s now much easier to read the interface during sports. However, TAG have focused particularly on running and golf, with better Strava integration, gamification features like a new “chasing diamond” visualiser for target lap times, and a redesigned golf course map display that now shows full hole layouts with auto-zoom that adjusts dynamically as you advance down a course.
The E5 is also now the first smart watch on the market other than the Apple Watch to boast “Made For iPhone” certification, something TAG is quite proud of, which means guaranteed compatibility even after iPhone software updates and faster pairing times. Actually, across the board, the E5’s pairing times have been reduced by a factor of 5 in comparison to previous generations of the Connected, TAG Heuer claims, and the GPS is 3 times faster than the previous gen.
The verdict
When the first TAG Heuer Connected was released a decade ago, it was an absolute game-changer. The first smart watch from a premium Swiss watchmaker, it created an entirely new product segment: the luxury smart watch. In the years since, TAG has steadily added features to the Connected, keeping it competitive among the pack, and has long been the cream of the crop as far as it comes to smartwatches from established luxury brands.
Often, when it comes to reviewing mechanical watches, the incremental changes brands make to their product lines are not always straight upgrades; sometimes, they’re compromises. Shrinking a case diameter down by a millimetre will please some and displease others, for example. However, with a smart watch, it’s a bit more binary (see what I did there?) Simply put, the TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 is a significant update and improvement over the E4 generation. The software, hardware and ergonomics have all been improved and refined, making the Connected easier to wear and use than ever.
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 pricing and availability
The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 is available now. Price: From CHF 1,500/A$2,350 (40mm), from CHF 1,600/A$2,500 (45mm)
| Brand | TAG Heuer |
| Model | Connected Calibre E5 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm or 45mm |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, rose gold PVD stainless steel (40mm), black DLC titanium (45mm, 45mm Golf Edition, 40mm New Balance) |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | AMOLED tactile digital display, customisable dial options |
| Strap | Integrated rubber, leather, nylon or steel bracelet |
| Operating System | TAG Heuer OS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 5100+ chipset |
| Battery Life | Up to 3 days (45mm), up to 2 days (40mm) |
| Functions | Heart rate monitoring, calories, steps counter, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, blood oxygen saturation, breathing rate, sleep tracking, heart rate variability, GNSS dual band, call function |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | From CHF 1,500/A$2,350 (40mm) From CHF 1,600/A$2,500 (45mm) |