Review: TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5, the most expensive iPhone watch

Swiss watch manufacturer TAG Heuer has just made the impossible possible.

The new Connected Calibre E5 is a luxury smartwatch that not only looks beautiful but also works perfectly with the iPhone.

It costs from €1,550 and is therefore the most expensive iPhone-compatible watch on the market – in comparison, every Apple Watch is cheap.

Unboxing: Origami at its finest

The box is a work of art. A box within a box within a box – TAG Heuer has actually surpassed Apple in terms of packaging design.

Once you hold the watch in your hands, it becomes clear: this is true watchmaking. Solid stainless steel case, classic metal pushers. The E5 doesn't feel like a gadget, but like a genuine Swiss luxury watch – only smart.

Made for iPhone – that's the decisive advantage.

With its official “Made for iPhone” (MFi) certification, the Calibre E5 is, alongside the Apple Watch, the only smartwatch to have this status.

iMessages are displayed, Apple Music is synced, and fitness data is automatically added to Health. You can answer phone calls directly from your iPhone on the watch and make calls that way.

This works so seamlessly – even without a mobile network option – that the iPhone owner hardly notices that a different manufacturer is at work.

Why TAG Heuer needed its own operating system

70 percent of TAG Heuer customers use iPhones. With Google's Wear OS, it was impossible to develop a truly luxury smartwatch, because the budget competitors from Huawei or Samsung inevitably use the same software.

So the Swiss decided on a radical step: their own operating system, developed by 60 engineers in Paris.

TAG Heuer OS is the answer to building a smartwatch that truly stands out from the crowd.

The watch faces: The best feature.

This is where TAG Heuer's true strength shines. You can set the watch faces of classic models like the Carrera, Formula 1, or Aquaracer directly on the watch or from your iPhone – in dozens of colors and variations.

This means you can wear a different TAG Heuer on your wrist every day, if you like. We think that's great fun.

Because Apple has (in our subjective opinion) never managed to design truly elegant watch faces for the Watch.

The Calibre E5 makes this its core strength. You can add two to three complications per dial – for example, battery level, weather, and steps – without cluttering the extremely bright OLED display.

Golf and fitness: Professionally implemented

Over 40,000 golf courses worldwide with precise GPS data are available on the watch. The new hole layout view with automatic zoom is a real plus for golfers.

TAG Heuer also delivers on fitness features, covering a wide range of sports: dual-band GNSS, heart rate monitor, and SpO2 sensor. All data syncs seamlessly with Apple Health.

Depending on the watch face and usage, the battery life is an honest two days, as tested by us.

Unlike our previous Apple Watches, the TAG Heuer doesn't need to be plugged in every night. A full charge in the included small dock takes around 90 minutes.

The reality: No app store, sorry.

One thing you need to understand: TAG Heuer OS, and therefore the Connected E5, does not currently offer an app store. There are no third-party apps, no Fitbit integration, and no contactless payment.

If you need the full app selection of a modern smartwatch, this is definitely not the right choice. That's the price you pay for saying goodbye to Wear OS.

Conclusion: Luxury over functionality

But that's not the concept at all. The E5 offers – at least for us – everything you really need in everyday life: fitness, news, music player, and, via an update from the beginning of 2026, sleep tracking as well.

It's more of an elegant wristwatch with smart features than the other way around. And, yes: from an economic point of view, at least €1,550 for a smartwatch that will be technically obsolete in two or three years is questionable.

But anyone looking for a truly exclusive watch that stands out from the ubiquitous Apple Watch and works perfectly with the iPhone will be delighted with the Calibre E5. Just like us. We enjoy wearing our TAG Heuer every single day.

That may sound irrational. But every now and then, the heart and gut win out over the head.

Share this post