Unfortunately, this can prove to be a challenge for watches of this size. Its broad 45mm x 58mm frame wears large, but thankfully not overly so, as its grade 5 titanium construction mercifully tips the scales at only 108 grams (64 grams sans strap), yielding a much lighter wrist presence than its angular, satin-polished silhouette would belie. Impressively enough, it’s barely noticeable on the bike – particularly on rougher roads, where a heavier stainless steel watch tends to react more violently to the constant chatter.

The signature feature of the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is its inherently modular nature (yielding some 4,000 possible case-lug-strap-bezel combinations) – starting at the removable lugs, which enable quick strap-changes between a wide variety of Modular 45-compatible straps. The tested variant, and a number of other configurations of the watch come equipped with a vulcanized, fully perforated rubber strap, which is easily adjustable, highly breathable, and perfectly tailored for the heat and sweat from a hot ride.

Also cool, is how the ease of customization and available colors enable BMC’s “general classification” contenders like Richie Porte, to get a strap that matches the leader’s jersey of whatever tour they happen to be in command of. While black seems to be the standard team-issue strap, Porte was noted wearing an orange strap whilst in the ochre leader’s jersey of the Tour Down Under in January, and a yellow strap whilst leading the Criterium du Dauphine in June.

Topped with a sapphire crystal, the 1.39-inch, 400 x 400 AMOLED display is a significant upgrade from the 360 x 360 LCD screen on the Gen 1 Connected, but legibility in bright sunlight still leaves much to be desired, and felt like the biggest knock against the utility of the watch for my use case. Still, after some experimentation with the dials, I found the silver, bi-compax chronograph layout to offer the most in terms of legibility, good looks, and genuine functionality – tap once to start the chronograph, double-tap to reset it.

Even still, should you ride without a Wahoo, Garmin, or SRM, the lack of at-a-glance legibility could be an issue. Also a potential issue is the battery life, which should get most users through a full day on a single charge. However, a six-hour ride with the GPS running isn’t exactly the callsign of “most users” – I found my battery after a four-hour ride that entailed plenty of intermittent fiddling depleted to around 30%. At the very least, expect to charge the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 every day if you’re planning on making it your daily wear watch.

It’s also worth noting that while the watch’s Strava and Spotify apps enable me to manipulate basic functions while keeping my phone in my jersey pocket, from a fitness data standpoint, the Connected Modular 45 is still a far cry from replacing any fully-fledged bike computer – but that was never really the point. Serious cyclists will likely use the watch to supplement something that provides heart rate, speed, and power data like BMC’s team-issued SRM units. After all, an SRM doesn’t patch through call or text notifications from loved ones – something that’s often quite useful while out on long training rides. However, the real beauty of the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is that no two use cases will ever be exactly alike, thanks to its wildly customizable design and compatibility with over 4,000 Google I/O apps.

It could otherwise be argued that TAG Heuer’s sponsorship of Team BMC is a non-essential one when it comes to race day. Granted, the watch can provide calendar or text notifications that can be pushed out to the entire team for various reminders before or after a stage, or added encouragement mid-race, but those aren’t Team BMC-specific use cases – those are just other extensions of the watch’s main purpose: greater connectivity. Unfortunately, if you’re an aspiring pro cyclist whose day begins at zero dark-thirty, this technological edge still won’t make you lighter, faster, or more efficient.

High above the dense fog atop Mt. Tamalpais, it’s hard to say whether or not the TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is the new ‘Formula 1’ of bike racing watches. Like the Formula 1 was then, it is without question, a formidable match to the latest technological advancements of the modern pro peloton.

However, not only does this smartwatch lack the simple purity of its purpose-built predecessor, it also lacks the palmarès of a true icon – something that Team BMC could change by capping a three-week tour across the French countryside with a victory lap on the Champs-Élysées in the yellow jersey. tagheuer.com