7 TAG Heuer Watches

Building Legacy

One of the longest-running legacies in the watchmaking world originates from the ambitions of a 20-year-old. Edouard Heuer opened a watch shop in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, in 1860, mainly to produce silver pocket watches. There began the journey of TAG Heuer, a name that is now synonymous with high-functioning, luxury chronograph watches associated with the topmost sporting events of the world.

All through the initial years, the company was focused on innovation with Edouard Heuer, achieving several pathbreaking patents. In the 20th century, there was an increase in the demand for accurate timing owing to advancements in industrial production, science, and transportation and a boom in sporting events across the world. Heuer’s stopwatches and pocket chronographs were used extensively for automobiles, sports timing, production, and even artillery calculations. The 1930s saw Heuer expanding their range of wristwatches and incorporating their first brand inscription, “Ed. Heuer”. 1958 onwards, under the leadership of Jack Heuer, Heuer started dominating the industry with their watches being used by the likes of the Ferrari racing team in world events.

In 1985, the Techniques d’Avant-Garde business group came to acquire majority stakes in Heuer marking the beginning of TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer transitioned from makers of mechanical watches to a brand embracing modernity and representing sophistication. The company made big leaps in the luxury watches niche, leveraging their historic watches like the Autavia, Monaco, and Calibre and incorporating modern cutting edge technology. 

The final change of hands in the history of TAG Heuer witnessed the assimilation of the brand with one of the biggest names in the global luxury industry in 1999. French luxury-goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, or simply LVMH, acquired the Swiss company, and brought on a new era of innovation, with new approaches to the creation of movements and achieving record-breaking precision. 

Creating Luxury

Headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds, every TAG Heuer design is a case study in mechanical precision and sophisticated beauty. The design sketches are developed using an advanced computer-aided design (CAD) system. Each element of the design is deliberated upon to the smallest details. 

The cases are built to protect the dial from dust, moisture, and harmful shocks. A metal sheet is punched into a rough case in a stamping machine using extreme pressure between 40 to 80 tonnes. Then, the metal is tempered for 35 minutes at a temperature of 1080 degrees Celsius. This process is repeated several times, which allows minute details to be introduced to the case in each round. The rough case is refined to its finest standard in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) before the final stage of polishing. 

Brass is heated at 750 degrees Celsius and then subjected to immense pressure in a stamping machine to achieve finesse in the dials. Feet are fitted under the dial to allow it to be fixed to movement, and a special pressing technique is used to give it its unique appearance. The myriad shades of TAG Heuer's dials are achieved through electroplating, and flawless readability is achieved by using Super LumiNova, a pigment that exhibits a glow in dim light conditions.

In their quest to achieve spectacular precision, TAG Heuer produces the Calibre Heuer 01 and Calibre Heuer 02, which are manufactured using their premium CNC machines and high-end programming, whose precision often surpasses any handcrafted technique. The main plate and bridges are produced with the same precision, and the oscillation is tested with severe thoroughness to guarantee premium Swiss precision.

TAG Heuer uses high-quality material with supreme tactile and wear-resistance properties. They aim to create robust and durable watches, a commitment that is reflected throughout the entire production process. 

Donning Brilliance

Tag Heuer's oeuvre of watches includes historic collections that boast of a legacy of their own. 

Their oldest collection is also their most high-performing. The predecessor of the Autavia collection, The Dashboard Autavia, was a precision mechanical watch used in aeroplane and car cockpits, a feat that has continued to inspire the collection’s unique designs. The 42-mm classic explorer’s watch design comes equipped with a leather band, a smoked dial, and hands and numerals treated with ivory Super LumiNova to enhance readability.

Borrowing from their historic connection to the sport of racing, the TAG Heuer Carrera collection features sports watches built specially for professional drivers and sports car aficionados. Designed with refined indexes and hands that capture optimal light, the Carrera delivers precision even at the highest speed. The emblematic metal crown lends itself to an elegantly sporty look. Powered by the best of TAG Heuer’s in-house movements, the Calibre Heuer 02, a Carrera watch is a masterpiece of high endurance and premium performance.

The TAG Heuer Aquaracer makes itself known as a timeless sports watch that caters to reliability and style. Built for underwater sports enthusiasts, the Aquaracer is equipped with an easy-to-tune 12 facet bezel with built-in riders. It is kept unidirectional to prevent accidental movement in the wrong direction and the precise measurement of dive-time. This nuance of thought and innovation is what sets TAG Heuer apart. 

Pushing the boundaries of timekeeping innovation is also the TAG Heuer Monaco which pays homage to this popular French principality. The squared-faced Monaco is an emblem of TAG Heuer’s avant-garde legacy. It holds the accolade of having the world’s first perfectly water-resistant square case and housing the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the world’s first micro-rotor attached automatic chronograph movement.

Other major collections include TAG Heuer Connected, TAG Heuer Formula 1, and TAG Heuer Link line which builds on the legacy and performs exquisitely.

TAG Heuer is the world’s leading sports watch brand that maximises efficacy as well as style. Their intricate manufacturing process and spectacular designs leave little doubt as to why they are the frontrunners of the watchmaking world.