TAG Heuer President and CEO Stephane Linder has resigned his post after 21 years with the brand and as an interim measure, Jean Claude Biver, CEO of Watches for the LVMH Group, will take over his duties with immediate effect.
The reason behind Linder’s departure has not been specified by LVMH or TAG Heuer, but the seeds could have been sewn at Baselworld 2014 in March. This saw the introduction of Carrera CH80, a brand new high-end in-house movement, with a technically advanced engine. The idea was to position the brand to become more exclusive and up market with a pricing strategy of between EUR 6,000 to 8,000. At the same time, the introduction of a new high tech plant based in Chevenez for production of the Calibre 80 was announced.
Three months later in June we reported on the fact that TAG Heuer had suddenly decided to keep its CH80 chronograph movement under wraps for the foreseeable future and focus purely on the CH1887, which was launched in 2010. TAG Heuer described this move as responding more effectively to current needs. This effectively meant that the proposed launch of the Carrera CH80 chronograph would be put on ice, even though the company had completed the development of the movement.
More recently still, Jean-Claude Biver announced a new strategy for the Group’s three main brands: Zenith, Hublot and TAG Heuer. So that the three brands would not impinge on or cannibalize each other’s markets he proposed that TAG Heuer will focus on entry level (luxury) watches, with prices from EUR 1,500 to 4,500. At a stroke this cancelled the Calibre CH80 at a proposed price of EUR 6,000. Now the Chevenez plant is to be used for the production of the caliber 1887.
The changes resulted in the loss of some 46 employees with a further 49 others temporarily unemployed. In future the brand will focus purely on watches, and all activities related to their luxury smart-phones and leather goods will cease. While we may never know the full story, it is possible that the curtailment of Linder’s high end ambitions for TAG Heuer placed him in an untenable position.
In a brief and somewhat terse statement released yesterday LVMH announced:
Stephane Linder has decided today to resign from his role of President & CEO of TAG Heuer to pursue other professional endeavors. Jean-Claude Biver thanks Stephane for his outstanding contribution to the development of the brand during the 21 years he spent at TAG Heuer and will act as a CEO during this transition period.
We will follow up with more information if and when the story develops.
Some of the world’s greatest NBA legends and soccer all-stars showed that they #DontCrackUnderPressure while playing in the Steve Nash Foundation Showdown, a game of pick-up football at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in New York City, benefiting children everywhere.
Eight-time NBA All-Star and a two-time recipient of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Steve Nash took part in this innovative soccer match featuring NBA stars and soccer pros from around the world including Alessandro Del Piero, Luol Deng, Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Mullin and Giuseppe Rossi amongst many more. The Steve Nash Foundation Showdown is a charity soccer match led by Nash himself that raises funds for critical needs services for kids.
“Steve Nash is a true sports legend, and the spirit and determination that brought him that title truly exude TAG Heuer’s DNA and #DontCrackUnderPressure mentality.”Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of LVMH Watches
TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer has been awarded to those players that embody the brands #DontCrackUnderPressure mindset : the Spirit of Showdown Award went to Alessandro del Piero, the famous former soccer player from Juventus, and the Most Valuable Player Award to John Nash, Steve Nash’s father. Steve Nash also received an Aquaracer, a timepiece designed for a sports icon who lives a truly active lifestyle.
At Baselworld 2015 held in in March, TAG Heuer launched its first special edition CR7 chronometers, in black and football pitch-green – created in close collaboration with its ambassador, Real Madrid footballing superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
In preparation for the advertising campaign, which will launch across mainstream international media on 20th August 2015, Ronaldo has put in an appearance at a photo studio in Barcelona where Belgian photographer Mike Van Cleven took the campaign pictures, with behind the scenes photography by Swiss photographer Fred Merz. The ads are timed to run just in time for the start of the new football season.
Ronaldo was in a very relaxed mood. This is the first TAG Heuer publicity shoot for the three-times winner of the Ballon d’Or. The concept was developed to reflect the brand’s motto and campaign slogan, #dontcrackunderpressure.
The message: Ronaldo doesn’t crack under pressure. He follows his own path. Defines his own rules. He challenges himself and others. Ronaldo answered three questions, two of which could serve you well in your quest for your grail watch.
3 questions for Cristiano Ronaldo:
Q: What’s the best advice you could give someone?
A: Make your own rules, set a goal and follow it through… no one can do it for you.
Q: Which is more important, talent or passion? Discipline or skill?
A: All is important. If you’re not passionate about what you do, you won’t move forward and you can never reach your potential. But you also need to be as strong mentally as physically, and you must work constantly to create your own opportunities for success.
Q: What do you think of your TAG Heuer CR7 watch?
A: Accuracy, precision, dependability and finesse have a huge role to play on the football pitch. The TAG Heuer CR7 is a tactile expression of these qualities, making it a watch that brings together elements of power and playfulness.
TAG Heuer will be the official timekeeper and official watch for the famous German national Championship known as the Bundesliga – both L1 + L2 with a total of 36 teams – will now play their matches according to TAG Heuer time.
The Bundesliga is one of the world’s most powerful football leagues. It enjoyed a huge boost from Germany’s victory in the World Cup. Bundesliga matches are followed by a TV audience of hundreds of millions each week, not only in Germany but throughout countries worldwide.
Last Saturday just before the SuperCup 2015 kicks-off between VfL Wolfsburg (Cup Winner) and FC Bayern Munich (Championship winner) ahead of a new season full of suspense, Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the Watch Division – LVMH Group, and Christian Seifert, CEO of the Bundesliga (Deutsche Fussball Liga), are delighted to announce their partnership for three years, in a spirit of keen cooperation and brimming with new ideas.
“The Bundesliga is one of the most powerful and comprehensive platforms imaginable. It will allow us to pursue a different perspective in terms of our sponsorship, with huge new possibilities, particularly in the digital arena. We are preparing for the future.”Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the Watch Division – LVMH Group
The partnership has been described by Biver as a “futuristic sponsorship contract” because it offers several new and innovative possibilities. Beyond the stadium advertising boards and the traditional event communication methods, websites and social media, TAG Heuer and the Bundesliga aim to create a cutting-edge partnership using new digital media. The brand motto, #DontCrackUnderPressure, will be incorporated at all levels, from the highest and most visible to the promotion of young talent and the upcoming generations.
TAG Heuer’s close relationship with nautical sports began with water-resistant cases for a pocket watch in 1895, the World’s first Chronograph with regatta dial and tide indicator: the Mareograph / Seafarer in 1950, and now with the launch of the new 2015 Aquaracer 300M.
As Official Time Keeper and Official Watch of the World Surf League & Big Wave Tour, TAG Heuer have released a new Aquaracer 300m Ceramic — named after its 300 meter dive capacity – coming in various models.
The new Aquaracer 300M collection exemplifies the line’s performance qualities but also enhances its elegant and sporty allure. Each timepiece is a diving instrument developed to meet the extreme requirements of professional watersports. The 300 m water resistant case offers a unidirectional rotating bezel – to measure time limits or elapsed dive time – in ceramic, with 6 studs to easily set it up when wearing gloves. For more security at depth, the timepiece also features a screw-in crown and double gaskets.
The un-scratchable dial bears horizontal streak effects for an avant-garde look and luminescent markers on indexes and hands for viewing in low light. The straps are equipped with a folding clasp with a double security lock to prevent any accidental opening, and with a special diving extension.
Some of the world’s greatest NBA legends and soccer all-stars showed that they #DontCrackUnderPressure while playing in the Steve Nash Foundation Showdown, a game of pick-up football at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in New York City, benefiting children everywhere.
Eight-time NBA All-Star and a two-time recipient of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Steve Nash took part in this innovative soccer match featuring NBA stars and soccer pros from around the world including Alessandro Del Piero, Luol Deng, Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Mullin and Giuseppe Rossi amongst many more. The Steve Nash Foundation Showdown is a charity soccer match led by Nash himself that raises funds for critical needs services for kids.
“Steve Nash is a true sports legend, and the spirit and determination that brought him that title truly exude TAG Heuer’s DNA and #DontCrackUnderPressure mentality.”Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of LVMH Watches
TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer has been awarded to those players that embody the brands #DontCrackUnderPressure mindset : the Spirit of Showdown Award went to Alessandro del Piero, the famous former soccer player from Juventus, and the Most Valuable Player Award to John Nash, Steve Nash’s father. Steve Nash also received an Aquaracer, a timepiece designed for a sports icon who lives a truly active lifestyle.
President of the Watch Division, LVMH Group and CEO of TAG Heuer Jean Claude Biver was getting in the groove on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza on Saturday, celebrating Martin Garrix’s Multiply closing party at Ushuaia.
Garrix is described as young, talented, unique, disruptive – in short – a phenomenon. The talented DJ from the Netherlands, much admired for his energetic personality, is already considered a legend in the dance music world at only 19 years of age. Garrix has more chart-busting hits and high-profile collaborations under his belt than most DJs twice his age.
At just age 8, he already knew exactly what he wanted, and he set out to achieve it, studying hard and mixing even harder. Eight years later, he had his first taste of notoriety with his 2012 remix of Christina Aguilera’s “Your Body”. His breakout success took place in 2013 with the release of his solo single “Animals,” an infectious instrumental that broke records the world over. With a U.K. #1 under his belt and tackling the Top Ten in eight other countries, Martin Garrix had arrived.
2014 saw a raft of international EDM hits, and impressive performances in the hottest dance clubs and most prestigious festivals around the world. Ranked Number 4 in DJ Mag’s Top 100 list of the world’s hottest DJs, garnering both the attention of Billboard’s prestigious “21 Under 21” as well as Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, Martin Garrix’s story is only just beginning.
‘The TAG Heuer logo and statement reads: «Swiss Avant Garde since 1860», so our DNA clearly states we have to be connected to the future and to the young generation. Today, I am particularly proud that Martin Garrix has accepted to become a TAG Heuer ambassador. Alongside Cara Delevingne, Cristiano Ronaldo, David Guetta, GEM and Li Yi Feng in Asia. Martin Garrix perfectly embodies the #DontCrackUnderPressure philosophy of TAG Heuer and a generation, who will curate the direction of the luxury market in the future.” Jean-Claude Biver
The Dutch DJ scene is the one of the most competitive in the world with the likes of Hardwell, Dannic and several other top DJs, but Martin has never backed down from a challenge.
Garrix invites his fans behind the scenes, giving them access to the pressure of his live performances, which he films and shares with millions of followers. He is unafraid to take risks and his disruptive and personal presence on social media regularly shows how he pushes himself to the extreme. And he does not crack under pressure.
The cheese shown above is direct from Jean-Claude Biver’s own Swiss dairy farm.
On this edition of Match The Watch With The Shoe (MTWWTS) we look at Kickers. They were – and still remain – one of the most iconic fashion boots ever to hit the streets. They were developed by company owner Daniel Raufast and designer friend Jacques Chevallerau after seeing a poster for the musical Hair, in which trendy young people were wearing jeans and bare feet. His idea was to create a quality leather boot specifically designed for jeans. The relaxed style “Jean’s boot” was born. Since then, this comfortable and exceptionally durable shoe has been in a league of its own, and nowhere more so than in Great Britain.
Here new deliveries of Kickers caused long overnight queues outside shoe stores in the 80’s and 90’s, and the brand was adopted by some of the leading rock bands of the day including Roger Daltrey of The Who, The Arctic Monkeys, The Stone Roses, Noel Gallagher of Oasis and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, who famously invaded the stage at the Brit Awards in 1996 while Michael Jackson was performing.
In the sensational new movie ‘The Walk’ from Robert Zemeckis, which portrays the true story of how Philippe Petit walked a tightrope between the Twin Towers on August 7 1974, in one sequence, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who portrays Petit, is seen wearing a pair of brown suede Hi Kick Kickers, as he steps on the edge of the Twin Tower. In fact this shot is anachronistic because Petit did his walk in 1974, and the Hi Kick was not introduced by Kickers until 1975. Incidentally, the recreation of the Twin Towers in this movie is simply stunning.
The leather florette attached to the boot is a sign of its authenticity, and is also a collectible.
The beauty of Kickers boots is that they come is as many, if not more colors than watch dials, so there are infinite opportunities to match them. Here we have chosen some classic models from much loved and admired Swiss brands.
Rolex Gents Stainless Steel Oysterdate Precision with Custom Red Dial 6694
This pre-owned Rolex watch has been fully refurbished to a high standard by a Rolex trained horologist and comes with a custom made red dial, made in the 70’s it’s from the same vintage as Kickers themselves.
TAG Heuer Monaco Vintage Chronograph Reissue
The Monaco Vintage Chronograph Reissue looks every bit as suave & sophisticated as it did when it came out back in 1973. This grey-faced version features the original Tag-free Heuer logo and will be released in very limited numbers.
Girard Perregaux 1966 in Blue
The Girard-Perregaux 1966 model combines understatement, delicacy and precision. Its slightly-domed dial is now presented in a deep blue tone, the traditional color of the model. The dial features a sunburst effect; it displays the date in a window at 3 o’clock and gilded baton hour markers. Its leaf-shaped hour and minute hands are also gilded, as is its straight large seconds hand.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic Edition ‘Laureus Sport For Good Foundation’
While the watch is identical to the standard Ingenieur Automatic with a 40 mm steel case fitted with a soft iron cage inside to protect the Sellita automatic movement from magnetism. The difference is, this watch is a special edition, released each year, and created especially for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the case back features an engraving of the child’s drawing that won a worldwide competition organised by the Laureus foundation.
OMEGA Railmaster with red dial
This watch was Omega’s answer to the Rolex Milgauss and IWC’s Ingenieur models. It was first released in 1957. The Railmaster was primarily pitched at engineers and other professionals who worked in close proximity to machinery emitting high magnetic fields and, as such, these watches contained an iron cover over the movement to protect against magnetic interference. This customized version in a bright red dial would give an extra kick matched with a pair of red Kickers.
Monday November 9 saw the launch of the new TAG Heuer Connected Watch, TAG Heuer’s answer to the Apple iWatch. Head honchos from TAG Heuer (Jean-Claude Biver of course) Intel Corporation and Google were present to witness the launch of the Connected Watch, which has been engineered with Intel technology and benefits from everything the Android Wear universe has to offer.
The TAG Heuer Connected Watch with Intel Inside was revealed at a press conference at the symbolic LVMH Tower hosted by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the LVMH Group’s Watches Division, accompanied by Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corporation, and David Singleton, VP of Engineering for Android at Google.
Jean-Claude Biver announced: “We are incredibly proud to be unveiling the first connected watch, which brings more than 150 years of history firmly into the future. The TAG Heuer Connected watch gives you the means not only to connect to the future, but also to connect to eternity.”
Brian Krzanich emphasized: “Intel makes amazing experiences possible with smart, connected technology. Together with TAG Heuer and Google we created a beautiful, intelligent and functional product that harmonizes the latest computing innovation with more than a century of watchmaking experience, timeless aesthetics and supreme quality.”
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 09: Bernard Arnault and Jean-Claude Biver attend the TAG Heuer Connected Watch event (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Tag Heuer)
And David Singleton agreed: “From Google Search to smartwatches, Google strives to give you the right information, at exactly the right time and place. Android is how we bring this helpful experience to many of the world’s devices. TAG Heuer Connected, powered by Android Wear, is a luxury watch that’s beautiful and incredibly useful. We are thrilled to present it along with TAG Heuer and Intel.”
What is the TAG Heuer Connected Watch?
It’s a luxury watch created by TAG Heuer in the Swiss tradition in La Chaux-de-Fonds. At 46 mm in diameter, the design of the TAG Heuer Connected is essentially that of a true chronograph, with a case, back and lugs made from grade 2 titanium, a contemporary lightweight material resistant to impacts, more so than steel or gold. The watch is completed by a textured black rubber strap (six other colors – red, blue, white, orange, green and yellow – are available, sold separately) with a deploying buckle made of grade 2 titanium as well. TAG Heuer Connected has the elegance and level of finish expected from a fine wristwatch with a comparatively modest price point of US$1,500 /1,350 Euros/£1,100.
TAG Heuer has developed three digital watch dials (known as watch faces), which feature the immediately recognizable design codes of TAG Heuer’s Carrera collection, including hands, index, counters, date window and minute track. Available from the launch date will be the chronograph dial, the 3-hand dial and the GMT dial, all of which display the date and are available in a choice of three colors (black, deep blue or pearl white), faithfully reproducing the appearance and functions of a true dial, with shadows under the hands and the sunburst effect of the light. Importantly, the TAG Heuer Connected digital hands and indexes remain visible at all times, even when the watch is in ambient energy-saving mode.
Soon, other watch faces will be made available, so it’s possible to try one customized by TAG Heuer’s ambassadors via the exclusive TAG Heuer app which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. TAG Heuer Connected is designed as a true watch, both in terms of its appearance, with its watch faces and its minute tracks, but also in its “interactive counters”, due to the unique way in which its applications are displayed. The dial and the hands remain, while the most pertinent information from partner applications is elegantly displayed inside the three counters on the chronograph dial at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock, completely integrated into the watch’s aesthetic environment.
What if something shown in a counter really interests you?
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 09: The TAG Heuer Connected Watch event on November 9, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Tag Heuer)
Touch the counter in question to open and interact with the application in full screen mode. Favorite applications, sports updates or alerts are easy to use and makes information simple to read, enabling the user to stay focused on the essential, without this spoiling the watch’s classic appearance.
The apps customized for TAG Heuer and available on an exclusive basis will initially be: Insiders (lifestyle), GolfShot Pro (golf), RaceChrono Pro (motor racing) and Viewrangers (trailing), which will be offered with free subscriptions. A specially developed Software Development Kit (SDK) will allow enrichment. In addition, TAG Heuer has added the classic functions that are a key part of the watch universe: Timer, Alarm and Stopwatch, the design of which is faithful to the brand’s codes.
How smart is smart?
TAG Heuer Connected offers a traditionally Swiss made TAG Heuer watch with computing intelligence. TAG Heuer worked closely with Intel and Google to create a luxury watch that combined connectivity and computing intelligence with Swiss watchmaking heritage. The watch features an Intel® Atom™ processor Z34XX and runs the Android Wear platform. Intel engineered the intelligence inside the watch to optimize performance and enable a multitude of connectivity options including audio streaming, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well as allowing users to harness the full range of features offered by the Android Wear operating system.
With 4 GB of memory, and all day battery life thanks to its latest-generation lithium battery, the TAG Heuer Connected is equipped with a small microphone to communicate with via Google voice control and a sapphire crystal touchscreen – the indispensable complement to the crown at 3 o’clock which also houses controls.
The watch is IP67 water resistance rated. If the phone you don’t have your phone with the watch will continue to calculate, display, and exchange data, and as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection it will remain connected to the cloud. Its resident applications (music, timer, alarm, step counter) remain active even when no connection is available. Android Wear provides an almost infinite universe, an ecosystem that enriches itself night and day: thousands of Android applications are already available for the TAG Heuer Connected watch user to download.
The key applications, currently used by millions, such as Google Fit, Google Translate, Google Maps and Google Search with your voice are already available on the watch, and show you information with just a glance. The watch can also be easily synced with a phone running either on Android 4.3+ or iOS 8.2+. It is charged using a contact charger. You place the watch on top to recharge it. As with other TAG Heuer watches, the Connected Watch comes with a two-year warranty.
Anyone who purchases a TAG Heuer Connected watch or is given one as a gift will have the opportunity to exchange it for a mechanical watch with a real Swiss movement inside. At the end of the connected watch’s two-year warranty period, customers can go to the TAG Heuer store of his or her choice to exchange the TAG Heuer Connected watch for a mechanical Swiss Made Carrera watch. With similar design, also made from grade 2 titanium, this mechanical watch has been exclusively developed and reserved for owners of connected watches and is priced US$1500, €1,350, CHF1,400 or £1,100.
There’s a dedicated online platform tagheuerconnected.com which has been created to share the latest new features and obtain the partner applications available for the interactive counters watch faces.
TAG Heuer has announced that Australian actor Chris Hemsworth is their new International Brand Ambassador.
Since Hemsworth’s appearance in Rush, the 2013 motorsport film of which TAG Heuer was a partner in which he played Formula 1 driver James Hunt, the friendship between the Australian actor and the Swiss watch brand has grown ever closer.
TAG Heuer believe his international profile, professionalism and authenticity make him the perfect embodiment of their motto “Don’t Crack Under Pressure”.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, proposed Chris to become an official ambassador for the brand. It’s quite probable Jean-Claude rolled out a Swiss cheese from his dairy farm to celebrate the occasion. The Swiss watch brand has a strong historic presence in Australia and Hemsworth joins the family of ambassadors for TAG Heuer which includes Ronaldo, Tom Brady, and Cara Delevingne among others.
An international advertising campaign featuring Chris Hemsworth, brother of Luke Hemsworth currently appearing with Kate Winslet in The Dressmaker, will begin just before Christmas, advertising the new TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer-01 in-house chronograph.
By any measure, this is big news for TAG Heuer. Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division, and Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, have just announced that TAG Heuer is becoming the Official Timekeeper, Official Watch, Team Performance Partner of Red Bull Racing. And in the forthcoming Formula 1 racing season, TAG Heuer will also be part of the team designation – a first for a watchmaking brand in the world of F1.
Red Bull Racing are Quadruple Double World Champions, having won both the FIA Formula One Constructors’ and Drivers’ World Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Red Bull Racing’s unorthodox approach to the sport and to entertainment appealed to TAG Heuer, one which is perfectly in line with the watch brand’s new marketing strategy.
Beyond the huge visibility provided by the direct association with the name of the team across communications, rankings, TV broadcasts, and the traditional branding permanently sported by the team throughout the racing season, TAG Heuer will also have a presence at the Spielberg circuit, the Red Bull Ring, in Austria and the Team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes.
Both parties claim the partnership between Red Bull Racing and TAG Heuer will take shape in an original, different and innovative manner, both on and off track. Red Bull Racing will join forces with TAG Heuer to create a range of original media content, in particular for social media networks and for new events platforms.
“Be Unique, Different and the First has always been my personal philosophy in all my 40 years of activities, from product development to marketing and partnerships. This is the first time ever, a watchmaking brand name is directly associated with an official F1 team designation. Formula One is deeply-rooted in TAG Heuer’s DNA, and Red Bull Racing is a young, dynamic and driven team, which perfectly fits with our marketing strategy. It will give TAG Heuer exceptional visibility and allow us to make our partnership exciting, different and innovative. Our motto #DontCrackUnderPressure will be the guiding principle behind all our actions with the support of the Red Bull Racing team and its highly contagious enthusiasm.”Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division
“TAG Heuer and Red Bull are two transcendent brands which have both a passion for racing and a drive to do things differently, and this unique collaboration is further evidence of that. TAG Heuer has been an iconic brand in the world of Formula One for many years and we’re delighted that they’ve chosen to continue their association with the sport by teaming up with us. Our shared values of innovation and a desire to stand out from the crowd make this one of the most exciting partnerships in F1.” Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull Racing
Launched simultaneously in Geneva and New York on March 3 1969, the Heuer Monaco was the first square, water-resistant automatic chronograph watch in the history of Swiss watchmaking. Named by Jack Heuer following the Monaco Grand Prix (for which TAG Heuer is still a partner), the watch represented a complete break from the aesthetic codes of traditional watchmaking, with its large square case, metallic blue dial, bright red minute hand, domed plastic crystal and, most notably, its crown positioned on the left which, at the time, meant that the watch did not need winding.
Its technology offered perfect water resistance – a first for a square watch. However, the origins of the revolution lay inside the watch: the famous Chronomatic Caliber 11, which was the first automatic chronograph movement offered for sale in the history of watchmaking.
With its track début in 1970, on the wrist of the Swiss driver Jo Siffert (the first racing driver to be sponsored by a watch brand – Heuer), the following year it enjoyed the limelight on the silver screen with Steve McQueen, who insisted on wearing it during filming for Le Mans in 1971.
Instantly recognizable and often copied, the “McQueen Monaco” (1133B model) has since become a much coveted watch on the auction and collectors’ circuit.
2015: Monaco Caliber 11 Chronograph: A direct descendant of the 1969 original
The 39 mm size, the crown on the left, the hallmark petroleum blue dial with two white counters, the date window at 6 o’clock, the diamond-polished horizontal hour indices, the inscribed vintage Heuer logo, the calibre 11 automatic chronograph with date and water-resistance to 100 meters – all the attributes of the Monaco.
The three-part steel case (since 1998), is slightly more square on the 2015 version, and closed with 4 screws; the two push-pieces at 2 and 4 o’clock are rectangular, the lugs a little larger, its calfskin strap perforated, the sapphire crystal (since 2009) and an open case-back which reveals the gears of the caliber are all features of the updated version. A beautiful interpretation that respects the iconic heritage of the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture.
Specifications
Reference
CAW211P.FC6356
Case
Dimensions 39X39mm. Steel, in three parts, closed with 4 screws.
Movement
TAG Heuer Calibre 11
Automatic chronograph with Date Window at 6 o’clock
Dubois Dépraz chronograph module
40-hour power reserve
Dial
Metallic blue, chronograph minute counter at 9 o’clock and current Seconds counter at 3 o’clock
Rhodium-plated indices with red dot detail and white Super Luminova™
TAG Heuer and Italian automotive giant Fiat have collaborated on a new limited edition Abarth car with matching timepiece for the 2016 Brussels Motor Show. The watch and the car are dual branded and designed to complement one another.
Usually, with car/watch tie-ins, the watch pays tribute to the car, but in this instance, the car also pays fulsome tribute to TAG Heuer with plenty of highly visible TAG Heuer branding. Getting hold of one of these branded vehicles however, might prove tricky as the 2016 Abarth 595 Competizione by TAG Heuer model will be limited to just 30 cars and is only available at Abarth dealerships throughout Belgium and Luxembourg.
Abarth is a much loved automobile maker now owned by Fiat. Essentially, the current Abarth is a revamped and specially branded Fiat 500, which in itself is enjoying a new lease of life as a trendy, nippy on trend car about town.
The TAG Heuer version of the Abarth 595 Competizione car features unique TAG Heuer interior and exterior branding, and comes with the watch, but otherwise it’s the same vehicle as the also new “standard” Abarth 595 Competizione cars.
The watch is a TAG Heuer Carrera automatic chronograph with retro-chic 1960s Carrera styling. The dial features the Abarth logo in the subsidiary seconds dial, and TAG Heuer has matched the steel case with a deep burgundy strap with red stitching.
Underneath the hood so to speak, the 41mm watch is powered by a trusty Swiss ETA Valjoux 7750 automatic mechanical chronograph movement. Not to be outdone, the Abarth 595 Competizione features a vroomy 180-horsepower 1.4-liter turbo engine delivering 0-100kph in 6.7 seconds.
Special features include special 17-inch alloy wheels, TAG Heuer branding, Brembo brakes, an Interscope sound system, special paint and aluminum finishing, and those all-important black with red accented Alcantara-wrapped boy racer seats. The Abarth 595 “Competizione By TAG Heuer” car and watch set retails at € 27,790, which is significantly less than you will pay for any number of high-end Swiss watches minus the car.
Less than a year on from the launch of the Carrera Heuer 01 in-house chronograph, the new generation of Carrera incorporates a chrono plus a flying tourbillon. The Carrera Heuer 02-T is entirely designed, developed and produced at the Manufacture TAG Heuer, and this new model is likely to create excitement at Baselworld.
For the Black Phantom model, the new Carrera case, made from 12 separate modular parts, is fashioned from black titanium. It houses the latest TAG Heuer caliber, the Heuer-02T. This chronograph movement is directly inspired by the CH-80 and is COSC-certified. Here, it combines with a tourbillon regulator that stands out for its black and gray design, its lightness thanks to the use of titanium and carbon, and its flying construction.
This new timepiece shares the skeletonized, sleek, contemporary design of the new generation of Carrera watches, with its skeleton bridges, open-worked hour circle and geometric bridges.
The Carrera Heuer-02T Black Phantom is a 250-piece edition priced at under CHF 20,000.
Specifications
Movement
Mechanical automatic, COSC-certified HEUER-02T calibre, flying tourbillon with titanium and carbon cage, 28,800 vib/h, skeletonised bridges, power reserve in excess of 65 hours.
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds on the tourbillon, date, chronograph, tachymeter.
Case
Grade 5 black titanium, 45 mm. Sapphire crystal front and back. Water-resistant to 100 metres (10 bar/330 ft).
Dial
Black skeleton. Black hands, hour-markers and counters, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock.
Bracelet/strap
Mat black alligator on black rubber, titanium folding clasp.
Other versions
Grade 5 titanium case and black titanium bezel with skeleton dial, silver hands and counters
Following tennis star Maria Sharapova’s unexpected announcement that she has tested positive for a banned drug and faces a ban from the sport, TAG Heuer has confirmed that it has immediately brought to an end its association with the former brand ambassador.
The world number 7 ranked women’s tennis player was under contract with TAG Heuer until December 31st, 2015 and the brand had been in talks to extend their collaboration, but in light of the developments the Swiss watch brand has decided to suspend negotiations.
Sharapova is believed to be the world’s highest paid female athlete, earning $30m (£21m) a year in endorsements. Her largest sponsorship deal is with Nike, which also chose to suspend its association with Sharapova following her announcement that she had failed a drugs test. Sharapova has been found to test positive for the substance meldonium, which was only banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in January of this year.
Sharapova has stated that she was not aware meldonium is the same substance as the mildronate she had been taking for 10 years for a number of health concerns including low magnesium levels and evidence of diabetes, which runs in her family.
Sharapova is the fifth professional athlete to test positive for the blood-flow promoting drug since it was outlawed in January.
In addition to TAG Heuer and Nike, luxury car brand Porsche has also moved quickly to distance themselves from the five-time Grand Slam winner following her news conference in Los Angeles.
As the investigation continues, Sharapova will be counting the cost of failing to meet rigorous guidelines on permitted drugs and substances. TAG Heuer for one has stated that its deal with Sharapova will not now be renewed.
Here’s a short video preview of Tag Heuer‘s 2016 Watch Collection at Baselworld 2016. Make sure to subscribe to Watchuseek’s Youtube Channel to get the videos as soon as they’re posted.
In recent years TAG Heuer had been hopelessly lost and trying to find itself. Well, leave it to Mr. Biver to save the day. Mr. Jean-Claude Biver’s strategy is simple but effective – revive the Heuer part of the brand. His team is requesting feedback from collectors and industry veterans on the best models. In fact, there is a contest which started today where anyone can vote for their favorite Autavia model, and the model with the most votes will go into production in 2017.
Today Tag Heuer presented the re-edition of Monza. It is a numbered special edition series (not limited). There is heavy emphasis on resurrecting the old Heuer that has the pre-TAG logo, fonts, as well as pulsometer and tachymeter on the dial. The 42mm case is made of grade 5 titanium with a PVD coating. Even though it is slightly larger than the original edition, it is much more comfortable to wear due to the lightweight titanium.
The movement inside the Monza re-edition is an ETA 2894-2 with a chronograph module. The red accents on the all black dial and case makes you think of racing a Ferrari down the F1 track.
Other model TAG was showcasing was the smart connected watch. Mr. Biver in his press conference said that in ten years’ time you will laugh at the early days of smart watches and think how silly they were. We are in a very early stage of smart watch (re)evolution. The watch is extremely light on the wrist and very easy to configure and readable under most conditions. The functionality always remains a question and perhaps that’s what Mr. Biver was referring to the early stages of evolution.
The English Premier League & TAG Heuer held simultaneous meetings this week in Hong Kong and London to announce and seal their new agreement. Twenty teams, all their matches, and the most followed football (soccer) league in the world, will now be running on TAG Heuer time, both on English pitches and on broadcasts across the globe in 185 countries.
On the field, the fourth official’s boards will now be shaped like a TAG Heuer Carrera watch, and will bear the name of the Swiss watch brand. The referees will be sporting the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch. During TV broadcasts, the TAG Heuer logo will also appear on screen.
TAG Heuer is already the Official Timekeeper for the German Bundesliga, MLS (Major Soccer League) in the USA, the 2016 Copa America which will take place in the USA in June, the Chinese Football Association Super League, and the Australian National Football team, and the partner of the prestigious English Championship.
For the joint announcement a duplex connection enables communication between the two events: – In Hong Kong, Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, symbolically sealed the deal with Tom Greenwood representing the Premier League, and the Manchester United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel, standing in front of a wheel of the Alpine cheese Mr. Biver produces on his pasture in Switzerland, in the company of guests.
The ceremony, which took place in the Four Seasons Hotel, clearly demonstrated that English football is as popular in Asia as it is back home in the UK.
Meanwhile in London, Richard Masters, Managing Director of the Premier League, Rob Diver, Managing Director of TAG Heuer UK, and Mike Riley, General Manager of the League’s referees simultaneously sealed the deal at Café Royal in the heart of the capital, joined by many guests, including Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri.
“Our partnership with the Premier League seals the important and strong involvement in football of TAG Heuer. We are particularly proud and pleased about this partnership, as it will be key in the promotion of our brand and its football activities in Asia and in the whole world.” Jean-Claude Biver, CEO , TAG Heuer and Chairman of the LVMH Watch Division
The TAG Heuer logo will appear during Premier League match broadcasts to 730 million homes in 185 countries across the world. TAG Heuer branding and its brand motto, #DontCrackUnderPressure, will also feature across all of the Premier League’s digital platforms, including its website and social media.
Things like this are simply not supposed to happen. English Premier League Football Club Leicester City were so unlikely to be crowned champions at the start of the football season last August you could get odds of 5000 to 1. One lucky fan actually placed a £40 bet on them and scooped £200,000.
But in spite of everything, including a much smaller budget than his other big name club rivals, in his first year as Manager of Leicester City, 64 year old Claudio Ranieri has managed to transform the club, which last year narrowly avoided relegation, and has turned them into Premier League Champions for the first time in their history.
The Italian born football manager has presided over many prestigious football clubs in his career including Fiorentina and Monaco in France, Inter Milan, Juventus, AS Roma, and Valencia in Italy, and Chelsea in the UK. He is a big fan of TAG Heuer and has worn a TAG Heuer watch for many years.
Last week, TAG Heuer made its English footballing début when it became the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the Premier League. Already the Official Timekeeper for the German Bundesliga, MLS (Major Soccer League) in the USA, the 2016 Copa America which will take place in the USA in June, the Chinese Football Association Super League, and the Australian National Football team, TAG Heuer is now also the partner of the English Championship.
Just a few days after the announcement of the historic agreement between TAG Heuer and the English Premier League, Claudio Ranieri today joins the brand’s family of ambassadors.
The brand has had an ambassador from the world of football, the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo, since 2014. Today, manager Claudio Ranieri also joins the TAG Heuer family as Brand Ambassador.
Just a brief but interesting news snippet. At the auction of Important Watches held recently by Sotheby’s, an 18K-gold Heuer Carrera chronometer, Calibre 12 Manufacture, with date, and once owned by Swedish Formula One driver Ronnie Peterson, fetched 225,000 CHF.
The watch, which was a gift by Jack Heuer to Peterson in 1972, is the Reference 1158 then known as “the race car driver’s watch.” At the time, the list price was CHF 950. The watch case is engraved with the words “Success Ronnie Peterson from Jack W. Heuer.”
The watch comes with a gold ingot commemorating the Prix Rouge et Blanc Joseph Siffert award Ronnie Peterson won for his performance at the 1972 German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.
