TAG Heuer originally founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer; has come a long way since its first patented chronograph watch in 1882. Well know within the industry as an innovative watch brand, it is not only synonymous with car racing but also has a close connection with sports. Tag Heuer Watches known to be one of the world’s leading Swiss watch brands have recently also launched luxury smart watches.
Getting to know the brand…
Founded in 1860, the brand has built a reputation for quality and precision workmanship. The company became a specialist in the field of sporting events due to a series of innovations as early back as 1880.
A milestone in the company’s progress was the simplification of the chronograph movement. In 1887 Edouard Heuer simplified the chronograph by developing and patenting the oscillating pinion. Basically it replaced a more complex system and is still used today by major movement manufacturers. This innovation by Heuer not only simplified the manufacturing, assembly, adjustment, and service, but also helped improve timekeeping and reliability. The innovation became very popular as it reduced the cost of manufacturing of mechanical chronographs and increased the rate of production.
In 1916 the company made another major technical achievement – the first mechanical stopwatch able to measure 1/100th of a second. The original Micrograph not only transformed sports timekeeping but also served as the official stopwatch for the 1920 Olympics. It was launched by Charles-Auguste Heuer. While the first dashboard stopwatch for race cars; the Autavia was also launched by the brand in 1933.
In 1962 Heuer became the first Swiss watch to be used in space; it was a Heuer 2915A stopwatch which served as the mission back-up timer, in space. Currently the watch has been kept at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington. Eventually D.C. Heuer was acquired by TAG Group in 1985; to become TAG Heuer Company; the name we know it by today; the company has been purchased by LVMH in 1999.
A notable model of the brand is the Carrera which got its name from Carrera Panamericana, a dangerous race run on public roads in Mexico from 1950 to 1954. Jack Heuer suggested the name as the model is associated with automobile racing; and he wanted to create a watch for race drivers. The idea behind the watch was something which is easy to read and understand; but also strong enough to withstand the vibrations drivers experience during a race.
Some of the other popular models …
Tag Heuer Watches come in various styles and prices; if you are new to luxury watches it would be a good idea to start off ones that are at slightly more attainable prices. Let’s take a look at some of these models.
Aquaracer 300m- it is quite a popular watch of Tag Heuer displaying a sporty look. It was launched in 2004 and true to its name the watch can descended up to 300 meters underwater, or nearly 1,000 feet below the surface. It has a 41-mm diameter case; while the Swiss-made Caliber 5 automatic movement operates at 28,800 vph or 4 Hz with a 38-hour power reserve.
Monaco Calibre 6- It depicts an iconic square shape which has remained the same for decades; which works as an advantage for the brand as it provides instant recognition at a glance. It was the first-ever square water-resistant case to be launched in 1969. Now the TAG Heuer Monaco has an automatic-winding mechanical movement in a stylish and distinctive case.
Carrera Calibre 1887- as mentioned above 1887 was the year Edouard Heuer invented the oscillating pinion, a noted development for chronographs and in 1963, Jack Heuer named the Carrera collection after the Carrera Panamericana. Finally in 2010 TAG Heuer put its newly developed Caliber 1887 chronograph movement in the Carrera. The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 Auto Chrono has a 43 mm case and has a sporty look with its black and elegant anthracite gray dials.
Besides this there are various other Tag Heuer Watches you can consider buying depending on your budget, requirements, interest and so on. Besides going to a store you could visit the brands website to get a better understanding about the brand. Moreover, there are various online stores like Zimson Watches which offer a variety of luxury watches one can purchase or browse online. Being a reputed watch store in India, the online version was set-up by Zimson to be able to offer their services throughout the country.