Tagging With Speed

Precision, innovation, technology, sports and speed ARE synonymous with this brand name. Aindrila Mitra traces the mantra of TAG Heuer’s success story.

Watches have the immense power to make or break you. And that‘s no myth. An innocuous timepiece, is actually a reflection of your personality. Each brand displays various facets of character through models, shapes and sizes. So if you are a sports enthusiast, the kind of person who lives, breathes and dreams adventure, then TAG Heuer is definitely your timekeeper.

Founded by Edouard Heuer in 1860, TAG holds an impressive number of patents, starting with its winding crown mechanism in 1869. More than a century later, TAG, in the contemporary Swiss watch-making industry, stands as the fourth luxury watch brand worldwide - holding a prime position in sports timekeeping, relentlessly pushing the boundaries of accuracy and innovation to their utmost limits.

TAG’s legacy has not stagnated since its inception in the 19th century. Jack Heuer, the great-grandson of Edouard Heuer, remains actively involved in TAG Heuer SA, serving as honorary chairman and participating in the creation of new products like the Autavia and a Carrera limited edition, launched to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Carrera, created by Jack himself in 1964. Jack and the TAG team of engineers, designers and watchmakers continually set themselves new challenges in keeping with the idea of innovation through adventure, like that presented by the Indy Racing League and the Indy 500, the most meticulous sporting discipline in the world, for which TAG has been signed as the official timekeeper.

In fact the brand’s active involvement at the pinnacle of professional sports is the driving force behind its commitment to creating the most precise measuring instruments and sports-inspired timepieces ever made. More than any other brand, it is TAG’s name that is linked to the fortunes of the greatest events, teams and champions in the sports world - from the Olympic Games in the 1920’s to the Indy 500 in 2004, from renowned athletes like Tiger Woods, Ayrton Senna and Marion Jones, to famous teams like Ferrari, McLaren and Oracle-BMW Racing. Working closely with perfectionists in the sports field has its own set of benefits too. TAG Heuer has successively shattered timekeeping barriers of 1/100th, 1/1,000th and even 1/10,000th of a second, thanks to the precision of time with the sports stars. Besides, the brand reinforced its links with this demanding discipline in the 1970’s by associating its name with that of a range of great champions (including Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Clay Regazzoni and Gilles Villeneuve). In 1985, TAG signed on as McLaren-Mercedes’ official F1 timekeeper.

Ever since, the two have worked side by side, creating not only one of the longest-running associations between a racing team and a company in the history of Formula One, but also one of the most successful, with six Constructors’ World Championship titles, eight Drivers’ titles (three with Alain Prost in 1985, 1986 and 1989, three with Ayrton Senna in 1988, 1990 and 1991, and two with Mika Hakkinen in 1998 and 1999). Also, ahead of its times, the exclusive Link sports watch which was created in 1987 and relaunched in 1999 has been the favourite chronograph of Senna in the 1990’s. Besides, the TAG Heuer SLR Chronograph celebrates the launch of the super sports car and the brand’s 20-year old partnership with Team McLaren Mercedes. The movement is specially outfitted with a regulator that mirrors the look and the utility of a sports car dashboard, while the chronograph buttons on the top of the case - a first in the world of watch making - mirror the SLR McLaren Mercedes-Benz’s unique steering-wheel gearshift.

However, TAG Heuer and McLaren Mercedes partnership is stronger that ever. All Mercedes McLaren cars carry the TAG technology, not just in F1 but at all professional levels of the sport. This year TAG re-launched the New TAG Heuer Formula 1, first created by the brand in 1986 and now showcased by the young and audacious F1 driver, Kimi Raikkonen. Kudos to Kimi’s expertise, TAG has created an entirely new sporty and hip design for this timepiece, making it the perfect watch for all occasions - weekend, vacation, on the ski slope, or at the kart track.

From watches to sunglasses (the TAG Heuer Sport Vision Physics Sunglasses), this brand being noted mainly for its rugged look has also reworked four of its most iconic lines, creating powerfully feminine looks that are more in tune with the tastes and desires of style-conscious women. For fashion-forward women who dare to live on the leading edge of style and design, TAG has created the glamorous Micrometer, the first wristwatch accurate to 1/1,000th of a second. Oversized with a stylish, feminine bracelet in denim, or in the ultra-luxurious, superlatively cutting edge Micrometer diamonds version, this timepiece indeed is for the bold woman of the 21st century. In terms of fashion accessories to be in sync with the style statement made through the watch, TAG introduced the Monaco Python and the Monaco White Absolute, which is meant for those who do not follow trends, rather who set the fashion tone by accentuating their seductiveness and femininity.

TAG Heuer has taken full advantage of its privileged position at the heart of the sporting world to create a unique ‘golden trilogy’ of watch-making perfection, uniting the vision of sports prodigies with watchmaker, producers and customers to produce pieces that are not only exceptional in terms of precision but hold a lot of prestige. Since taking over distribution in Canada in 1999 and in Taiwan at the start of 2000, the brand now commands a strict control over its international distribution network. To the existing fleet of shops in Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Bangkok, Manila and Dubai were added new boutiques in Beijing, New Delhi, Kuwait City, Moscow and Karachi.

With its undisputed leadership in terms of positioning and a brand presence in more that 100 countries, TAG sure is spearheading the revolution in sports watches.

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