TAG Heuer
Heuer was established in 1860 by a forward thinking sports enthusiast, who was only 20 years old at the time, Edouard Heuer. What he wanted to develop was an extremely accurate pocket chronograph which could be used in sporting events. His workshop in St Imier became well known for precise and accurate timers. In 1869 he patented a new stem-winding system. At the Paris Exposition in 1880 Edouard Heuers collection of watches won a silver medal.
This was only the beginning of Heuer's achievements. He developed the first timer with the ability to measure time within 1/10th of a second in 1916. Heuer was the official time-keeper to the Olympic Games in Antwerp (1920), Paris (1924) and Amsterdam (1928) The flyback mechanism was introduced in 1930.
WWII brought new developments to a standstill for Heuer. In 1949 Heuer launched the Solunar, a timing instrument showing Tidal times and the development of the Chronosplit, a double display wristwatch quartz chronograph.
In 1974 Heuer was appointed official timekeeper to the Ferrari Formula 1 Team, although it is not the firm's first association with motor racing. Jack Heuer, Edouard's grandson, developed a passion for motor racing in the 1950's. He actually tried racing first hand, competing in the US. He was intrigued by a famous 2,000 mile race across North America to the Guatemalan frontier. He was so impressed that in 1964 he persuaded his father Charles-Edouard to produce a wrist chronograph and name it the Carrera. It was the very first Heuer watch to bear a name and it became an immediate success.
In 1980 Heuer was once again named official timekeeper of the Olympics, the Moscow Olympics. The games were its last and ended a 60 year connection.
Two years later, the Piaget group acquired an equity interest in the company, and in 1985 became a total acquisition by TAG ( Techniques D' Avant Garde), a French company specializing in advanced technology. Henceforth, the company became TAG-Heuer.
In 1987 the firm developed a new line of electronic timing equipment to meet the critical demands of modern sports and launched a new line, the S/E1 Sports Elegance Collection. New collections of chronographs and chronometers, even more precise, use all the technological advances in both quartz and mechanical horology, and the firm's prestige in the field was marked by its appointment as Official Timekeeper to the Formula 1 World Championship.
TAG-Heuer's current collections include the 6000 series, of which the top of
the line model is the 6000 Gold, an automatic with date in solid 18 Karat gold; there is a
chronometer version, officially certified, in steel or steel and gold with a variety of
dials, on a strap or a bracelet. A ladies model in steel or bicolor is also
available with mechanical quartz movement with center-seconds, date and an
end-of-battery-life indicator.
The S/E1 series includes a certified chronometer in a stylish case of steel or bicolor, enhanced by a distinctive bracelet. This series, too, is available with quartz movements, including a ladies model in alternately polished and fine brushed steel. Top of this series is a mechanical automatic chronograph in a steel case, water resistant to 660 feet. A choice of 1/10th or 1/100th- second timing is available.
The S/E1 series also comes on water-buffalo hide straps with a folding buckle, and there is a choice of mechanical automatic or quartz movements.
The Tag Heuer also features a 4000 series of Sports Watches, fitted with mechanical automatic or quartz movements, on sharkskin straps or metal bracelets.
The 2000 series, also available with mechanical or quartz movements, with gold-plated bezels and bracelet inserts which TAG-Heuer regards as its "starter" line for junior sportsmen and women, although there is an automatic 1/10th second chronograph in the series which ranks up there with the best of them.
Finally there is the 1500 series, all quartz, two sizes of steel case, water resistant to 660 feet, with date and center-seconds.
The Formula 1 series, all quartz- has the 1/10th-second chronographs and straight divers models in synthetic cases. These watches have colored bezels and straps or smooth metal bracelets.
The latest model to join the line-up is the 1964 Heuer Carrera commemorative
chronograph. Based on the 1964 model introduced so passionately by Jack Heuer, it
comes in stainless steel or 18 Karat gold case with mechanical chronograph movement; a
flange on the rim of the dial angled at 30 degrees provides a 1/5th-second
scale. The dial- in black, white or silver- is protected by a plexiglas watch glass-
the same material as the original- and the model has a wider crown and larger push pieces
for easier operation when wearing driving gloves.
The contributions that TAG-Heuer has made to the watch industry and sports world continues to grow. It remains one of the most comprehensive line of sports watches, from the relatively inexpensive to the wildly extravagant, of any manufacturer.