TAG Heuer is the Swiss watch brand with the most legitimate links to the challenging world of high-precision motor sports. It is the first to sponsor a racecar team and sign racecar drivers as brand ambassadors, and the only brand to master Chronographs offering peerless precision to within 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1000th of a second, not to mention the only one to time motor racing sports events such as Indy 500 or the Race of Champions to the nearest 1/10,000th of a second. TAG Heuer has built its unique reputation on the core values and codes of the sport: advanced design and materials, ultimate precision and ultimate reliability.
Today, through its continuing partnerships in Formula One with team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Indy Racing League, Race of Champions, GT cars for Mercedes-Benz, and the AGS Formula One Driving School, TAG Heuer is more engaged in the demanding sport of racing than any other watch brand.
From the famous "Time of Trip" of 1911, the first car dashboard chronograph, to this year's TAG Heuer SLR chronograph for Mercedes-Benz, TAG Heuer has created avant-garde products that answer the needs of professional car racing. In 1916, TAG Heuer launched the Micrograph, the first stopwatch able to measure 1/100ths of a second. It was followed in 1933 by the Autavia, the first dashboard chronograph for both automobiles and aviation and in 1966, the Microtimer with a time-keeping system mastering 1,000th of a second precision.
From Juan-Manuel Fangio in the 50's to Jo Siffert in 1969, Emerson Fittipaldi in 1974, Niki Lauda in the 70's, Jody Scheckter in 1979, Alain Prost in the 80's, Ayrton Senna in the 80's, Mika Hakkinen in 90's, Kimi Raïkkönen till last season, and Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in 2007, and from Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren-Texaco in the 1970s to Vodafone-McLaren-Mercedes today, TAG Heuer's historic partnerships with the greatest names in motor racing is unparalleled in the world of watch making and timekeeping.
NEW TAG Heuer Formula 1
Launched in 1986, the original TAG Heuer Formula 1 paid tribute to TAG Heuer's long-standing ties with Formula One. Official Timekeeper of Scuderia Ferrari in the 1970s, of the Formula One World Championship from 1992 to 2003, and every McLaren F1 team since 1985, TAG Heuer has been a dominating presence in this prestigious sport since the first F1 Grand Prix in 1950.
F1 heroes like Juan-Manuel Fangio, Joe Siffert, Jacky Ickx, Carlos Pace, Clay Regazzoni, Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Gilles Villeneuve, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raïkonnen have been part of TAG Heuer's incomparable roster of racing ambassadors. Now it's the turn of McLaren's new F1 hero, two-time FIA Formula one World Champion Fernando Alonso, to endorse the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 sports watch.
The "serious sports watch with cool, casual attitude" has been entirely redesigned and upgraded in terms of aesthetics and quality, and proposes a range of dynamic colors associated with the TAG Heuer 6 features for which the watch is famous:
"Easy Grip" screw-in crown, titanium carbide coated unidirectional turning bezel with raised fine-brushed steel numbers, water-resistant to 200 meters, luminescent markers on hands and hour-markers, anti-scratch sapphire crystal, and double safety clasp with extension system.
The perfect first-time TAG Heuer timepiece for watch enthusiasts and race car fans, this new TAG Heuer Formula 1 is available in a watch format with black, red, or white dial, or as a Chronograph with orange, red, silver or black dial. The TAG Heuer logo is elegantly engraved on the case band as well as stamped into the new, thick and sporty rubber strap. It also comes in a steel bracelet version. Never before had the TAG Heuer F1 combined so much sportiness with watchmaking sophistication.
Monaco Vintage Limited Edition
First immortalized on Steve McQueen's wrist in the 1970 racing film, Le Mans, the original Monaco, with its big, squared-off case and truly avant-garde Chronomatic Calibre 11-the first chronograph movement with an automatic micro-rotor mechanism-is a mythical icon of modern watchmaking history.
TAG Heuer's all-new vintage version sports a powerful design true to the revolutionary spirit of the original: black dial with orange and blue stripes, vintage "GULF" logo at 6 o'clock and matching black alligator strap with orange stitching. This stunning piece is a tribute to the Porsche-Gulf 917K racecar in the movie Le Mans.
The legendary Porsche 917-Gulf K, one of the most celebrated automobiles in motor racing, was only produced from 1969 to 1973. Equipped with a 600+ horsepower, 5-litre engine and capable of speeds up to 362 km/h, its success surpassed all expectations, winning Le Mans in 1970 and 1971 and setting a record that holds to this day: 5,335km at an average of 222 km/h. Its unique design and orange and blue colors, make this racecar an unforgettable dream machine.
To give added authenticity to the Porsche 917 Gulf driving scenes in the movie, McQueen insisted on wearing the Monaco chronograph because the just-out chronograph was considered the most authentic car-racing watch on the circuit. A sport and glamour legend was born...
The edgy new Monaco Vintage is equally authentic and iconic. Launched this year in a limited edition of 4,000 pieces, it is destined to become another cult classic that will appeal to racing purists and lovers of strong, disruptive design.
TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz
Following the extraordinary success of the TAG Heuer SLR Chronograph Calibre 36R in 2004 (available exclusively for owners of the SLR car), and the TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz in 2006, TAG Heuer presents an even stronger version for 2007. The new TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz, in a limited edition of 3,500, celebrates not only one of the world's most powerful and exclusive sports cars, but also the long and fruitful alliance between TAG Heuer, McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. Its avant-garde design embodies the common values shared by these brands: prestige, innovation, and, of course, a passion for car racing. The new edition of the Chronograph has captured some of the most distinctive design elements of the latest version of the SLR Dream Machine, the famous SLR 722 edition powered by a 650 ps engine and reaching 337 km/h: the painted exposed black carbon front spoiler and palladium-grey wheels rim spider have inspired the titanium-carbide black tachymeter bezel, while the red SLR lettering and red-painted brake callipers are echoed by the red painted hands. Like the SLR 722, the new TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes breathes more strength and pedigree than ever before.
The SLR's innovative tradition continues with push buttons inclined at 45° (inspired by the paddle shifter of the SLR car), giving unparalleled ergonomic access to the chronograph function even while driving. The internal turning bezel is bi-directional, driven by a second crown at 9 o'clock that allows the driver to measure elapsed or remaining racing time. The exterior fixed bezel is finished in black fine-brushed titanium carbide with engraved tachymeter scale for calculating speeds.
Aimed at watch making connoisseurs and car racing fans, the new TAG Heuer SLR for Mercedes-Benz blends pure performance with the avant-garde. Its unique race car features, coupled with easy-to-read hands, spiral-effect dial, and a powerful steel bracelet or rubber strap that mirrors the SLR side grill, enhance its racing legitimacy, making it "the most authentic Chronograph for Professional Race Drivers and high profile GT owners on today's watch market."
Tag Heuer: the Luxury Watch Reference in Water Sports
Alongside motor sports, TAG Heuer, through its timekeeping activities, sponsorship programs and brand ambassadors, plays key roles in a number of other top-flight sports. Nowhere is this truer than in water sports, from diving to sailing. As a result of its longstanding involvement in diving and competitive sailing, TAG Heuer is the expert in creating technically sophisticated, water-inspired timepieces, dating back to its 1895 patent for one of the first water-resistant cases for pocket watches. From the 1950 invention of the Mareograph (called the Seafarer in the United States), the world's first chronograph with tide level indicator and dial for regatta, to the 1982 launch of the famous Aquaracer (then named "2000" series), the original professional sports watch inspired by professional water sports and on through to the 2002 Aquagraph Chronograph, the ultimate Professional Scuba-Diving Chronograph resistant to 500 meters, TAG Heuer has ruled the water, providing unparalleled reliability and precision.
In 2005, TAG Heuer became official partner of the China Team challenge for the 32nd America's Cup (CHN 95), the first Chinese team ever to participate to the Louis Vuitton Cup as challenger for the America's Cup.
This year, a new fleet of Aquaracers is ready for launch. Composed of professional sports watches dedicated to sailing and diving and loaded with the famous "TAG Heuer 6" features, the range features a timeless design that is simple, sober, superlatively sporty and unmistakably chic.
Aquaracer Chronograph Calibre 16 Day-Date
The all-new Aquaracer Chronograph Calibre 16 Day-Date is the most upscale addition to TAG Heuer's iconic sports chronograph series. An oversized (Ø43mm) automatic chronograph with an additional day-date function, it carries the classic TAG Heuer 6 features that make TAG Heuer the undisputed world leader for sports chronograph design and performance: unidirectional turning bezel with minutes scale and 6 studs for best diving-glove grip; double safety clasp; water resistance to 300 meters; screw-in crown; sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment; and luminescent hands and indexes.
This masculine and daring timepiece sports the Aquaracer's iconic dual bezel design but features a significantly larger case, spiral-effect dial design, stronger detailing, and finer workmanship, creating a more upscale and sophisticated appearance.
The fine-finished dials are in black, silver or blue. The TAG Heuer logo is hand-applied, as are the faceted frame around the day-date window and the polished rings on the chronograph counters. Rectangular shaped pushbuttons and sturdy wristbands -black rubber strap with unique textures and TAG Heuer logo, or an alternately polished and fine-brushed steel strap - reinforce the rugged sporting appeal of a truly iconic chronograph.