TAG Heuer Watches

About TAG Heuer Watches

Long before you could buy a TAG Heuer watch, the brand Heuer was founded in 1860 by Eduoard Heuer. The company patented its first chronograph in 1882, and in 1887, it patented an oscillating pinion mechanism that is still used by major watchmakers worldwide. In 1911, Heuer patented the first dashboard chronograph called Time of Tip. It was designed for use in cars and airplanes.

By placing itself in the middle of an emerging industry, Heuer had a consistent cash flow that was available for research and development. Because of this, Heuer was able to release the Micrograph in 1916, which was the most accurate stopwatch at the time. Soon after, the company developed another stopwatch, which was even more accurate than its predecessor. In 1933 the company made the Autavia, which was a dashboard timer used for automobiles and planes. This clock could run for eight days without being wound. Shortly after, from 1935 through the 1940's, the company made chronographs for the German air force, and because of this, Heuer was able to market their brand as one of the most reliable watches in Germany.

In the early 1950's the company produced style-oriented watches for Abercrombie & Fitch. One could buy the Seafarer and Auto-Graph exclusively through A&F. Each watch had special dials that combined unique color patterns. From the 50's to the 70's, Heuer’s precision watches were popular among automobile racers. Heuer was the leading manufacturer for stop watches and timing equipment. Heuer chronographs were produced with the logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the face. As the company’s watches made their way into American society, they continued to experience this kind of success.

In 1962, Heuer became the first Swiss watch to enter space. John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch when he piloted the spacecraft that orbited the earth. The Carrera chronograph was introduced in 1963 and had a very simple design, including only black dials and black registers.

In the early 60's, Heuer acquired the Leonidas brand and started marketing its watches under the name Heuer-Leonidas. This was a very strategic acquisition because the company acquired one of Leonidas’ collections, the Bindeswehr. These watches featured a fly-back mechanism so that when the chronograph hit zero, it began to run again.

During the mid-60's, Heuer partnered with Breitling and Hamilton to develop the first automatic chronograph. The first Heuer automatic chronographs available to buy were the Autavia, Carrera, and Monaco. All three were powered by the Call 11 and Call 12 movements. In 1975, Heuer introduced the Chronosplit, which was a digital chronograph with duel LED and LCD displays. Finally, TAG Heuer was founded in 1985 when Techniques d'Avant Garde (TAG) acquired the brand Heuer. Today, customers can buy TAG Heuer's most popular lines, including the Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, and Grand Carrera.

TAG Heuer is aggressive in keeping up with current style and maintaining the popularity that it has always had. The company accomplishes this by being the official time keeper of major sporting events such as the Summer Olympics, Skiing World Championships, and the Formula One World Championships. The company has also steered its efforts towards developing a watch for the McLaren F1 team. TAG Heuer also prides itself on having a long list of sports and Hollywood ambassadors. By maintaining innovative looks and contracting famous people to ambassadorship, those who buy a TAG Heuer can be confident in its position as one of the finest luxury watch brands today.