TAG HEUER Watches

A comprehensive archive of TAG HEUER Watches. Each model or type is featured with detailed pictures & specifications to tell you virtually everything you need to know about TAG HEUER wristwatches we've handled since 2005.

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About TAG HEUER

TAG HEUER is a Swiss watchmaker known for its mid - high range sports watches & chronographs. It is a division of leading luxury goods company LVMH. The company motto is "Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860".

Edouard Heuer founded a watchmaking company in 1860. Some early highlights of the company's early history include the following: In 1869, Edouard Heuer patented the first crown-winding mechanism for pocket watches. In 1889, during the Universal Exhibition in Paris, the Heuer company won a silver medal for its collection of pocket chronographs. In 1911, the company received a patent for the "Time of Trip", the first dashboard chronograph.

Ed. Heuer introduced its first wrist chronograph in 1914. The crown was at the twelve o'clock position, as these first wrist chronographs were adapted from pocket chronographs. In 1916, Heuer introduced the "Micrograph", the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second. In 1933, Heuer introduced the "Autavia", a dashboard timer used for Automobiles & Aviation (and thus the name "Autavia"). The companion "Hervue" was a clock that had an 8-day movement (meaning that it could run for eight days without being wound).

In the early 1950s, Heuer produced watches for the American retailer, Abercrombie & Fitch. The "Seafarer" & "Auto-Graph" were unique chronographs produced by Heuer to be sold by Abercrombie & Fitch. The "Seafarers" had special dials -- with blue, green & yellow patterns -- that showed the high-tide & the low-tide. This dial could also be used to track the phases of the moon. Heuer introduced its own version of this chronograph in the late 1960s, known as the "Mareographe". The "Auto-Graph" was produced in 1953 & 1954, & was designed to compute the speed of an automobile over a measured mile.

In 1958, Heuer introduced a new line of timepieces, designed to be mounted on the dashboard of an automobile -- or an airplane or boat. Leading models of these dashboard timers included the Master Time (8-day clock), the Monte Carlo (12-hour stopwatch), the Super Autavia (full chronograph), Sebring (60-minute, split second timer) & Auto-Rallye (60-minute stopwatch). Heuer continued to manufacture this line of timepieces, into the 1980s.

During the period from the 1950s through the 1970s, Heuers were popular watches among automobile racers, both professionals & amateurs. The Autavia chronograph was introduced in 1962 & featured a rotating bezel, marked in either hours, minutes or with a tachymeter scale. The Autavia name had previously been used on Heuer's dashboard timers (described above). The Carrera chronograph, designed by Jack Heuer, was introduced in 1963, & became a design icon, known for its clean lines. Most of Heuer chronographs from this period used movements manufactured by Valjoux, including the legendary Valjoux 72 movement (for a 12-hour chronograph).

Heuer acquired the "Leonidas" brand in the early 1960s, with the combined company marketing watches under the "Heuer-Leonidas" name. One of the designs that Heuer acquired from Leonidas was the "Bundeswehr" chronograph, used by the German air force. These "BWs" feature a "fly-back" mechanism, so that when the chronograph is reset to zero, it immediately begins running again, to time the next segment or event.

In 1969, Heuer was part of a partnership (with Breitling & Hamilton), that introduced the first automatic chronographs. Heuer's first automatic chronographs were the Autavia, Carrera & Monaco. These chronographs were powered by the Cal 11 & Cal 12 movements (12-hour chronograph); Cal 14 movement (12-hour chronograph & additional hand for GMT / second time-zone); & the Cal 15 movement (30-minute chronograph). An unusual feature of these chronographs was that the winding crown was on the left, with the pushers for the chronograph on the right. The earliest of Heuer's Cal 11 chronographs (from 1969) used the Chrono-Matic name; soon after that time, Heuer discontinued its use of that reference.

In the early 1980s, Heuer introduced a series of chronographs powered by the Lemania 5100 movement. These chronographs have the minute hand for the chronograph on the center pinion (rather than on a smaller register), greatly improving legibility. This series of chronographs was considered to be very rugged & durable.

TAG HEUER was formed in 1985 when TAG (Techniques d'Avant Garde), manufacturers of high-tech items such as ceramic turbochargers for Formula 1 cars, acquired Heuer. Together they modernized the product line & became one of the biggest names in Swiss watches.

On September 13, 1999 TAG HEUER accepted a bid from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. of 1.15 billion francs ($739 million) contingent upon a transfer of 50.1% of stocks.

TAG HEUER focuses primarily on chronographs with some less expensive models in each line with non-chronograph features. The lines inlcude Monaco, Carrera, Link, Aquaracer, Kirium & others. Automatic (self-winding) movements & water resistance are the norm, as well as sapphire crystals & sometimes also windows on the back of the watch to view the movement.

At the end of 2003, TAG HEUER ended its association with F1 as the official timekeeper, allowing the way the graphics are displayed to undergo a facelift in 2004 where Siemens replaced TAG as the timekeeper. It signalled the end of the large black overlays which were an icon during the late 90s & early 2000s.

Some of the more recently announced models include the Monaco V4 (the movement of which is driven by belts rather than gears); the Carrera 360 (the first mechanical wrist chronograph to measure & display time to 1/100th of a second); & the Monaco 69 (featuring both a digital chronograph accurate to 1/1000th of a second & a traditional mechanical movement, with a hinged mechanism allowing wearers to flip the watch between its two separate dials).

TAG HEUER has also announced a cellphone watch to be released in 2007.

Wikipedia contributors. TAG HEUER. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. April 28, 2007, 06:53 UTC. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/.... Accessed May 3, 2007.