Heuer Watches
TAG Heuer S.A. is a luxury Swiss watchmaker that designs, manufactures, and sells high-end watches, fashion accessories, glasses, and mobile phones. The company was launched as Hauer in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland.
During the mid-1940s, Heuer expanded its line of timepieces by introducing two-register and three-register models, as well as a three-register chronograph that had a full calendar function including day, date, and month. These “triple calendar” chronographs represented the highest advancement of Heuer’s chronographs and were available in stainless steel and 14k, 18k, and 22k gold cases. The dial colours available were white, black, or copper.
In the 1950s, Heuer made watches for Abercrombie & Fitch, including the “Seafarer” and “Auto-Graph” timepieces. The “Seafarer” had unique dials that showed tide and moon phases, while the “Auto-Graph” featured a tachymeter scale and hand users could set for calculating speed or counting scores.
Heuer manufactured dashboard timepieces for cars, aircraft, and boats starting in 1911. The company presented a new line of dashboard timepieces in 1958, which comprised various models designed for racers and rally car drivers. Heuer also made timing devices for ski and motor racing events, including Formula One. Heuer manufactured dashboard timepieces until the 1980s, after which they stopped production.
Heuer watches were popular among racers from the 1950s to 1970s. They also produced stopwatches and timing equipment. In 1962, John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch on the first US crewed space flight. The company introduced the Autavia chronograph in 1962, which had a rotating bezel marked in either hours, minutes, decimal minutes, or with a tachymeter scale.
In 1963, Heuer introduced the Carrera watch, designed by Jack Heuer, a great-grandson of Edouard. The Carrera had a plain design with a fixed inner bezel divided into one-fifth-second increments. In the 1960s, the Carrera watch came in assorted designs, including all-white, all-black, white registers on a black dial, and black registers on a black dial. Additionally, a triple calendar version featuring three registers was introduced in 1968.
The TAG Heuer Carrera is a world-famous watch worn by celebrities and coveted watch lovers around the globe. The main reason for its high price is its unique movements. For example, this watch has a vertical clutch in place of an oscillating pinion for enhanced precision.
In 1985, the TAG Group purchased a majority stake in the company, which resulted in the formation of TAG Heuer. In 1999, LVMH acquired almost all the Swiss company’s shares. TAG Heuer has a watchmaking workshop in Cornol, Switzerland, and a watchmaking factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The company’s slogan is “Swiss Avant-Garde Since 1860”.
