Watches

In 1962, Tag Heuer became the first Swiss watchmaker in space. John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch when he piloted the Mercury Atlas 6 spacecraft on the first US manned space flight. This stopwatch was the back-up clock for the mission, and was started manually by Glenn 20 seconds into the flight. This stopwatch is currently on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. A Heuer stopwatch can be seen and heard in the opening to the news program 60 Minutes. Viewers who requested them from CBS received a free sample of this stopwatch. Even though the name TAG Heuer surfaced from the acquisition of Heuer by TAG, it can be loosely translated to “day year”, or “day, this year.”

In 1969, Heuer was part of a partnership (with Breitling and Hamilton), that introduced the first automatic chronographs. Heuer’s first automatic chronographs were the Autavia, Carrera and Monaco. These chronographs were powered by the Cal 11 and Cal 12 movements (12-hour chronograph); Cal 14 movement (12-hour chronograph and additional hand for GMT / second time-zone); and 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. In the early 1980’s, 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 and 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 and 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. 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 and early 2000s.

Advantages of Breitling Mechanical Movements

In the early 1950’s, Heuer produced watches for the American retailer, Abercrombie & Fitch. The “Seafarer” was a unique chronograph sold by Abercrombie & Fitch, in that it had a special dial that showed the high-tide and 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 1960’s, known as the “Mareographe”.

During the period from the 1950’s through the 1970’s, Heuers were popular watches among automobile racers, both professionals and amateurs. The Autavia chronograph was introduced in 1962; previously the Autavia name was used on the company’s dashboard timers (described above) The Carrera chronograph, designed by Jack Heuer, was introduced in 1963, and 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 (12 hour chronograph).

The Breitling Emergency version contains a highly protected and powerful radio transmitter for civil aviation use. This broadcasts on the 121.5 MHz distress frequency and serves as a back-up for ELT-type airborne beacons. For military users, Breitling has equipped the Emergency with a miniaturized transmitter operating on the 243 MHz military frequency.

Under normal conditions—flat terrain or calm seas—the Emergency’s signal will be picked up at a range of up to 90 nautical miles (167 km) by search aircraft flying at 20,000 feet (6,000 m).

In an incident that demonstrates how the Emergency can be used to save lives, Reuters reports that two British pilots, Squadron Leader Steve Brooks and Flight Lieutenant Hugh Quentin-Smith, crashed their helicopter in Antarctica and were rescued after activating their Breitling Emergency transmitter watches. The two pilots were in their lifeboat when a Chilean Otter aircraft found them after homing in on signals from their watches.

The Emergency is available for customers who do not hold a pilot’s licence, but they must sign an agreement stating that they will bear the full costs of a rescue intervention should they trigger the distress beacon. The model was heavily advertised by the Breitling Orbiter 3—both Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard were wearing the Emergency.

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 and 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).

Quartz models such as the Breitling Aeromarine Colt start at $1,650.00, while typical prices of mechanical, steel cased models are $7,300 (US) for the Breitling for Bentley Motors model. The expense is clearly in the 38 jewel self-winding movement as these steel cased models are more expensive than some of Breitling’s Titanium or Gold models.

TAG-Heuer Watches

TAG-Heuer is one of the world’s leading watch producers, with current sales placing it among the top four companies in the world. Some popular TAG Heuer wristwatch models currently being produced include the Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, Formula 1 and Kirium.

TAG Heuer has always had a strong connection with auto racing, and in fact first became known on a worldwide basis when Steve McQueen wore a Heuer “Monaco” chronograph in the 1971 film “Le Mans”. Tiger Woods is one of the many stars of sport currently sponsored by TAG. Other current “ambassadors” for the brand include actress Uma Thurman, NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and tennis star Maria Sharapova.

TAG-Heuer has recently announced the development of some new models that will use cutting edge technology. Recently announced or introduced models include the Monaco V4 (which will be driven by belts, rather than gears); the Carrera 360 (which will have a chronograph that times events to 1/100th of a second) and the Monaco 69 (which has an mechanical time-of-day watch, and also a digital timer accurate to 1/1000th of a second, with a hinged mechanism that “flips” the watch between two separate dials). The introduction of these new models marks the re-emergence of TAG-Heuer as a true “manufacturer” of watches (rather than merely being a “brand”, and draws on the company’s capability in the development, engineering and production of prototypes.

Prices of the 2006 models ranging from $695 to $17,500 USD.

TAG Heuer (pronounced Tag-ho-yer) is a Swiss watchmaker known for manufacturing high-end sports watches and chronographs for both men and women. Many of their watches are water resistant to a depth of 200 meters (650 feet) or more. TAG Heuer is now part of the LVMH Group

All Breitling watches are manufactured in Switzerland and are made from Swiss components. Raw movements are obtained from ETA and Valjoux and are modified in the Breitling Chronometrie Workshops (former Kelek S.A.) before undergoing COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) certification.