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The rush, the adrenaline, the push, the grace – there’s something elegant yet primal about motor sports and its champions! Man and machine become one.
An ode to man’s innovation and craftsmanship, motor sports ride the line between creativity and science – much like luxury watches! Every little element counts and could be instrumental in determining the outcome… Sound familiar?
TAG Heuer realized the connection between these two quite early on in the game and has been a part of this world since many decades. The Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of several races and championships, TAG Heuer first collaborated with the world of auto racing in the 1960s.
In 1962, TAG Heuer launched an entirely new chronograph with very clean details, inspired by the tough race Carrera Panamericana, titled the now-iconic Carrera. The incredibly modern design caught everyone’s eye and as its creator, Jack Heuer said, “We eliminated all inessential extra subdivisions, which resulted in a totally clear, clean and stylistically pure dial.â€
However, it was not just the watch’s good looks that propelled it into fame. Apart from the miniscule details that influence the workings of a watch, the Carrera was enhanced by its technical innovation. The innovation was the interior tension ring, which ensured good watertightness by keeping the Plexiglas crystal firmly pressed against the wall of the case. The fifths-of-a-second scale was printed on the inside bevel of this tension ring, thus eliminating clutter on the dial.
However, this wasn’t the first time TAG Heuer danced with the auto industry! Way back in 1911, they produced a dashboard-mounted Time of Trip choronograph that was used for cars and biplanes. This very expertise grew and expanded down the years, and in 1958, they launched the Rally Master, a dual-face device that featured an eight-day clock and a stopwatch.
With the launch of the TAG Heuer Carrera in 1962 and endorsements with racing car drivers such as Jo Siffert, TAG Heuer’s place within the field was undeniably established. It further became more popular to the general public when Steve McQueen donned a TAG Heuer for the racing car film, Le Mans, in 1972.
Apart from creating luxury watches, TAG Heuer has also sponsored the sport. In the 1980s, the group supported F1 racing company Williams and still has a stake in McLaren. From 2016 to 2018, they supported the Red Bull Racing Formula One Team.
From designing to supporting, TAG Heuer has played an indispensable role in the history of race car driving – now that’s a legacy not easily forgotten.
