Tag Heuer is regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious luxury watch brands. It is also one of the most influential watch brands in history, with close connections in the motorsport field and providing a solid record of innovation. Despite its popularity in the watchmaking world, Tag Heuer is not your typical watch brand as it differs in so many aspects.
Moreover, Tag Heuer also has a long history, and over its years in the watchmaking industry and innovations, it has been able to form itself as one of the best watch companies today. In this post, you will be exploring some of the fascinating facts about Tag Heuer, including its origins, prominent achievements, and events that shaped the business into what it is today.
The Time Where Tag Heuer Was First Labeled As Heuer
Tag Heuer’s heritage is particularly one of the most vital aspects among all the Swiss watch brands. The Swiss brand, which was established in 1860 as Heuer and rebranded and used TAG Heuer in 1985 after the TAG organization acquired a majority stake in the company, has played a critical role in driving watchmaking to new heights of performance and accuracy.
Its origins can be traced back to Edouard Heuer’s establishment of Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG in St-Imier. Over a century, Heuer has favored the production of wristwatches, which led him to concentrate on wrist-mounted chronographs. This resulted in the company’s first iconic family of timepieces, the Autavia (a contraction of AUTomotive and AVIAtion).
First Swiss Watch to Visit Space and Orbit the Earth
When you think of the first watches that went into space, you probably say Rolex or Omega. However, you will be shocked to hear that the two well-known Swiss brands weren’t the first watches to travel to space. Instead, the Heuer 2915A is the sole recipient of that unforgettable moment. In 1962, John Glenn was the first person to use the Heuer 2915A timepiece.
Moreover, in the Mercury-Atlas 6 Ship, John Glenn carried the Tag Heuer stopwatch as he circled the Earth three times. On top of that, Glenn manually started the watch shortly after taking off and supervised and monitored it during the three-week trip, using it as the mission’s secondary clock or backup timer.
The Developed and Perfected Chronograph
With time, a watch brand was evaluated through its engineering components that made a particular product user-friendly. As a result, watchmakers concentrated on producing calibers with fewer parts to make the piece more durable and serviceable. On the other hand, Edouard Heuer took a more considerable risk by inventing and patenting the oscillating pinion.
As a result, there has been a massive shift in the history of watches since then. The watch chronograph was greatly simplified thanks to the oscillating pinion. The vast majority of watchmakers around the world still use the pinion idea. With this, the watchmaking method has been streamlined, which has improved the service, adjustment, and assembly of a watch.
Steve McQueen On Racing
If you like movies from the 1960s and 1970s, you’ve probably seen a lot of Steve McQueen movies. Steve McQueen firmly opted to wear the Heuer Monaco in the 1971 film called Le Mans. By associating it to his outfit, Steve McQueen wore a wristwatch closely identified with automobile racing, which then popularized the Tag Heuer Monaco after its released.
Do Tag Heuer Timepieces Hold Their Value Over Time?
Luxury timepieces such as Tag Heuer are liable and inclined to hold a reasonable great value over time. The prime reason is that due to its valuable materials and excellent quality that have been utilized in the making of the watch. With great features and components, they will inherit a reasonable value over the years and will also continue to maintain good service.
Along with that, Tag Heuer timepieces have solid residual values because of their reliability, effectiveness, and durability. Depending on the watch’s condition and quality, there are higher chances that the resale will be increasingly high. Most importantly, it is essential to consider a watch’s desirability as the value of these pieces can become inflated over time.
Takeaway
Tag Heuer has a fascinating backstory, particular purpose, and historical significance. Tag Heuer is one of the world’s largest luxury watch manufacturers and has a long and illustrious history. These fascinating details about Tag Heuer illustrate that the path to becoming a well-known company and mastering fine watchmaking is a long and complicated one.
