The Gentleman Magazine Issue 13 | February 2019 | Page 13

TAG Heuer demonstrates its watchmaking prowess with a
truly amazing new timepiece representing the next generation
of tourbillon watches. The manufacture movement of this new
model features a carbon- composite hairspring, produced from
a gas, that replaces the well-known Elinvar and silicon versions. Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph is the first
watch to be regulated by this carbon-composite hairspring
innovation.
Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of the LVMH Watchmaking Division
and CEO of TAG Heuer, said: “This new interpretation of the
TAG Heuer Carrera with its advanced in-house technology
underscores our legacy in achieving watchmaking excellence
and proves that we remain true to our values of performance,
disruption and avant-garde.” ‒ The lightweight, low-density hairspring is virtually unaffected
by gravity and shock. In TAG Heuer’s lab, watches were tested
up to 5,000 g/1 m fall onto a hard surface – metal hairsprings
bent, silicon hairsprings broke, while the carbon-composite
hairspring remained completely intact.
The fascinating tourbillon feature of this timepiece bridges
the gap between traditional watchmaking craftsmanship
and state-of-the-industry innovation. Thanks to its elaborate
construction and aesthetics, the tourbillon is among the most
impressive complications a watch aficionado can own – and
one that only a small number of manufacturers have mastered.
The TAG Heuer Carrera collection has evolved since it was first
introduced in 1963, but it has always stayed true to its DNA.
The unique modular design and connection to motor racing
continue to drive what is one of the brand’s most popular lines.
A unique design
The nanoscopic (one million times smaller than a millimetre)
hexagonal pattern of the hairspring’s carbon- composite
material is mirrored in the design of the Carrera Calibre
Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph. Aside from the carbon-
composite hairspring, the most distinguishing feature of this
chronometer-certified chronograph is its multilayer dial and
movement combination, which features sandblasted and fine-
brushed hexagons on the movement plate visible through
an open-worked dial. The pattern can also be seen on the
oscillating mass, which has been treated with black PVD and is
visible through the sapphire caseback.
Alluding to haute horlogerie creations of the past, a bright neon
green colour adorns various elements of the watch, including
the aluminium bridge and the inscription on the tourbillon
movement. The aluminium alloy balance wheel stands out
with its white gold inserts, while SuperLuminova® markings
ensure that the movement is visible day and night.
TAG Heuer Product Director Guy Bove added: “With this new
skeletonised tourbillon model in the Carrera range, we wanted
to highlight TAG Heuer’s capabilities both in engineering
and in the development of compelling movements – like
its predecessors, the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon
Nanograph is a force of disruption in haute horlogerie, thanks
to its visually exciting blend of modern, high-tech aesthetics
and precise, elegant proportions: hallmarks of the Carrera
collection for over 50 years.”
Key benefits of TAG Heuer’s carbon-composite hairspring:
‒ Perfect concentric oscillations are made possible thanks to
the carbon-composite hairspring’s geometry and improve the
precision of the watch.
‒ The carbon-composite hairspring is produced with the
collet already attached; usually, this small part, which attaches
the metallic hairspring to the balance wheel axis, requires
complicated assembly and generates further inaccuracy.
‒ The carbon-composite hairspring is completely antimagnetic,
which eliminates the issue of inaccuracy being introduced after
a watch comes into contact with a magnetic source.
‒ Optimal thermal behaviour and aeroelasticity have been
achieved by pairing the carbon- composite hairspring with an
aluminium alloy balance wheel.
TAG Heuer is the exclusive manufacturer of these hairsprings,
which are designed and produced in its in- house laboratory in
La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Describing the importance of this technology, Guy Sémon,
CEO of the TAG Heuer Institute, said: “The development of this
world premiere has taken years, with its ambition of improving
the performance and accuracy of mechanical watches. The
innovations created in the TAG Heuer Institute can be likened
to a stairway, with each innovation always leading to another.
The carbon-composite hairspring is a first step that will lead us
to yet more in-house improvements still in the process of being
developed.”
The first-ever carbon-composite structure used for hairsprings
and the impressive Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon
Nanograph chronometer in which it is housed are clear examples
of the legendary watch brand’s trajectory in innovation.
Guided by its legacy of avant-garde watchmaking, TAG Heuer
has entered a new era of forward-thinking invention leading to
unparalleled accuracy in mechanical watchmaking.
A new generation of hairsprings
Known as the heart of the mechanical watch, the hairspring is
the most difficult part to produce because its minute tolerances
directly impact the overall precision of a timepiece. A team
of TAG Heuer mathematicians, physicists and chemists are
behind the creation of this newly reinvented hairspring. Not
only does the carbon-composite hairspring shake up traditional
watchmaking, it also improves the performance of watches
fitted with the brand’s chronometer-certified movement. The
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