COVER STORY
TAG GETS TECHNOLOGICAL
The Connected Watch combines TAG Heuer’s expertise within the
fields of horology and luxury design with a microprocessor courtesy of Intel and a Google Android Wear operating system. As the
first timepiece from a Swiss brand to adopt this platform, the aptly
named Connected Watch comes within the sporty confines of a 45
mm round Carrera case, TAG Heuer’s most popular and identifiable
range. And though the watch does indeed connect to your smart
phone—be it of the Apple or Android variety—it is not a slave to
the device in your pocket. Wearers can enjoy a full range of functions on the Connected Watch with or without their mobile phone.
At this writing, owning a Connected Watch may be easier said
than done, however. In its first week of sales TAG Heuer reportedly
sold over 100,000 units, a record for a single SKU at TAG Heuer
and possibly for any Swiss watch brand. eBay searches for the Connected Watch demonstrate the sought-after model selling for well
over MSRP while customers seeking an in-store purchase are adding their names to the wait list, the ultimate “good problem to have.”
But for Biver, a man whose entire career has played out in the
high-end mechanical watch industry, all of the cutting-edge technology and software in this new timepiece still left something missing:
eternity. He sought to incorporate the multiyear value proposition
conferred by a fine Swiss timepiece, a concept totally foreign to the
tech companies of California. True, a smart watch boasts a range of
useful functions that no mechanical or conventional quartz model
ever could. But a fine Swiss timepiece can be serviced and maintained over the course of a lifetime, becoming a prized heirloom for
the next generation.
44
WRISTWATCH | 2016
TAG HEUER
AND
RED BULL F1
As one of the youngest and most dynamic
teams in Formula 1, Redbull’s recently
announced partnership with TAG Heuer
would appear to be a perfect marriage. TAG
Heuer has reinvigorated its brand through
a reimagined Carrera case, a new mechanical chronograph and the headline-grabbing
Connected Watch. Partnering with a youthoriented racing brand that has been a
dominant figure in Formula 1 over the last 7
years could prove a key aspect of promoting
these achievements.