Switzerland is where many big and great watch manufacturers originated. It is home to a wide variety of watch brands ranging from high-end and expensive watches to quality yet affordable watches.
One of these watch manufacturers is the Heuer watch company. In this article, the history and the top 3 most popular watch collections of the company will be brought to light so keep on reading!
Where It All Began
In 1860, Mr. Edouard Heuer brought to life his love for pocket watches and started his own watchmaking business, and sooner than expected, the business immediately took off and created a reputable mark in the industry. Initially, Tag Heuer was not the company’s brand name. It used to be known as Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG.
In 1882, Heuer’s first chronograph was patented and in five years introduced the now widely used oscillating pinion and patented it, as well. Soon after, Heuer just kept having achievement after achievement.
The company released the very first wristwatch in the market and later developed its prized possession Autavia which immediately overtook the market and became the gold standard for cars and planes in 1933.
Other big companies like Abercrombie and Fitch started to partner up with them and gave the rising gem of the watch industry the breakthrough that it needed. From being known for its silver pocket watches, the Heuer watches started to dominate as the motorsport timepiece for racers.
With this title, potential investors started lining up for a stake in the company and in 1985, the Techniques d’Avant Garde group was able to acquire a minor stake in the brand which eventually resulted in the Heuer company being called TAG Heuer.
Carrera
Known as an official motorsport timepiece, Heuer participated and sponsored stopwatches in a lot of race car events. At that time, there was a notorious race that was dubbed as the most dangerous race in the world. The race that got officially banned by the government due to safety risks and fatal incidents was called the Carrera Panamerica race.
This race smoked the streets of Mexico and somehow inspired Mr. Heuer to create the ultimate racing watch which was then called the Carrera collection as a commemoration of the infamous race.
In this collection, most of the watches are powered by the in-house Heuer-20 movement with an incredible 80-hour power reserve to make sure that the watch does not falter at any time that you need it. The watch ranges from around 1,000 US dollars and could go up to around 22, 200 US dollars.
There are about 150 versions with different dial designs, sizes, and materials that you could customize to fit the lifestyle and aesthetic that you want. This is the best-selling collection of the company which always outsells every other collection and if you’re looking for the crowd’s favorite sports watch then this is the watch for you.
Aquaracer
Aside from being famously known in the racing world, the company also decided to explore the diver market with their Aquaracer collection. Specifically, the Aquaracer 500, can dive deep and still function at an astonishing depth of 500 m underwater.
Most versions of the line run on Heuer’s Calibre S electro-mechanical chronograph movement which facilitates its precise time-keeping. It also has a 12-facet bezel that is unidirectional to prevent any accidental movement underwater. It also has a screw-in crown with double safety gaskets that prevent dust and water from entering the watch.
The best thing about the watch is it can be functional and classy at the same time so you can take it diving on a good day and also wear it for a luxurious evening party. For a high precision and quality watch, you would expect it to be quite expensive but unlike other Swiss manufacturers, you can grab an Aquaracer watch at an affordable price of over 1,000 US dollars.
Formula 1
Formula 1 is another racing watch collection that brings functionality and style into the picture next to the Carrera line. This is the first watch released after Heuer was acquired by the TAG group.
It was the first analog series to be quartz-only by Ronda and continuously sticks to that movement to this very day. Although there was previously a quartz crisis in the 1970s, Formula 1 was still a huge success.
Early watches ran on the Harley SA 705 movement while the later watches ran on the ETA 955.412/ 955.414 movement. The precision of the watch came with bright colored cases to match the adjustable plastic straps as its design.
The Series 6 which was released in 2015 and continues to the present has changed the case design that it used to have since 1986 and was replaced with the 1970s Heuer Autavia case for a new look. The company also expanded by using Calibre 5, 6, and 7 to the newer models.
Takeaway
If you’re looking for a functional, reliable, and affordable watch then head on to the nearest TAG Heuer store or shop online for the best investment that you can get! The wide range of models and designs will surely not let you down.
