TAG Heuer - Jack Heuer Steps Down
WORLDTEMPUS - 22 March 2012
Visiting TAG Heuer this year was not only about trying on new products or shooting pictures of new brand ambassador Cameron Diaz. It was way more emotional as Jack Heuer will be less active with the brand from this year on.
It has been a true pleasure knowing Heuer since he came back into the company that his family founded in 1860. He returned to the company in 2001 and has acted as honorary president and been heavily involved in product development ever since. This year, however, he will slowly step down from official events as he turns 80 in November.
Listening to Heuer's stories is like sitting at granddad's feet, learning of a time that once was - a time with no shareholders or clever PR agencies deciding what to do or communicate.
For instance, back in the day Heuer singlehandedly decided to approach the prop master of the "Le Mans" movie set when he heard that Steve McQueen would take the role of a race car driver. Due to his efforts, the Monaco today is one of the most iconic watches of the TAG Heuer collection, and this began with its starring role on Mr. Cool's wrist in the movie released in 1972.
Naked Bo Derek
Heuer also once told a story about meeting a certain John, who asked if he could help him out with a nice watch for his wife. The wife turned out to be Bo Derek, which Jack only realized when he received a Christmas card from "John" depicting a rather naked Bo Derek by the water wearing nothing more than the Heuer watch that he had sold to him. Naturally, "John" was actor and director John Derek, married to the scantily clad star of "10."
A special birthday present
To honor Heuer's eleven years as the best possible ambassador for the brand, TAG Heuer will release a limited edition Carrera. This is a watch that Heuer designed himself in 1963 and originally launched in 1964. However, this special version is not just a normal Carrera with a bit of paint here and there. "I wanted a slightly thinner case, smaller too," Heuer explains, taking off his watch and presenting it to me while explaining that he opted for Caliber 17 instead of the in-house 1887. "Due to the smaller size case, I could not use the in-house caliber."
The birthday Carrera is limited to 3,000 pieces. The first four numbers of the limited edition are reserved for Jack, his two sons and son-in-law - and not for Bo Derek.
We don't need watches
When asked for some highlights from his time as honorary president for TAG Heuer, Heuer said, "The 360 Museum," in reply. "Collecting all the watches for the museum was fantastic. All the watches that were taken into consideration took up ten meters and the models before TAG dominated more than 80 percent of the lot," he smiled.
After the 360 Museum event in 2008, while driving back to the hotel, Jack Heuer said these wise words, "We don't need watches. But, please, don't tell anyone."
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