TAG Heuer - New Power Player in Town
WORLDTEMPUS - 20 January 2011
One more big player has showed up in Geneva to further confirm that the watchmaking season is now bipolarized to make two horological Grand Slams. The oldest event, Baselworld, has been the historical showcase to introduce TAG Heuer's products. The newer one - which we at Worldtempus now collectively call "watchmaking week" - comprises several happenings in the Calvinistic city. TAG Heuer just joined the party by hosting a "Mastering Speed" exhibition at the Halle de Secheron, which presents the brand's new products against a backdrop of contemporary sponsored racing machines, vintage timepieces, and cars.
As good as a Formula 1 Ferrari from the 1970s may look, the visitors' eyes are undoubtedly drawn directly to the rose gold Carrera Mikrograph - a limited edition of 150 chronographs capable of 1/100th second accuracy. The F1 Steel & Ceramic Chrono and the hi-tech-looking Carrera MP4 12C were officially introduced, while several other models and heritage inspired timepieces were presented to the brand's retailers.
Two Privileged Moments 95 Years Apart
The Carrera Mikrograph, branded by Heuer, drew on the heritage of the flagship Heuer Mikrograph stopwatch of 1916, the first timepiece capable of timing events up to a 1/ 100th accuracy, and has corresponding dial layout with markings of 0-100 on the dial, enhancing readability: the central chronograph hand completes a full rotation every second. Its movement - a new, integrated COSC-certified chronograph caliber - is an effective replacement for Caliber 360, which was used in another limited series five years ago. Caliber 360 is a highly complex movement with almost 400 individual components, conceived by the same specialist team responsible for the Monaco V4, which focuses on manufacturing high-end, in-house movements.
"The Mikrograph's achievement is its 1/100th accuracy, something we had already achieved some five years ago with Caliber 360 - but with the difference being that this new movement is an integrated caliber and features better readability thanks to the center chronograph hand. An exceptional timepiece with 385 parts and 62 jewels, it is 100 percent made at TAG Heuer," underscored Jean-Christophe Babin - the brand's enthusiastic CEO, who explains the Geneva move: "TAG Heuer has so many new products coming out regularly that it was only natural to have two privileged moments in the year to showcase them - three, if I count Las Vegas in June. We're using Geneva to show our clients some of those new products, complemented in Basel and eventually in Las Vegas."
Marc Wätli, brand manager at TAG Heuer, explains the difference between the Mikrograph and the Caliber 360: "It's an integrated chronograph, but with two specific barrels, two specific gear trains and two specific regulation systems - with basically the first of the two beating at 28,800 vph for the watch and the other one beating at 360,000 vph for the chronograph. Compared to the movement we introduced five years ago, which had the chronograph hand on a subdial, the chronograph center hand in the Mikrograph is more difficult to manufacture because it requires a lot more energy. It's a completely new movement, and it is not related to Zenith's Striking 10th, which is based on the de-multiplication of a 1/10th of a second. Our new caliber is effectively present with one jump for each 1/100th of a second."
And, as we all know, 1/100th of a second can make a whole lot of difference. Just ask one of TAG Heuer's Formula 1 ambassadors.
Rated 
In stock
[Rating:(5 / 5 stars)]
Sale Price:US$238.00
Sale Price:US$268.00
Sale Price:US$269.00
Sale Price:US$249.00
Sale Price:US$279.00
Sale Price:US$239.00
Sale Price:US$279.00
Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$278.00
Sale Price:US$238.00
Sale Price:US$278.00
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Seconde Mysterieuse Skeleton Dial Automatic Men's Watch MP6558-SS001-094Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$249.00
Sale Price:US$298.00
Sale Price:US$289.00
Sale Price:US$248.00
