Tag Heuer Formula One Ceramic Watch CAH1213BA0863

WORLDTEMPUS - December 21, 2009

First of all, let us briefly recap what happened. On the 4th of December, TAG Heuer celebrated its 150th anniversary. This event definitely represents an important winning post, not only for the brand's year-long duration, but rather for its constant activity: as a matter of fact, TAG Heuer has never discontinued its watch production. On the contrary, it has registered an on-going and constant growth both in quality and quantity. This was, and remains to be, "the news".
To pay proper tribute to this historical date, the watch manufacturer based in La Chaux-de-Fonds decided to organize a stylish dinner party at the McLaren Technology Centre in London. Besides being one of its historic partners, McLaren has been a successful companion in the Formula One adventure for 25 years. The guest list contained 150 names, the number referring to the anniversary: carefully selected personalities from the international press world that so lives in symbiosis with TAG Heuer itself. Personalities who were not only related to watchmaking, but also to cinema and showbiz, golf, jetset, and Formula One racing legends. It's no accident that the guest of honour was Lewis Hamilton; Tiger Woods, though one of golf's world ambassadors, was not present (to the great relief, or concern, of the ladies).

The evening was highlighted by three different statements by Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of TAG Heuer: the first regarding the new commemorative book TAG Heuer 150 Years - The Book (no need to think about how uninspiring the title is, they are Swiss and hardly see the sun) from Editions Assouline outlines the historical and unique trajectory of the luxury watch manufacturer; the second referred to the release and restyling of an iconic timepiece, the Silverstone chronograph, which will be available in a limited worldwide quantity of only 3,000 launching at the beginning of 2010; the third statement pertained to the accomplishment of the new manufacture chronograph movement's development, which will officially see the light of day at the coming Basel Fair.

These three announcements were made in front of a group of important journalists, most of whom were not very informed with regard to watchmaking technology. At this point, an assumption must be put forward: a cinema expert probably neither knows, nor wants to know, the difference between automatic and quartz watches. We live perhaps "too" immersed in hands and dials. Therefore, Babin selected his words with care: the statements were obviously concise and straight to the "core" of the news.
Up to now, this was the story. What happened afterward was a perfect example of a "trap" (those who have read Camilleri's Montalbano books will easily understand, the rest should definitely discover them): the famous detective puts on a bluff intended to mislead the suspects. In this specific case, the trap was to use a tiny part of the news to create a brand new story from scratch. The object of the story did not become different, but its ending certainly did. Nevertheless, the goal was to misguide all the readers.

When a controversial commentator learned that his name was not on the guest list (it can happen, actually), he searched and found a flaw. Watch blog enthusiasts know very well what we are talking about: critique, some not so oblique, addressed to TAG Heuer for having omitted mentioning the Seiko roots of its brand new chronograph movement—which was therefore not a manufacture movement anymore. Obviously, those who published and spread the "news" on the Internet did not necessarily understand what the underlying issue really was: it certainly was much more fun to snipe at a watch giant (especially during times when an economic crisis is doing its worst by decreasing budget and increasing friendships) than try to understand the truth.
In fact, the truth is much more simple and obvious than we imagine: the new chronograph movement is really produced in-house, there really were TAG Heuer engineers who developed it, watchmakers who tweaked it, mechanical engineers who supervised the "in-house" design of bridges and plates, and other watchmakers who assembled it. Furthermore, the project has been realized by opening a new manufacturing unit in Cornol, purchasing special Fleury machinery, using a complete Nivarox escapement, and employing almost 50 new Swiss workers, when other companies were in the midst of dismissing theirs. TAG Heuer decided to base the project on a Seiko chronograph by purchasing the intellectual property rights. The movement was autonomously developed and totally modified "to fit it - as Babin explains - into a Swiss assortment (balance, balance spring, escape wheel, pallet lever). To achieve this, we had to change the plate and the bridges, especially the chronograph bridge and the oscillating weight's ball bearing". A new movement, absolutely made in-house, produced in Switzerland, and qualitatively in line with the TAG Heuer's signature features. The fact that it was not described in great detail at the lavish London event should not surprise anyone. It was a festive occasion, and the subjects of discussion were certainly quite another thing; the official and technical presentation of the calibre was clearly being kept for the Basel Fair (a place known to draw specialised journalists and insiders).

With regard to its Japanese "origins", the controversy should be retold in a better and more intelligent way. A propos, it is impossible not to recall what Stephane Belmont, Jaeger-LeCoultre's marketing director, said a couple of years ago when speaking about the brand's new chronograph movement: "We were aware of the friction clutch mechanisms described in the book by R. Meis, Chronographen Armbanduhren and of the Seiko 6139 chronograph (launched in 1969)… these mechanisms inspired us in our design". If 'la Fabrique' itself was inspired by the Seiko chronograph, two things appear clearly evident: firstly, this movement works well (which in the end is what users require and manufacturers pursue) and secondly, there is no reason that an idea born outside Switzerland cannot be imported into the tiny country noted for its watchmaking.
So why all the fuss? We can't figure it out. Perhaps, as Woody Allen said when he played the husband of Hannah's sister, "the heart is a resilient little muscle". Principally, this issue was not caused by a non-existent manufacture production, but rather by a convivial indelicacy. However, Babin will surely pay more attention to the guest list from now on, and this "twisted story" will certainly stand as a solemn word to the wise. Never underestimate "the honour" of transalpine journalists…