TAG Heuer Watches Have A History Of Excellence In Watchmaking

Horology is a fascinating study of the ancient craft of watch and clock making. Certain well known brand names have a very long recorded history in the art of keeping time, none more so than the very affordable yet top quality brand, TAG Heuer.
In 1390, there was no trade more technically advanced than that of clock making.
Horologists would spend up to a year handcrafting the perfect timepiece. A few hundred years later in 1850,
automated watches were strictly manufactured in accordance with precise systems
developed in the U.S. It was only in the 1850s that horologists became bold enough
to move away from America`s automation to produce timepieces by hand. Wristwatches
were scarce, precious and highly innovative for their time. In contrast, their
design was bulky, functional and far from elegant. When 1860 dawned, horology and
Switzerland had yet to be mentioned in the same sentence and the phrase, `fashion
watch` had not yet been spoken. Watch snobs were concerned with little more than
accuracy at the beginning of the decade, but a universal meme swept the globe,
bringing with it increasing concerns about speed and industry. Lifestyles suddenly
took on a rapid pace, pushed forward by the automobile age. Inventors became
obsessed with speed and one of these, Eduoard Heuer, funneled his interest into
horology. Instantly, the Swiss won their name as the world`s premier watchmakers
through the accuracy, speed and avant-garde designs of Heuer`s timepieces.

In the late 1800s, a true mechanical chronograph could take a year to handcraft.
Complex movements came with the kind of innards that made sleek elegance difficult
to achieve. Within only 20 years, Edouard had brought speedy manufacturing methods
to these classic pieces, allowing them to be crafted on a larger scale than had been
possible before. His invention, the oscillating pinion, introduced a new level of
precision that has, until today, never been replaced. Today`s mechanical
chronographs, regardless of their brand, still carry Heuer`s unique mark through the
patented mechanism that he invented.

Chronographs have never lost their distinction, even though they have existed for
more than a century. They are classic icons that symbolize taste, wealth and
prestige. It was Heuer who launched them in the sporting industry when he designed
the first Mikrograph, a timer created for the motoring industry that allowed drivers
to measure their achievements with absolute accuracy. The extreme precision achieved
on this portable stopwatch has remained exacting enough even for today`s motor
racing speeds. After 60 years of industry experience, Heuer had not lost his
penchant for innovation and in 1958, he brought the world a long distance stopwatch
with movements that measured days and hours. Complications were created for niche functions such as calendar dates and, much
later, time zones. During the Fifties, when most consumers had little interest in
the complexities of horology`s craft, TAG Heuer continued to design new
complications. Moon phases and triple calendars became the brand`s trademark design
during this era.

In the 1900s, chronographs lost some of their appeal as market demand for pure
timekeepers increased. Automatic watches became the norm, allowing fashion pieces to
be slimmed down. Despite the global move towards simple automation, Heuer continued
to focus on manually wound chronographs, which he eventually developed into
automatics that worked with bumper movements.

TAG Heuer`s belt powered mechanics are still celebrated today by horology aficionados.
An $80,000 V4 is considered a collector`s item, purely due to the unusual concept
that guided its design. While enthusiasts are often more interested in what happens
inside their watch casings, TAG Heuer`s skills extended into fashion. His
avant-garde approach to materials, technology and design has turned the brand into a
world leader that remains at the top of collectors` lists while simultaneously
keeping the fashion watch market satisfied.

The brand opened its doors in New York in 2002. Soon thereafter, an haute couture
collection was released, bringing the disparate worlds of fashion and horology
together. Today, the TAG Heuer brand is synonymous with sports and it is the choice
timepiece for many of the world`s most celebrated racing events. Its chronographs
have become icons of the eras they were designed in, bringing a dash of vintage to modern day luxury watches.
To view current TAG Heuer Watch collections, visit the TAG Heuer Watches On Sale Collection at the luxury watch club boutique.