TAG Heuer

Formula 1 Watches

Launched in 1986, the Formula 1 collection of Tag Heuer has seen a long and successful run. Its production has gone through three generations, with a period of discontinuation in between. Formula 1 watches by Tag Heuer are widely known for their funky and bold looks, coupled with an award-winning performance. Tag Heuer's association with motorsports makes this watch one of the best motorsport chronographs in the world. Through the decades, the watch has gone through significant changes in both looks and technology. To this day, the watch remains one of the most successful products of Tag Heuer.

Known for its dedicated motorsports watch, Tag Heuer released their Formula 1 collection in 1986. From its very inception, the watch has been a favorite among motorsport enthusiasts. The Formula 1 line has had a successful run since then and remains to this day the first choice for many watch connoisseurs. It is remarkable for its sporty appeal, coupled with its high-quality design and production. They are distinguishable from competition watches through their dynamic and colorful appeal. Tag Heuer Formula 1 has significance in the company's history for another reason. It was the first watch to be produced after the acquisition of Heuer by Techniques d'Avant Garde ("TAG").

History of Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer was established as simply 'Heuer' in St-Imier, Switzerland, by Edouard Heuer in 1860. In the following years marking its success, the TAG Group bought a majority share in 1985. Heuer has always been associated with sports. They were the timekeeper for the Paris Olympic Games, 1924, and the Amsterdam Olympic Games, 1928. Heuer played a crucial role in Olympic sprint events' timekeeping. What sealed their dominance in the world of chronographs was the release of the Autavia in 1933. It was the first stopwatch in a car dashboard, which changed the way motorsport racing took place. Tag Heuer has been a part of elite motorsport teams, such as Ferrari, Porshe, McLaren, and more.

Origins of Tag Heuer Formula 1

The inspiration behind the design and production of the Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch was the groundbreaking success of the Swatch watch. It came out at a time when two major Swiss companies merged together to battle the quart crisis. Their new watch was called Swatch, released in 1983. It was a fun and playful plastic watch that was an instant hit in the market.

It was the time when the entire Swiss watchmaking industry was going through a quartz crisis. As a result of the crises, engineers and watchmakers started to think of ways to garner profit while selling watches at a lower price point. Subsequently, the Tag Heuer F1's price was around 30-50% less than that of the price of an Autavia.

The Formula 1 watch was a success from its very launch. Formula 1 was the first analog Heuer/ TAG Heuer series to be quartz-only. To the present time, there has been no automatic model in the series.

Features of Tag Heuer Formula 1

Tag Heuer Formula 1 got its inspiration from the Swatch watch but did not imitate it in any way. Its price point was also higher than that of the Swatch. What they did was making use of similar inspirational elements. These would include a synthetic case, pop colors, affordable quartz movements and basic techniques. Formula 1's aesthetic, coupled with its fun and rugged looks, immediately started drawing customers.

The story behind naming the watch is also significant. Prior to Tag's acquisition of Heuer, the only shared ground between the two companies was Formula 1 racing. Heuer had been a sponsor of Ferrari during the 1970s. TAG was the main sponsor of the Williams team for the years 1979-1981. They later bought 50% of McLaren International towards the end of the 1981 season. TAG also played a key role in funding for the development of the Porsche 1.5 liter turbo engine. This engine went on to power the McLaren- TAG cars to successive World Championships in 1984 and 1985.

The first generation of Tag Heuer Formula 1

Eddy Burgener was the famous designer behind conceptualizing the first generation of Tag Heuer Formula 1 watches. In his design, the case of the model was made with an amalgamation of stainless steel with Fibreglass coating in the inner case. Two size variations were available in the first generation - 28 mm and 34 mm, and they came with multiple bright color options. The design also featured a pop color case with adjustable plastic straps which matched the case color. For the dial, they used a Mercedes-style hands on its Diver series.

These Fibreglass F1 models were in production until 1994. To this day, they are considered to be one of the landmark models of the Tag Heuer Formula 1 collection. All early models were powered by quartz movements. They either incorporated a Harley Ronda SA 705 movement or made use of the ESA 965.312 movement.

Second Generation TAG Heuer Formula 1 

The updated generation of TAG Heuer Formula 1 chronograph first came to the market in 1991. It retained the use of a classical dial and had an upgraded chronograph movement ETA 251.262 1/10th chronograph. The second series was in production between 1997 and 2000. This series was launched with a different dial which had an inner patterned circle with minute and numeral hour markings. In the dials manufactured between 1991 - 1995, a "1/10th" marking on the dial under the Tag Heuer logo at 9 o'clock can be seen. In 1998, another new TAG Heuer Formula 1 series was released. This model featured an upgraded version of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph model.

Discontinuation and comeback

After 1998, due to the company policies of LVMH (which managed the Tag Heuer brand), the production of Tag Heuer Formula 1 was discontinued. It was mainly because the company wanted to devote more attention to high-end watches.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection made a comeback in 2004 with a brand new design, technologies, and marketing positioning. The new TAG Formula 1 watch quickly became symbolic of a bold and energetic professional watch. The Series 3 of the TAG Formula One collection comes with a titanium-carbide coated steel bezel on the 316L steel case and a sapphire crystal. Two of the most successful models from the third generation are TAG Heuer Formula 1 calibre 16 and TAG Heuer Formula 1 calibre 5.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 has historically been a favorite for its bright colors and automotive sporting aesthetic. It has been going through continuous development for decades now. TAG Heuer watches have won multiple awards, yet the real credibility of the Formula 1 watch is guaranteed by its loyal customer base. With its wide range of options, TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection gives you a range of sports watches that are fit for all occasions.