Latest news with #TagHeuer
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Time for change: watches that are worn anywhere but the wrist
While most watches today are worn on the wrist, originally they came in the shape of fobs — attached to a waistcoat or uniform by a chain or ribbon — or were hung on pins. Later they were put on wrist straps for convenience, a style that was common after the First World War. Now makers are relegating the telling of time to a secondary function. 'We're seeing watches evolve into expressions of personal style as consumers seek more distinctive accessories,' explains Ben Staniforth, of the pre-owned luxury timepiece retailer Watchfinder & Co. 'Worn on lapels as pendants or integrated into couture, they reflect a trend where fashion meets functionality.' This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue Arsham Droplet watch, £76,000, If evidence is needed that this is entering mainstream culture, the actress Jenna Ortega rocking up at A$AP Rocky's Met Gala afterparty last month with an antique men's pocket watch by Heuer (known today as Tag Heuer) from c 1914 dangling from her tuxedo bodysuit should be proof enough. And the high echelons of watchmaking have cottoned on to this trend for self-expression too. Hermès debuted its Maillon Libre brooch watch in April. This gem of a timepiece can be pinned to a lapel or sleeve, or worn around the neck with a leather cord — and is a frontrunner for design ingenuity. Despite its established place in the serious fashion sphere, Chanel also knows how to have fun with its designs. The new Kiss Me necklace appropriately takes the form of the brand's cult lipstick. If that wasn't charmant enough, it slides open to reveal a hidden watch dial. Kiss Me necklace in yellow gold, golden beryls, rhodolites, onyx and diamonds, POA, Sixtie sautoir watch in rose gold, white opals and diamonds, POA, Also restringing its pearls is Piaget, which has taken inspiration from its archival necklace watches from the Sixties: the Sixtie sautoir has a lozenge watch dial as its focal point in a masterful melding of high jewellery and horology. And Hublot's long-standing collaboration with leading artists resulted in the release of a timepiece that sent ripples through the watch world last year. Designed by the visual artist Daniel Arsham, the Droplet is tethered to a chain and cased in sapphire glass, offering a clear view of the moving mechanical parts within. This cute kidney bean of a timepiece is as far removed from your grandad's gold pocket watch as you can get. Van Cleef & Arpels is a dab hand with watches that combine complex engineering with stellar gem setting. At first glance, its padlock-shaped Cadenas might look like a heavy-duty bracelet, but take a closer look and you'll find an angled watch dial set among a dazzling mix of gold, diamonds and sapphires. Panthère hinged bangle watch in yellow gold, lacquer, onyx and diamonds, POA, Sundial watch in steel, £128, Cartier is another high jeweller and watchmaker that excels at combining precious materials with covert details. Its new Panthère has Duchess of Windsor glamour in spades with its big-cat hinged bangle: cast in solid gold and set with precious stones, it also fits in a watch dial, revealed by turning your wrist a few degrees. But the most novel creation is by the young, dynamic German brand Nomos Glashütte. Its sundial watch, which can be worn as a ring or around your neck, has a machined hole that lets a beam of sunlight fall on the engraved numbers to tell the hours. It's useless at night, but it will certainly be a talking point during working hours.
South China Morning Post
06-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Are watch brands going too far with their anniversary editions? Chanel J12 and Rolex Land-Dweller models dropped at Watches and Wonders 2025, among many others – but meaningful milestones are key
From Rolex's quietly confident 120th anniversary to Vacheron Constantin's grand 270-year celebration, 2025 is awash with horological milestones. But with so many brands touting birthdays, reissues and limited edition drops, one can't help but ask: do these anniversaries still carry weight, or have they become just another marketing ploy? If the flurry of activity at Watches and Wonders 2025 is anything to go by, the answer is both. A convergence of anniversaries has put brand storytelling in the spotlight – some executing it with technical prowess and reverence, others leaning into pure spectacle. A 1988 advertisement for Tag Heuer. Photo: Handout Advertisement And let's not forget the brands playing to their most beloved icons. Tag Heuer is riding high on Formula One nostalgia, Jaeger-LeCoultre is diving deep into Reverso territory, and Cartier is pushing the Tank into every possible configuration. Says watch journalist and editor Chris Hall: 'I don't think there was ever a time when they weren't a convenient marketing hook. That doesn't mean they can't be significant. … In an industry where tradition and history are the dominant intellectual currency, longevity is obviously respected.' That respect is evident in Vacheron Constantin's ambitious new release, Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication – a 45mm white gold marvel with a record-breaking 41 complications to mark the maison's 270th anniversary. If you're going to make a fuss, this is how you do it. It's technical, emotional, and true to the brand's legacy. Zenith won five consecutive Neuchâtel Observatory chronometry prizes in the 1950s. Photo: Handout Meanwhile, Zenith's 160-year milestone comes with the surprise launch of the G.F.J. collection, a vintage revival rooted in its founder Georges Favre-Jacot's original movement, updated with a contemporary blue-on-blue dial design. At 39mm, it's perfectly proportioned – and the dial is striking without veering into flamboyance. Rolex, predictably, took a different tack. This year marks 120 years since Hans Wilsdorf founded the brand in 1905, but true to form, Rolex isn't waving any flags. Instead, it unveiled the Land-Dweller, a completely reimagined watch featuring 32 new patents – 18 for the watch, 16 for the movement – including the new Dynapulse escapement and a striking Flat Jubilee bracelet. Rolex GMT-Master brochure, 1958. Photo: Handout 'It's only on very rare occasions that Rolex releases a watch specifically to mark an anniversary,' says Ross Povey, founder of 'Collectors often anticipate something special, but more often than not, Rolex doesn't follow that path. When they do quietly release a commemorative model, like the Le Mans Daytona, it becomes an event in itself. That kind of restraint is brilliant marketing.'
South China Morning Post
27-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Former Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Claude Biver on starting his eponymous luxury watch brand JC Biver, taking aesthetic pointers from the younger generation, and adding a personal touch to horology
'I have no pressure,' says Jean-Claude Biver , 'except the pressure of time [and] the need to be successful. That's already a lot of pressure, but it's a positive pressure.' It is hard to imagine that many pressures – including the pressure to succeed – remain for someone like Biver, who almost requires no introduction. In a career spanning half a century, Biver is known for deftly resuscitating several brands you may have heard of. In the wake of the quartz crisis, he bought and revitalised dive-watch icon Blancpain before selling it to Swatch Group. After joining the conglomerate, he connected James Bond with Omega to create one of the most enduring modern collaborations in horology. More recently, Biver modernised LVMH brands Hublot and Tag Heuer into two of the most visible brands in the sports of football and Formula One respectively, before exiting the industry in 2018. Advertisement Jean-Claude Biver founded his eponymous watch brand JC Biver in 2023. Photo: Handout 'Now, after 50 years in the business,' Biver ponders, 'I told myself I must find a place where my family [can be], where my son can come, where my wife can be, where other people can join. So I want a very small brand with very much individuality, where [each watchmaker] can make the whole watch themself.' Biver is, of course, referring to his eponymous brand, JC Biver, which – when it was announced in 2023 – made waves in the industry. It not only meant that a titan was set to return, but that he would be taking his son, Pierre Biver, with him. By operating the brand together, father and son put themselves in a unique position to learn from each other. Jean-Claude Biver with his son, Pierre Biver. Photo: Handout 'I learned from him to be quick, to be dynamic,' the elder Biver says. 'And he learns from me to think three times, to not be too quick. So it's a nice equilibrium. I also learned from him some aesthetic points. He was the first to get me to reduce the size of the watches. I was a little afraid to reduce [the size] because I got the feeling that [a smaller] watch looks a bit feminine. And he said, 'No, people now will tend to want smaller watches.' So the exchange between the two of us is quite good.' Biver cites discussions he's had with Pierre about the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak models in his collection as an example. 'He took the Royal Oak [from] 1972 and said to me, 'Look, that's the size.' The 1972 Royal Oak looked small to me, yet in 1972 it was considered a big watch. Once you have been used to a large watch, it's difficult to wear a smaller one because the small one seems to look too small. So you have to readapt, but once the eyes have readapted, then it's OK.' The Biver Automatique, in a 39mm case. Photo: Handout
Tatler Asia
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Tatler Asia
Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco: Tag Heuer unveils two new Monaco timepieces
The controversial two-stop rule aside, the race was the perfect setting for Tag Heuer to unveil the new Monaco watches Tag Heuer is almost synonymous with the Monaco Grand Prix, serving as the official watch of the race since 2011 before it finally culminated as the title partner this year. The Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco was thus the best setting to launch not one but two new Monaco timepieces, the iconic square sport watch that propelled Swiss manufacture to the forefront of motorsports. Read more: CEO Antoine Pin on Tag Heuer's return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 The Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf features the instantly recognisable Gulf livery, its striking light blue and orange stripes paired with a case of grade-2 titanium, sandblasted for a tactile appearance. The white textile strap is made from fire-resistant Nomex, commonly used for professional racing suits. The fabric is soiurced from the same American manufacturer who made the suits worn by Steve McQueen in the movie, Le Mans . Limited to 971, it also draws from history for the movement—the legendary Calibre 11 with the winding crown on the left side of the watch.
The National
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- The National
How Formula One became the ultimate playground for the world's leading watchmakers
The Formula One season so far suggests there is a buzz around the sport this year, with several drivers seriously contending for the championship in what is the competition's 75th anniversary season. American entertainment group Liberty Media, which acquired Formula One Group for $4.6 billion in 2017, set out to modernise the sport and boost fan engagement by expanding the race calendar. Under its ownership, Netflix launched the global hit Drive to Survive; and this June, F1: The Movie, the Brad Pitt-led film about the fictional APX GP racing team (co-produced by Lewis Hamilton), will release on Apple TV+. All of this has raised the sport's global profile and attracted major corporate partners, including LVMH, which reportedly signed a $1 billion, 10-year sponsorship deal in October. The watch world has long been enamoured with F1. Jack Heuer was the first to put a logo on a Formula One car, sponsoring Jo Siffert's Lotus in 1969. By 1971, Heuer had struck a partnership with Ferrari. By then, Heuer's square-case Monaco watch had gained fame after Steve McQueen wore it in the 1971 film Le Mans, adding racing glamour to the brand. In 1986, Techniques d'Avant Garde (Tag) acquired Heuer and went on to sponsor the McLaren team, backing famous drivers Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. As of 2025, Tag Heuer's name is linked to 239 victories, 15 World Drivers' Championships and 11 World Constructors' Championships, most recently with Oracle Red Bull and Max Verstappen. This year, Tag Heuer (now owned by LVMH) returns as Official Timekeeper, a title it last held between 1992 and 2003. To mark the occasion, Tag Heuer released nine Formula One Solargraph models, reflecting the pit lane clock design and available in playful colours at an entry-level price point (about Dh8,000). Two minutes of exposure to light powers each watch for a full day. Meanwhile, Verstappen has been spotted wearing the headline-grabbing Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph/F1 in white ultralight ceramic, featuring an advanced split-seconds movement. It's a major statement for Tag Heuer. 'Today, Formula One stands as a global phenomenon that transcends genders, generations and borders, much like Tag Heuer itself,' noted chief executive Antoine Pin at Geneva's Watches & Wonders in April. He described it as the brand's biggest communication investment to date, adding: 'This renewed partnership presents an extraordinary platform to showcase the maison's expertise in precision timing.' Watches and racing cars inherently share values – precision engineering, cutting-edge technology and avant-garde materials. Engineers at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team and IWC Schaffhausen regularly collaborate, notably this year on the Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff Edition, named after the Mercedes team's media-friendly boss. Designed to withstand the forces of F1 racing, the watch features the patented Spring-g Protect shock absorber system, which protects the movement even under high impacts, akin to the G-forces endured in a crash at 320kph. F1 cars can experience up to 5g at circuits such as Silverstone, but the Big Pilot's ethos is rooted in aviation, where fighter jets endure up to 9g. Meanwhile, Richard Mille occupies a rare position, sponsoring two rival teams – Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren. Charles Leclerc wears the RM 67-02 Italy, while Lewis Hamilton, newly signed to Ferrari, now sports the RM 74-02 Automatic Tourbillon, after years of wearing IWC at Mercedes. Engineers from Ferrari and Richard Mille, whose partnership began in 2021, recently collaborated on the RM 43-01, launched in March. Featuring an aerodynamic case profile and Ferrari's signature rear-light-inspired pushers, it also boasts a next-generation split-seconds chronograph movement. The titanium version is priced at Dh5 million and the carbon TPT version at nearly Dh6 million, and each is limited to 75 pieces. The relationship between Richard Mille and Ferrari began through brand ambassador Charles Leclerc. 'When we saw the previous partnership with Ferrari had finished, we saw an occasion for a discussion,' says Alexandre Mille, who co-leads the brand with his sister, Amanda, and Maxime Guenat following Richard Mille's retirement. 'Ferrari was super-happy to start.' Ferrari wanted exclusivity, but Richard Mille insisted on maintaining its long-standing partnership with McLaren, which has been in place since 2016. Their fourth collaboration, the 500-piece RM 65-01 McLaren Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph W1, draws design cues from McLaren's most powerful and radical road car to date, the W1. Race-winner Oscar Piastri wore this watch on the podiums in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, while teammate Lando Norris sports the RM 67-02. Elsewhere in the paddock, several other watch brands are making moves. H Moser & Cie and Tudor entered the F1 scene two years ago, partnering with BWT Alpine and Visa Cash App Red Bull (aka Racing Bulls), respectively. Returning for a fourth year is Girard-Perregaux, which partners with Aston Martin Aramco. Though the team has had a chequered history, new investment and energy from owner Lawrence Stroll have spurred momentum. Girard-Perregaux's Laureato Absolute Aston Martin F1 Edition features a 44mm titanium case and the same green livery as the Aston Martin race cars, with design details inspired by the famous DB12. 'It's our first dive into the finely tuned world of Formula One,' says Edouard Meylan, chief executive and co-owner of H Moser & Cie, who chose the flagship Streamliner collection for the partnership with Alpine last year, producing a version of its Cylindrical Tourbillon with a skeletonised main dial at 12 o'clock topped with a small domed dial in blue. 'Since the beginning of this adventure, H Moser & Cie's visibility has accelerated at the speed of a race car. Drive to Survive has thrown the spotlight on F1 in a whole new way, turning the paddocks into a playground for a generation hungry for adrenalin and storytelling,' says Meylan. Playful with colours, a pink version to match Alpine's blue-pink livery was later added at the Miami Grand Prix. This, Meylan points out, 'speaks a language Gen Z understands – boldness, fun and reinterpretation of traditional watchmaking. All elements that speak to the aesthetes of tomorrow.' Driving for Racing Bulls, rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar sport Tudor's Black Bay Ceramic 'Blue' edition, exemplifying the brand's 'Born to Dare' ethos. 'Tudor has always been fuelled by a daring spirit, a consistent will to do things differently,' says the brand's chief executive Eric Pirson, adding he is 'beyond thrilled to return to motorsport with a partner that's ready to take on the challenge'.
