HISTORY AND VALUES – A HISTORY OF INNOVATION

When Edouard Heuer opens his workshop in 1860, his passion for precision marks the
beginning of a long series of patents and industry firsts.

During four generations of Heuer, and still today, this spirit of innovation never left the
company.

1869 – First patent

The first TAG Heuer patent dates from 1869.
Edouard Heuer patented a keyless, crown-operated winding system for pocket watches.

1887 – Oscillating pinion

Eight years later, Edouard Heuer patented his most important invention – the oscillating pinion.
A new watch component of great precision and efficiency.
Today it remains one of the key components used in chronographs.

1895 – Water-resistant case

After another eight years came the patent of the first water-resistant case. This was the first
step towards our collection dedicated to water sports, the AQUARACER collection.

1911 – Time of Trip

Heuer supports the most daring travel pioneers, and invents the Time of Trip, the first
dashboard chronograph, which will equip the Graf Zeppelin during its first flight across the
Atlantic.

1914 – Wrist chronograph

1914 sees the birth of the first TAG Heuer wrist chronograph. Its crown and integrated button
for start, stop and reset are located at 12 o'clock.

1916 – Mikrograph
As seen in Level 1, in 1916 Heuer invents the 'Mikrograph', the world's first sports stopwatch
with a precision of 1/100th of a second.

1933 – Autavia
The name “Autavia” is the contraction of AUTomobile and AVIAtion.

1949 – Solunar
Aged just fifteen, young Jack was soon to make a crucial contribution of his own. Walter
Haynes was the president of Abercrombie and Fitch. At that time, they were providing
professional gears for fishers, hunters, …. At a meeting with Jack’s father – Charles-Edouard
Heuer – Haynes had requested a new watch, one that could predict the tides. He had no idea
how to make such a thing. That is when young Jack intervened. He knew a man who would
have the answer – his brilliant school physics teacher Dr. Heinz Schilt. Jack put his father in
touch with the scientist and, with Schilt’s help, the company was able to create the tide watch
Haynes had wanted. They called it the Solunar. It was Jack’s first step into the family business.
He had much further still to go.
1957 – Ringmaster
In 1957, the Heuer Company launch the 'Ring Master' stopwatch - a world first: a stopwatch
with 7 interchangeable rings of scale for different timing purposes, with readings down to 1/5th
of a second.

962 – The first swiss watchmaker to go into space

On February 20, 1962, John Glenn makes the first manned American space flight, orbiting the
Earth three times in five hours.
On his wrist is a Heuer stopwatch.

1966 – Mikrotimer
In 1966, TAG Heuer introduces yet another worldwide first: the Mikrotimer. The first electronic
timing instrument with a precision of 1/1000th of a second.
Thanks to the Microtimer, the Heuer Company will be able to enter in the Formula 1 world few
years later, in 1971.

1969 – “Chronomatic” (Calibre 11)

By the late 1960s, Dubois-Depraz – Heuer’s movement supplier – found that technology had
advanced to the point where an automatic, self-winding chronograph was possible. Possible –
but expensive. Too expensive for Heuer alone. Jack approached fellow watchmaker Breitling.
Splitting the costs, the rival companies began to work on what they called "Project 99". For two
years they toiled in absolute secrecy. The result was an entirely new movement that filled one
of the last major gaps in mechanical watch technology. They dubbed it the Calibre 11. One of
Heuer's suppliers then approached the company with a new design for a square watch case.
Jack at once saw the potential. A square chronograph would instantly distinguish Heuer
products from those of co-developers Breitling. The Calibre 11 movement and the square
watch case together became the "Monaco" chronograph.

1973 – Microsplit
The company introduces the Microsplit 820, the world's first quartz, pocket-sized sports timer
accurate to 1/100th of a second.
In 1975 the 'Microsplit' is presented as the world's first LCD pocket-size quartz stopwatch,
designed by the famous designer Richard Sapper

2013 – Opening of Chevenez: the avant-garde manufacture of our in-house movements

Based in the Swiss Jura, in Chevenez, our movement factory produces our in-house Calibres.

1887 HEUER 01 HEUER 02 HEUER 02T

A special semi-automatic circuit, designed and produced only for TAG Heuer, allow a fast and
rigorous production cycle.

2015 – The avant-garde tradition continues….

At Baselworld 2015, TAG Heuer, Google, and Intel have announced a partnership to launch a
Swiss smartwatch powered by Intel technology and Android Wear.
Again, the pioneering spirit of TAG Heuer will launch a technological revolution in the Swiss
watchmaking industry.

History and Values – A History of Innovation