| What is today TAG Heuer Watches was originally | | | | working to produce an automatic watch around the |
| founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer and his two sons | | | | same time. But, it was Heuer, Breitling and |
| Jules-Edouard and Charles-Auguste. Although they | | | | Hamilton-Buren that were the first manufacturers to |
| only introduced their first 'wrist chronographs' in 1914, | | | | produce and distribute automatic watches, the |
| they already had a widely recognised reputation for | | | | Monaco for Heuer, for markets around the world. |
| the production of chronographs and sports timing | | | | The Monaco is definitely one of their most iconic |
| equipment, such as stopwatches, split-second timers | | | | models. This particular model became an instant hit |
| and timing systems. | | | | when in 1970 the Hollywood actor Steve McQueen |
| The foundations on which TAG Heuer has built its | | | | wore a Monaco watch in the classic car racing film, Le |
| strength over the last hundred and forty or so years | | | | Mans. |
| were in place very early on. Entrepreneurship, | | | | Like most of the prestigious Swiss Manufactures |
| innovation and an obsession with ultimate precision | | | | Heuer was hit by the quartz-boom and the cheaper |
| are qualities that the three Heuer men introduced | | | | 'Japanese watch invasion'. In 1984 the Heuer |
| that have come to be synonymous with TAG Heuer | | | | company was sold to the Akram Ojjeh TAG-Group |
| still today. For this reason TAG Heuer watches are | | | | and the brand name changed to TAG-Heuer. Heuer |
| quite often at the forefront of watch-making | | | | models were replaced with new ones, and |
| technology, and have been since early on. For | | | | TAG-Heuer changed from being from a manufacturer |
| example, as far back as 1916 the oscillating pinion | | | | that specialised in chronographs, stopwatches and |
| added to the Mikrograph made this model the World's | | | | sporting events timing, to a luxury watch |
| first mechanical stopwatch that has proven to be | | | | manufacturer with an emphasis on 'avante garde' |
| accurate to one hundredth of a second. | | | | design; hence the name 'Techniques d'Avante Garde'. |
| Heuer watch-makers always offered an extensive | | | | In 2009 TAG Heuer celebrates the fortieth |
| range of chronographs and watches. In the 1930s | | | | anniversary of the iconic Monaco watch with a new |
| they launched a range of chronographs for pilots. The | | | | watch. TAG Heuer have produced the first watch to |
| triple calendar chronographs were introduced in the | | | | be belt driven, and as a homage to the original |
| 1940s, and more rugged and robust watches in the | | | | Monaco timepiece they have named it the Monaco |
| 1950s, including dashboard timepieces that were very | | | | Linear System. This newer model draws on the |
| popular amongst many leading rally teams. | | | | company's longstanding traditions and retains many of |
| In 1969 Heuer broke with tradition and created the | | | | the original Monaco features, such as the once |
| first square-cased, water-resistant watch: the | | | | groundbreaking square case. This new Monaco model |
| Monaco. This watch is also widely accepted to be the | | | | demonstrates unequivocally that TAG Heuer watches |
| World's first automatic chronograph. This claim has | | | | are still at the forefront of innovative and record |
| been contested, as a number of watch makers were | | | | breaking watch-making. |