![]() Launched in 1983, Swatch had become a cultural and financial titan by the mid-‘80s, selling record numbers of colorful resin-cased watches at bargain prices to a primarily youthful, forward-thinking demographic.Ī marriage between the shared racing acumen of TAG and Heuer with the fun, affordable philosophy of Swatch seems like a natural move for the brand in hindsight. Around the same time, another player in the Swiss watchmaking industry had developed a massively successful formula for competing against the rising tide of affordable Japanese quartz timepieces. In addition to purchasing Heuer and producing high-tech aircraft components, TAG was both part-owner and a technical partner for the McLaren Formula One team at the time, developing the TAG turbo engines that powered McLaren drivers Niki Lauda and Alain Prost to a run of Grand Prix dominance in the mid-‘80s. The introduction of dive watches to its lineup in 1979 had been a commercial boon for the brand, but the brand’s central Calibre 11/12/15 family of automatic chronographs were growing long in the tooth, and had fully phased out of the lineup by the end of 1985 after years of slowing sales.Īlthough this legendary series of chronographs (including such racing-associated lines as the Monaco and Autavia) was on its way out, TAG was keen to put its own stamp on the brand, while highlighting its own motorsports credentials. Although it had managed to survive the worst of the Quartz Crisis unlike many of its rivals, the late ‘70s and early ‘80s had seen Heuer’s lineup struggle to adapt to changing market trends. ![]() When French business mogul Mansour Ojjeh and his holding company Techniques d’Avant-Garde (shortened to TAG) completed its buyout of Heuer in early 1986, the historic watchmaker was in difficult financial straits. While the Formula 1 line persists in TAG Heuer’s catalog to this day, the first generation models from 1986 to 1997 remain the favorite among collectors – and act as a surprisingly apt reflection of the current watchmaking landscape. Back in 1986, the first-generation TAG Heuer Formula 1 line ushered in a new era for TAG Heuer, revitalized sales, and created a new generation of enthusiasts for the brand. While these releases might have been successful in introducing sneakerhead-style hype culture into the watch market and have proven to be sales juggernauts for all the brands involved, the basic idea of creating affordable, colorful entry points into prestigious legacy watch brands for new consumers is not a new one. Regardless of one’s personal opinion on the watches themselves, it’s difficult to argue against the Swatch x Omega Moonswatch (and the subsequent Swatch x Blancpain Scuba Fifty Fathoms) as some of the most influential and important watch releases in the past few years. Author’s Note: Special thanks to TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck and the brand’s heritage collection for loaning these museum pieces, as well as providing backstory on the line, without which this article would not have been possible.
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