The History Of Tag Heuer Watches

Since the Beginning

Since the Beginning

In 1860, Edouard Heuer founded a watch company in Switzerland, with the idea of becoming the first person to patent the chronograph. Of course, he did this in 1882, making him the leader in innovative technologies. The "oscillating pinion" is still in use today by major watchmakers. But this was not enoughin 1911, he also patented the first "Time Trip"; a clock made for dashboards in automobiles. The first set of hands were set to tell time like an ordinary clock, but a second set of hands were designed to track the duration of the trip. A driver could set the timer, then stop when they reached their destination. Mr. Heuer was a man before his time in innovation and ideas.

Wrist Watches

1914 saw the first wrist watch/chronograph combo, which let the owner start and stop time in a "stopwatch" fashion. This is where the stopwatch idea originated, which is still in use today. During the 1930s and 40s, Tag Heuer manufactured timepieces for aircraft and automobiles to contribute to the war effort. Many chronographs were made to include a calendar function as well.

Once the war was over, the company began creating watches for Abercrombie and Fitch that had special dials to track high low tides, as well as moon phases. These were the "Seafarer" watches, popular with sailors and other boating lovers. However, it was later discovered that the dials could be rotated a certain way, so that golfers could use it to track their scores.

New Car Timers

When the first dashboard timers/clocks appeared in 1911, they were a great novelty. But by the late 1950s, a new line of clocks/timers came onto the scene. 1958 saw greater innovations and more features never before seen, such as an 8-day clock, a 12-hour stopwatch, full chronograph, and many more. For its day, these dashboard timers were cutting edge, and were manufactured through the mid-1980s when they were discontinued. But during the time, Heuer produced other timers for sporting and racing events, including the prestigious Formula One.

Racing Watches and Timers

During the time that the innovative dashboard timers were produced, racing lovers (pro and amateur alike) used these devices. Watches similar to the dashboard timers were often worn by racing aficionados because of the ease of use. Because of the split second timing and precision of the watches, racers used these to keep accurate records of their accomplishments.

Space and Beyond

Tag Heuer watches were the first to go into space. John Glenn, while manning the Mercury Atlas 6 in Earths orbit, wore a Heuer stopwatch. It was actually the back up clock for the mission and is currently on display at the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

As technology advanced, so did the designs and innovations of the Tag Heuer watches. The first automatic chronograph appeared in the mid 1960s, ushering in a new era of watches and timers. Tag Heuer has become known as THE stopwatch company to visit if you are in the market for a great stopwatch.

by: Nate Joris

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