e are back!” exclaims Antoine Pin, CEO of TAG Heuer, referring to the massive partnership agreement sealed with Formula 1 (a 10-year contract signed by LVMH). The brand from La Chaux-de-Fonds is the most universal and most affordable of a group watchmaking portfolio encompassing creations ranging from Zenith to Hublot, Bvlgari to Tiffany & Co. and Daniel Roth to L’Epée.

It may have repositioned itself at the higher end of the market, but TAG Heuer more than any other brand embodies the Group’s ambitions to conquer volumes – in other words, the hearts of the greatest possible number of people – when it comes to watches. Its history, shaped by its links to motor sports since the leadership of Jack Heuer in the 1960s, as well as the global popularity of the sport, make this moment all the more special.

Jo Siffert, a driver closely associated with Heuer, in Europa Star in 1969.

The TAG Heuer Carrera line has been radically redesigned in recent years, the new star being its easily recognisable Glassbox.

Antoine Pin, CEO of TAG Heuer

“Desirability is horology’s holy grail,” says Antoine Pin. “It influences not only the continuous elevation of products, but also the communications, collaboration and the in-store experience. This partnership with Formula 1 is something you experience only once in a lifetime. For 60 years, TAG Heuer has been the brand that has reaped the greatest number of successes on the circuit. It’s associated with 15 World Drivers’ Championship titles, 11 World Constructors’ Championship titles and 239 Grand Prix wins, and figures ranging from Jo Siffert to Max Verstappen.”

Europa Star: For TAG Heuer, 2025 will go down in history as the year in which it resumed its historical partnership with Formula 1. With a view to the long term, what do you think are the best ways of activating it?

Antoine Pin: The beauty of this partnership is that it covers both the “container” and the “content”, so to speak. We expound TAG Heuer’s historical relationship with Formula 1, not only the glamour and the more romantic aspects, but also the chronometry, the precision, the engineering that underpins our legitimacy. It’s three things rolled into one: massive activation and media visibility, production of related models and an exposition of our historical role. Sharing this physical experience, bringing our interlocutors close up to the action… It’s a powerful sport, all detail and precision with obvious analogies to watchmaking, but it’s also a very joyful sport, an incredible sight. And that will really be a daily reality at TAG Heuer, because the competition lasts 10 months.

Five new models were presented in the TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection this year: four vibrantly coloured chronographs following the Grand Prix by Night design concept, and one model in collaboration with Oracle Red Bull Racing. The aluminium tachymetric bezel of these models, highlighted by a coloured ring to distinguish it from the case, is inspired by F1 high-precision engineering.

In your TAG Heuer Formula 1 line, you present new chronographs. Which collections will be associated with this partnership as a priority??

We’re really going to seek to associate all our collections with it. Surpassing limits is a mindset that applies to all our lines and we’re going to reinforce our technical timekeeping expertise even further.

In parallel, you’ve invested in the electric car circuit, Formula E. Are these two worlds compatible? To pursue the parallel, it’s a bit like mechanical and quartz in watchmaking…

Basically, I think we need to support research in numerous directions and not concentrate on one single way of making a transition. Formula 1 is always evolving. I think we need to encourage these efforts rather than denouncing them or acting punitively, at the risk of achieving the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve. We see ourselves as facilitators of new technologies. What interests us is being open to numerous domains.

The domed sapphire crystal of the Glassbox has become a house trademark, as on this new TAG Heuer Carrera chronograph with its smoky dial in colours graduating from black to purple, 39mm case and Heuer 02 (TH20-00) calibre.

In the space of a few years, the TAG Heuer Carrera has been radically redesigned. Under your leadership, has its position as the brand’s flagship line been confirmed?

The TAG Heuer Carrera is our number one collection and has the major advantage of addressing a large number of people. It covers a broad territory, ranging from the most affordable to the most exclusive models. But rather than talking about moving upmarket, as you often hear, I actually prefer to talk about moving up in quality, because that concerns all our products. But beware of drawing hasty conclusions: don’t forget that a line like the TAG Heuer Aquaracer is very important too! All through this year, you’re going to be seeing a dynamic drive in all our collections.

The new, limited-edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronosprint x Porsche Rallye models are fitted with the TH20-08 calibre, the chronograph module of which is unique to its partnership with Porsche: two snail-shaped wheels enable the central seconds hands to mark the first 15 seconds of each minute at an accelerated pace, before slowing down to complete the minute.

These new models are inspired by the historical Heuer dashboard timers, which played a key role in racing car victories in the Monte-Carlo Rallye.

The latest iterations of the TAG Heuer Carrera seem to be looking to put a very contemporary twist on a legacy model. How are you thinking playing these two faces of the brand, which may also represent two very different customer bases?

That’s the question! A TAG Heuer chronograph is a must in any watch collection. But knowing that projecting into the future has always carried weight with the public, we’re developing our historic designs. I think the best example of that is the development of the Glassbox based on the TAG Heuer Carrera. The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 chronograph is another illustration: it’s based on the fundamentals that had great appeal from the time it was launched – vibrant colours and an unusual shape for the case, both of which have been conserved – but introduces aluminium, titanium, rubber, and greater aerodynamics for a product that in a way is more “horological” than the original. That’s also what I mean when I talk of a rise in quality.

What is very unusual about this company is that it started again from scratch 40 years ago as part of the TAG Group, which had very little watchmaking knowledge but was a genius when it came to marketing. They laid the foundations for the renaissance, but after that we contributed our knowledge of the product, R&D, new materials. Today, TAG Heuer is a synthesis of these different development phases.

This version of the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon, available as a limited edition of 200 pieces, is driven by the Heuer 02 (TH20-09) tourbillon movement from TAG Heuer, which delivers a power reserve of 65 hours.

TAG Heuer’s market position has always been a subject of debate, perhaps because of its universal reach. Strategically, what is the brand’s ideal zone in terms of price segment?

Today, we’re comfortable on a centreline between CHF 3,000 and CHF 8,000. That segment is something of a desert and we’re set on occupying it. But what I don’t want is to rein in our creativity because we’re in a specific price segment. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in the top range of the market, where you listen to and place absolute trust in the customer.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Date also comes in shades of powdered rose or lilac in a 36mm-diameter model.

What future do you see for the TAG Heuer Connected lines in a watchmaking world that more than ever puts the mechanical heart of watches at a premium?

You can’t talk about avant-garde innovation without talking about pioneering spirit. And it would be too easy not to go into that segment if you claim to have one! I don’t believe it’s necessary to place these categories in opposition to one another, they co-exist very well. I hate any kind of uniformisation: it’s like with fashion: please yourself without subscribing to rigid codes, assert your own personality! We’re a universal brand with universal values, even though we have a strong focus on chronographs.