These 1000 pieces were produced and assembled by the TAG Heuer Manufacture, at its La Chaux-de-Fonds and Chevenez sites in Switzerland. From machining to fitting of the main plate, assembly of the movement, adjustment and fine-tuning, casing-up, functional and aesthetic testing, engraving, and fitting of the bracelet or strap: every step is performed in Switzerland, in-house, at the TAG Heuer Manufacture.
The news was announced by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, at the press conference for the new connected watchin Brunnen, Switzerland.
Jean-Claude Biver decided to celebrate the round number, which is highly significant for the brand, by auctioning the 1000
th COSC Chronograph certified tourbillon chronograph on eBay from 14
th to 29
th March 2017. It comes in an exclusive presentation box which also contains the new TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 watch – all at a reserve price of CHF 17,900 / 17’000 USD. All the proceeds from this unique sale will be donated to Make-A-Wish Foundation of Switzerland which grants the wishes of children aged between 3 and 18 living with a serious medical condition to give them hope, strength and joy.
COSC certified Tourbillon manufacture movement
The Heuer-02T COSC Chronograph Tourbillon movement was designed and developed entirely at TAG Heuer. A skeleton movement, low-inertia tourbillon designed in carbon and titanium (the only one currently on the market), it comprises 284 components, has a diameter of 31 mm (13 ¾’’ lignes), a thickness of 6.9 mm and a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour), with a power reserve of 65 hours. Its design — deliberately conceived with the strategic aim of falling below the CHF 15,000 mark — was launched in 2015. For this to be possible, every team within the manufacture (engineers, watchmakers, designers, purchasing, production) was involved in the process to enable costs to be optimised at each stage.
Thanks to this synergy, the challenge was successfully met, and the finished piece was unveiled at BaselWorld 2016.In the Swiss watchmaking industry, this price of CHF 14,900 for a Tourbillon watch is a highly competitive one. It is in line with Jean-Claude Biver’s desire — and the strategy he put in place — to make TAG Heuer the leader in accessible luxury.