INSIDE THE MANUFACTURE
How far can we go? How can we create watches that measure time beyond human intuition ? Who are the artisan watchmakers and engineers who take on new challenges every day? High tech, high fashion and high expectations.
Go behind the scenes of the watchmaking world inside TAG Heuer's studio.
REINVENTING THE WHEELmobile_title_border
The combined skills of in-house designers, mathematicians and production and quality engineers allow TAG Heuer to truly “think outside the box” and reinvent the most basic principles of watchmaking: energy, transmission and regulation.
The devotion to innovation coupled with TAG Heuer's heritage is propelling the company forward into the next millenium.
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WATCHES UNDER PRESSUREmobile_title_border
Extreme, uncompromising and ceaseless. Under the watchful eye of professional mechanical and chemical torturers, TAG Heuer timepieces are put to the test . From X-Fluorescence to submarine ultrasound waves, TAG Heuer's unique quality tests have been endorsed with a patent from the Federal Institute for Intellectual Property in Switzerland. The ultimate goal of these high-pressure tests? Get a glimpse of the daily life of a TAG Heuer timepiece. Picture the watch after a grueling bike race: the cyclist will likely want to take a post-race shower while wearing the watch. The tests will simulate the shocks and vibration caused by the intensity of the race, the effects of sweat and heat or the watch’s resistance to water in a shower or under heavy rain.
WE WILL, WE WILL SHOCK YOU: AND YOUR WATCH TOO
Welcome to TAG Heuer shock testing. Only the strong survive. Each timepiece suffers through 16,000 shocks, a freefalling test and around-the-clock twists, turns, punches, knocks, compression, 500 jets of extreme force and 100,000 movements to simulate intense athletic activity.
Every single movement, part and case of each timepiece must prove to be unscratchable and unbreakable. Live your life to the extreme - we’ve got your watch covered.
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HOLD YOUR BREATH AND JUMP IN: IT’S WATER-RESISTANT
200-500 meters under water, 93% humidity, 14 days of nonstop sweat. A unique combination of TAG Heuer-designed technology and the human touch ensure that your timepieces will never crack under water pressure no matter what you put them through.
Pressure cookers, immersion, intense heat and salty fog are among TAG Heuer's 160 water-resistance tests. Dive in, the water’s fine…
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BEND, BUT NEVER BREAK: OUR LEATHER BRACELETS CAN BEAR ANYTHING
At TAG Heuer, we beat, twist, pull and rub every bracelet over and over again to make sure it won’t wear and tear over time. We torture every bracelet whether leather, metal or polymer with traction, friction and twisting tests. We test the traction on our bracelets 5,000 times, test the most fragile part of the leather 5,000 more times and leave them out in the sun for 72 hours at a time in 60C/140F heat.
We make them break a sweat so they will never break. We put them through intense vibrations so you never miss a beat.
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BEND, BUT NEVER BREAK: OUR METAL BRACELETS CAN BEAR ANYTHING
At TAG Heuer, we beat, twist, pull and rub every bracelet over and over again to make sure it won’t wear and tear over time. We torture every bracelet whether leather, metal or polymer with traction, friction and twisting tests. We test the traction on our bracelets 5,000 times, test the most fragile part of the leather 5,000 more times and leave them out in the sun for 72 hours at a time in 60C/140F heat.
We make them break a sweat so they will never break. We put them through intense vibrations so you never miss a beat.
PLAY VIDEODESIGN PUT TO THE TESTmobile_title_border
Let's get dressed! The CAD (computer-aided design) office takes care of the "dressing" of the watch and puts its design to the test. 3D printers evaluate the volume necessary so these timeless timepieces are ready to hit the streets in style.
WATCHMAKING BY THE NUMBERS:
1 week: the time it takes to create a complete product model.
Between 12 and 18 months: the time it takes to validate a complete design prototype.
300: the number of projects per year.
FROM MODELS TO SERIESmobile_title_border
Watch by watch, they assemble, test and perfect the ritual. Blending traditional craftsmanship, high-tech automation and the building materials of the future, TAG Heuer has developed a revolutionary production method reflected in every step of our manufacturing processes and assembly. Our skillful and thorough workshop teams meticulously assemble wheels and gears hardly visible to the naked eye. Their unparalelled level of training has even led TAG Heuer to launch its own watchmaking school.
Once the assembly is complete, watches undergo a series of resistance tests : watertightness, air (pressure / vacuum), the monitoring of the time (0 hour / 24 hours) and the power reserve.
FIRST IMPRESSIONSmobile_title_border
It's a ... watch !
Prototype artisans give life to the first model of new timepieces. Every watch prototype is a brand new creation that's born straight from the minds of TAG Heuer's designers and engineers.
The magic of a prototype is that it is a unique model and the very first one of its kind.
Raphael Duty, TAG Heuer prototypist and Meilleur Ouvrier de France (a prestigious prize for the best craftsmen in France).
Raphael's prototypes are perfect enough to wear.
Denis Chardon, Head of restoration of vintage timepieces at TAG Heuer.
Prototype designers and craftsmen are a real factory-within-a-factory and are completely integrated in the whole creation process.
They work on every stage of a product's development, from the original 3D model to the building of a real life prototype through intense testing and fine machining.
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