1860 through 1880s
In 1860, Edouard Heuer founded Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG in St-Imier, Switzerland. Edouard Heuer patented his first chronograph in 1882 and, in 1887, patented an “oscillating pinion” still used by major watchmakers of mechanical chronographs.
1910s
In 1911, Heuer received a patent for the “Time of Trip,” the first dashboard chronograph designed for use in automobiles and aircraft. The device featured two sets of hands – one indicating the time of day, and another showing the duration of the trip, up to 12 hours. Heuer introduced its first wrist chronograph in 1914, adapted from pocket chronographs with the crown at the 12 o’clock position. In 1916, Charles-Auguste Heuer, Edouard’s son, introduced the “Mikrograph,” the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100 of a second, followed by the “Semikrograph,” offering 1/50 of a second timing and a split-second function.
1930s and 1940s
In 1933, Heuer introduced the “Autavia,” a dashboard timer for automobiles and aviation. Over the period from 1935 through the early 1940s, Heuer manufactured chronographs for pilots in the Luftwaffe, known as “Flieger” chronographs. These early versions featured a hinged-back case and one pusher, while later versions had a snap-back case and a second pusher. Heuer also produced two- and three-register chronographs, including a three-register chronograph with a full calendar function, available in stainless steel and gold cases.
1950s
In the early 1950s, Heuer produced watches for the American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, including the "Seafarer" and "Auto-Graph" chronographs. The "Seafarer" featured dials with blue, green, and yellow patterns to show high and low tides, as well as the phases of the moon. Heuer also produced the "Auto-Graph" in 1953 and 1954, featuring a tachymeter scale and a preset hand for pacing in rally driving or scoring in golf.
Auto dashboard timers
From 1911, Heuer manufactured timepieces for dashboards in automobiles, aircraft, and boats. In 1958, Heuer introduced a new line of dashboard timepieces, including the Master Time, Monte Carlo, Super Autavia, Sebring, and Auto-Rallye, continuing production into the 1980s. Heuer also introduced timing devices for ski and motor racing events, including Formula One.
1960s
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Heuer chronographs were popular among automobile racers. In 1962, Heuer became the first Swiss watchmaker in space when John Glenn wore a Heuer stopwatch as a backup clock on the Mercury Atlas 6 mission. The Autavia chronograph was introduced in 1962, featuring a rotating bezel and a black dial with white registers. In 1963, Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the founder, designed the Carrera chronograph, known for its simple design and fixed inner bezel. Most Heuer chronographs from this period used movements manufactured by Valjoux, including the Valjoux 72 and 92 movements. Heuer acquired the "Leonidas" brand in the early 1960s, adding the "Bundeswehr" chronograph to its line-up, featuring a “fly-back” mechanism.
Automatic chronographs
In the mid-1960s, Heuer partnered with Breitling and Hamilton to develop an automatic chronograph, competing with Seiko and Zenith. Heuer’s first automatic chronographs were the Autavia, Carrera, and Monaco, powered by the Cal 11, Cal 12, Cal 14 and Cal 15 movements. The winding crown was on the left, with the chronograph pushers on the right.
1970s
In 1975, Heuer introduced the Chronosplit, a digital chronograph with dual LED and LCD displays. Heuer began using the Valjoux 7750 movement in its automatic chronographs, with the Kentucky and Pasadena models introduced in 1977. Heuer also produced chronographs powered by the Lemania 5100 movement, known for its ruggedness and legibility.
1980–present
TAG Heuer was formed in 1985 when TAG Group acquired Heuer. In 1999, TAG Heuer was acquired by LVMH for CHF 1.15 billion. In 2010, TAG Heuer introduced the “Pendulum Concept,” a magnetic oscillator. In 2017, TAG Heuer released a limited-edition Muhammad Ali watch.
TAG Heuer’s current lines include Formula One, Aquaracer, Link, Carrera, Monaco, Connected, Autavia, and Heuer Heritage. In 2015, TAG Heuer launched the Tag Heuer Connected smartwatch, running on the Android Wear operating system. In 2022, the Connected Calibre line of smartwatches was introduced.
TAG Heuer has been the official timekeeper of the Summer Olympic Games of the 1920s, Skiing World Championships, and the Formula One World Championship. They will return as the official timekeeper of Formula One in 2025. TAG Heuer is the official timekeeper and sponsor of La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, J1 League, and Major League Soccer. Since 2011, TAG Heuer has sponsored the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming a title sponsor in 2025. TAG Heuer is an official partner of Red Bull Racing in Formula One, sponsoring their Renault-manufactured power units from 2016 to 2018. TAG Group sponsored Williams during the early 1980s and provided engines to McLaren from 1983 through 1987. Heuer was the official timepiece of the Scuderia Ferrari in the 1970s.
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