The second day of my visit to TAG Heuer focused on the four assembly and production areas of TAG Heuer that turn raw materials into a complete, finished watch:

T-0: Component Fabrication
T-1: Assembly of the Calibre 1887 movement
T-2: Watch Assembly
T-3: Fittment of Bezel and Strap

As with the visit on Day One, TAG Heuer have significantly expanded both in capacity and in capability over the last two years- there is no doubt that TAG Heuer has embarked on an “in-sourcing” programme to bring back many of the stages of watch production in-house, …

Ahead of the Baselworld kick-off later this week, TAG Heuer kindly invited me to La Chaux de Fonds to spend two days visiting their factory and head office. I last visited TAG Heuer in summer 2008, and so was curious to see whether much had changed. Certainly the weather had changed with postcard-perfect snow blanketing much of the Jura Valley.
What was immediately obvious was how much time and effort TAG Heuer has dedicated to this week’s Baselworld show- everyone was putting the finishing touches to different aspects of the exhibition. …

Three weeks ago Calibre 11 brought you the first image of the Pendulum movement- or at least the “pendulum” part of the movement.
Here for the first time is a sketch of the entire movement- you can see the elements shown in the last image just below  the TAG Heuer logo.
While this looks like the layout of a tourbillon, it is not a tourbillon movement- TAG Heuer have said that the new movement is as significant a revolution as the Monaco V4 movement.
I can imagine that whatever watch showcases the movement …

Baselworld 2010 is almost here- less than a week to go until we get to see the new TAG Heuer models for 2010 and hear about the events planned for the 150th anniversary.
All of the stories from Baselworld will be posted here.
If you’ve followed Calibre 11, you’ll already know about some of the releases we’ll see next week:

TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887
TAG Heuer Pendulum movement
TAG Heuer Silverstone re-edition
TAG Heuer Lady F1 Ceramic
Partnership with Tesla

Calibre 11 will be there in Basel to keep you up to date with all the …

The news from TAG Heuer is coming thick and fast. Finally we’re able to bring new some photos of the TAG Heuer Silverstone in the flesh. It’s great to see studio shots of a new watch, but the real test is how they look in “real-life” photos, because these are a better representation of what the watch will look like on your wrist.
A quick re-cap: the Heuer Silverstone is one of the more elegant of the 1970s Chronomatic Heuer models and was available in three colours- blue, fume (smoke) and …

Further clues from TAG Heuer on the new Pendulum movement, with the announcement today of a partnership with US electric car maker Tesla.

The TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster will house the new TAG Heuer Pendulum movement in its centre console and will be used to launch the new movement at Basel on March 18.

A first for Calibre 11- some news of a new model in the TAG Heuer ladies range.
Ahead of Basel TAG Heuer have released information about two new models in the F1 Lady series.- both of which have a ceramic finish and are reminiscent of the Chanel J12 series that has been so successful over the last few years.
The use of ceramic appears limited to the bracelet and around the bezel. While using ceramic “bricks” in the bracelet seems purely for styling, it does make sense to look at the use …

With only three weeks to go until the Baselworld 2010 show opens, more details about what TAG Heuer’s plans are starting to emerge. The key piece of news is the name of the “new concept movement” that was detailed first in the Calibre 11 Baselworld Preview in late January. The new movement is called the TAG Heuer Pendulum.
The concept drawing only shows part of the new movement, but clearly prominent- as you’d expect- is a pendulum sitting within a circular casing and with a “cross-brace” across the back with exposed …

Update
Looking for the review of the Carrera Calibre 1887? Click here
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The first photo of the Calibre 1887 powered Carrera is out a few weeks ahead of Baselworld 2010.
TAG Heuer have been in touch to say that there was a mix up with the embargo dates for the photos of the Carrera Calibre 1887 and so have asked all websites to take down the images. So, if you didn’t get a chance to read the story earlier this morning, sorry…but you ‘ll have to wait another couple of weeks to see …

With Baselworld now only six weeks away, it is time to look into the crystal ball and put together some predictions on what TAG Heuer might be showing us in Basel. Baselworld is the annual major trade show for watches and jewellery and is held every March in Basel, Switzerland.
While TAG Heuer do release new models  throughout the year, the major launches are always at Baselworld…and given that this year is TAG Heuer’s 150th anniversary, it’s not unreasonable to expect that we should be seeing some special watches from TAG …