Leading sports watch brand launches timepiece for everyday wear
The Aquaracer Calibre S: TAG Heuer revolutionizes chronograph movements, inventing the world's easiest-to-read and most elegant chronograph. Representing nothing less than the most elegant, high-performance sports chronograph ever conceived, the TAG Heuer Calibre S revolutionizes watchmaking by presenting a breakthrough in chronographs movements with a home-designed caliber making it possible to measure and display all watch and chronograph functions with the same hands.
This new and unique architecture, inspired by automobile dashboards, an area which TAG Heuer pioneered in 1911, offers the most elegant, logical way to intuitively and easily read time, elapsed chronograph time and countdown for regattas.
The Calibre S is the first breakthrough in quartz-powered chronographs movements since they were invented in the early 1980s. Unlike the first generation of quartz still marketed today and which copied the display architecture of mechanical movements, the Calibre S introduces a second generation of movements, free of any constraint and displaying time and information in the most logical and elegantly possible ways.
Simply put: hours are displayed with the central hour hand in the Time mode and Chronograph mode; minutes are displayed with the central minute hand in the Time mode, Chronograph mode and Regatta countdown; and seconds are displayed with the central seconds hand in the Time mode, Chronograph mode and Regatta countdown. The right semi-circular counter displays tenths of a second in the Chronograph mode. To switch from standard Time mode to Chronograph mode or Regatta countdown mode, all you do is press the crown once to access the Chronograph mode and twice to access the Regatta countdown mode; the chosen mode is indicated thanks to the semi-circular left counter.
In the Chronograph mode, you start, stop and reset it to zero like a normal chronograph, but elapsed time is displayed on the large central hands of the watch. The hour hand displays the elapsed hours, the minute hand displays the elapsed minutes and the seconds hand displays the elapsed seconds. The right counter indicates tenths of a second.
A proprietary movement developed and patented by TAG Heuer and first presented as a prototype in 2005, the Calibre S movement is a technological marvel requiring no fewer than 230 components and 5 high-performance bi-directional engines capable of twice the torque of conventional timepiece engines.
The Calibre S has more components than most mechanical movements and has a built-in complexity close to a Manufacture-made movement. The central hands' extraordinary synchronization and reset to zero in chronograph mode functions demand the highest level of precision, while the multi-tasking of the central hour, minute, second hands doubles the workload on the main engines. Tremendous effort was put into achieving this class-leading durability and precision, including: maximizing the power source and engine efficiency; optimizing hand shapes, weights and inertia; and reducing gear tolerance in the powertrain to optimize friction. The performance of the Calibre S speaks for itself. To pass the stringent quality test, each Calibre S has to undergo 12,000 hours of testing without losing 1 second.
The Calibre S has the definitive attributes of a competitive yachting timepiece, including: water resistance to 300 meters; 1/10th of a second precision; perpetual calendar; scratch-resistant sapphire crystal; fixed aluminum bezel with countdown scale for Regatta races; luminescent hands and markers; hand-applied indexes and semi-circular counters; triple-row steel bracelet with a double safety clasp and bracelet extension for full wearing comfort over a sailing suit.
Available with distinctive blue or anthracite dial with sunray affect, the Aquaracer Calibre S is the superlative aquatic sports chronograph--easy to use and a breeze to read.
Aquaracer Chronograph Calibre S China Team Limited Edition
To celebrate TAG Heuer's newest sailing adventure--its historic partnership with the China Team in its challenge to win the 32nd America's Cup--and to illustrate the Calibre S's superlative status as a competitive sailing instrument, TAG Heuer is launching a Calibre S China Team Limited Edition of 2000 pieces.
The China Team Limited Edition carries the same superlative functions and technical specifications as the Calibre S, but sports an anthracite dial, aluminum bezel decorated with China Team's red and yellow colors, as well as a unique case back with stamped China Team dragon decoration. This edition celebrates more than 18 months of close partnership between China Team after deck members and TAG Heuer watchmasters decided to jointly develop and optimize the Calibre S in real life racing conditions, especially during the 2006 season Louis Vuitton Cup regattas.
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ABOUT TAG HEUER
TAG Heuer, the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is one of the largest and fastest growing luxury Swiss watch Brands. The Swiss watch making legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate measuring instruments and sports watches in the world. TAG Heuer is today the first watchmaker ever to master luxurious Chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th and 1/1,000th of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper to within 1/10,000th of a second for the legendary Indy 500, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher, as reflected in its partnerships with Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in Formula 1 and its two aces: Fernando Alonso, youngest ever and already two times Formula 1 world champion and Lewis Hamilton, GP2 world Champion in 2006. With two times Formula 1 world vice-champion and Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver Kimi Räikkönen, with world number 1 golfer Tiger Woods and WTA number 1 tennis player Maria Sharapova, with Nascar idol Jeff Gordon, Champcar three times world champion Sébastien Bourdais, as well as Hollywood and Bollywood icons Brad Pitt, Uma Thurman and Shah Rukh Khan, TAG Heuer more than ever epitomizes Sport and Glamour!
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© Press Release 2008
