The Early History of Heuer
Heuer, like many other notable Swiss watch brands, is an ancient company - active for 160 years in the watch market. Over that time, it’s gone from specialist watchmaker, to a deep affinity for the race track, to its current status as a maker of modern sports watches. Its evolution surely isn't over, but today we'd like to explore a small part of how the company grew from its origins in the Jura Mountains to its current position in the market.
Saint-Imier, 1860; a young Edouard Heuer opens his first watchmaking workshop. The shop does relatively well and Heuer’s watches were soon recognized for their high accuracy and finish. By 1869, Heuer wins his first patent for a keyless winding system for pocket watches. The company continues forward, notably patenting an oscillating pinion mechanism in 1887, that is still in use today, and taking on the founder’s son; Jules-Edouard. Unfortunately, Edouard Heuer died in 1892 and his son took the helm. Heuer was surprisingly innovative in its early years, winning a patent for a repeater watch with automatic chiming in 1888, applying for a water tight case patent in 1895, and developing the Time of Trip (the first dashboard chronograph for cars and planes) in 1911. On top of those achievements they were also an early player in the market for women’s wristwatches, launching their first pieces in 1912. By 1933, Heuer had launched the first Autavia dashboard clock, a preamble to the storied relationship with the automotive sector we recognize Heuer for today.
In 1985, Techniques d’Avant Garde, a Luxembourg-based holding company with interests in the automotive industry, acquired Heuer. Now TAG Heuer, the company changed hands again when it was acquired by LVMH in 1999 for approximately $740 million. At the time, LVMH was considered weak in the jewelry sector and negligible in the watch market, making the acquisition of TAG a very important one for Bernard Arnault. One that has seemingly paid off seeing as TAG, today, is one of the world’s most preeminent watch brands and is considered a remarkable story of family, business, and entrepreneurship.