Throughout TAG Heuer‘s recent history, the brand has seemed far more interested in reliving the glory days of the latter half of its name than acknowledging the former.
Heuer went on a legendary run in the 1960s, introducing iconic motorsports chronographs like the Carrera, Monaco and Autavia in the decade. So it’s understandable why modern-day TAG Heuer tried to relive these glory days through a series of 21st-century reissues.
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But now, TAG Heuer is moving past its Heuer fascination and finally paying tribute to the brand’s accomplishments from the past 40 years, after Heuer was purchased by TAG in 1985.
First up is the original TAG Heuer model, the Formula 1. The original 1985 watch was plasticky, colorful, quartz-powered and affordable — all things that made it a blockbuster in the decade when Swatch was the biggest success story of Swiss watchmaking.
For a time, the Formula 1 became a symbol of how TAG Heuer had led Heuer astray, cheapening this once-great mechanical watchmaker. But time has been kind to TAG’s quirky ’80s watch, and public sentiment has come back around to the point where the watch is now considered a beloved classic.
