Interview with Jean-Christophe Babin, TAG Heuer CEO

Mr. Babin, TAG Heuer presented today a revolutionary mechanical chronograph movement in BaselWorld name Calibre 360. Can you tell us more about it ?

The Calibre 360 is a true revolution in mechanical Chronographs as it is the first ever chronograph with a heart beating at 360.000 beats per hour, thus allowing to measure and read the 1/100th of a second. To give you some perspective, before the Calibre 360, the most accurate mechanical Chronograph was the TAG Heuer Calibre 36, beating at 36.000 alternances per hour. In other words we have pioneered a totally new and ultimate accuracy area for a mechanical timepiece. 10 times more accurate than ever before. In terms of quantum leap, just imagine a Formula 1 engine pushed overnight from 18.000 rpm to 180.000 rpm...

How long did it take TAG Heuer to develop it ? and why did you go that far in accuracy ?

TAG Heuer has ever stood for the ultimate precision and accuracy, breaking 1st the 1/100th of a second in Timekeeping in 1916 and the the 1/1000th in 1966. For wrist chronographs we were the first to break the 1/100th of a second in quartz movements in the early 80's and then the mythical 1/1000th of a second in 2003 with the Microtimer, subsequently awarded the "Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève" 2003. In parallel in 2002 we introduced the calibre 36 mechanical chronograph at the 1/10th of a second when most Competitors are proposing only the 1/8th of a second which is a division of time not really practical nor consistent with any activity. At the same time we decided to undertake the "ultimate mechanical challenge" i.e. the 1/100th of a second. So in total it took us 3 years.

TAG Heuer presented last year another concept watch, the Monaco V4. It's not yet on the market. Will it ever hit the market ? and what about the Calibre 360 ?

Indeed the Monaco V4 was initially designed as a pure concept showcasing TAG Heuer watchmakers and engineers daringness and know-how. Then in the months following Basel it has been acclaimed by the world community from Popular Science to Armband & Uhren or WallPaper as one of the most remarkable innovations ever in watchmaking history. At the stage we have decided to get into a devlopment and industrialisation process with a 24 to 36 months retroplanning. Today 7 watchmakers, engineers, constructors and prototypists work full time on it and I can guarantee that you'll soon see on my wrist a "Pre-series" model allowing us to run all the functional and quality torture tests necessary to fine tune and specify the final commercial piece. We said 36 months, 12 have elapsed and with 24 to go we are absolutely on track. For the Calibre 360, although revolutionary too, it's from a watchmaking standpoint relatively easier as we use "conventional" principles; therefore the calibre 360 should hit the markets with commercial pieces by end 2005 or beginning 2006.

When you say more "conventional", what do you mean ?

I mean that the starting idea was nothing else than Charles Heuer's Mikrograph 1/100th of a second stopwatch idea from 1916, but much smaller and also incorporating a watch function allowing to master hours, minutes and seconds. Still as early as 1916 TAG Heuer mastered balance wheels and escapements beating at 360.000 alternances per hour ! We just made it smaller....!

Why then virtually one century to get there ?
Because today most Swiss watch brands are more interested at celebrating, reproducing and fine-tuning the past rather than using it as a source of inspiration to envision the future. At TAG Heuer we show from the Microtimer to the Monaco V4, from the Calibre 360 to new developments you'll soon see in quartz than innovation is first and foremost a strategy and a decision, supported by the right people, process and funding. This is why A.T. Kearney has crowned TAG Heuer "most innovative swiss company" in 2004 alonside 2 other corporations in different sectors.