TAGHeuer
Latest
Apple recruits one of the watch industry's most important sales execs
Apple's recent hires in wearable tech have largely taken place outside the watch industry, which is slightly odd for a company rumored to be making a watch of its own. However, it just addressed that discrepancy in style -- LVMH's watch division has confirmed that Apple has snagged Patrick Pruniaux, TAG Heuer's sales and retail VP, as part of a broader campaign to poach talent from watchmakers. We've reached out to Apple to learn more about its plans, but LVMH group head Jean-Claude Biver tells CNBC that Pruniaux will be working on the "iWatch." Clearly, the team in Cupertino wants someone who can market wristwear to a large audience.
TAG Heuer's Racer smartphone wants to be as ostentatious and flashy as your supercar (video)
Previous endeavors in the stratospheric and ultra-high end phone market have resulted in fanciful hardware made out of exotic materials, often marred by perplexingly outdated innards. If you believe TAG Heuer's latest marketing hyperbole, that's set to change with its upcoming Racer smartphone. Just like its bespoke contemporaries, there's a flashy (and arguably gaudy) carbon fibre and titanium exterior, but underneath that veil is a "high speed" processor and the "latest Android software." So, quad-core silicon and Ice Cream Sandwich, right? Two and a half minutes of flamboyant renders await alongside some very brief PR after the break.
TAG Heuer concept watch beats 3.6 million times per hour, $89,000 price tag gives heart palpitations
TAG Heuer's high-end concept chronograph is so precise, blink and you'll miss it -- literally. The Mikrotimer Flying 1000's watch movement runs at 500Hz. Compare that to other high-end chronos plodding along at 5Hz, and you start to see the sort of power and precision Team TAG are working with -- this mesmerizing piece of wrist jewelry is capable of banging out 3.6 million beats per hour. Initially planned as a one-off, the concept watch will now go on sale for a lucky few timepiece obsessives. Be prepared to reach for your severely over-burdened money clip, though; the price is set at €65,000 ($88,580), with a limited run of ten arriving before the end of the year. Gawp in awe at the brief video after the break. You may have to sell the Batmobile.
TAG Heuer outs $6,700 Link Phone for those who like alligator skin with their Froyo (video)
As far as most of us are concerned, if we're going to pay a lot for a phone -- you know, like, $350 on contract -- it had better come with the works. We're talking a qHD display, dual-core processor, 8 megapixel camera with 1080p recording, NFC, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 4G radio, to boot. If you're someone who buys things made by TAG Heuer, you've got different priorities. The company just introduced the Link Phone, a darling clunker of a handset festooned with steel, 18K rose gold, or titanium, topped off with leather, alligator- and lizard-skin, rubber, and diamond accents -- a medley that'll set you back no less than €4,700 ($6,712). What's that you say? You want specs? The Link, named after the Swiss outfit's storied watch line, runs Android 2.2 -- a clear step up from its feature phone predecessor. Other ho-hum features include the 3.5-inch (800 x 480) display, 5 megapixel autofocus camera, 256MB internal memory, an 8GB memory card, 1400 mAh battery, and EDGE / HSUPA connectivity. TAG Heuer also says it'll be particularly durable, though it's coming up short on specifics. Somehow, though, we don't think it will survive when we accidentally drop it in our gold-plated toilet.Update: TAG Heuer might not have the chops to build a highly spec'd phone, but it sure knows how to root one. As a tipster pointed out, if you pause the video at 1:18 you'll see Superuser in the app menu -- a telltale sign of hacking if ever there was one. Freeze frame after the break. [Thanks, Sasika!]%Gallery-127297%
TAG Heuer TH02M smartphone hits the FCC, is appalled by the service
Three years after unveiling the $5,000 aluminum phone you didn't ask for, TAG Heuer is working on another excessive creation. ModeLabs, which has brought you many a hideous and overpriced Versace handset, just filed an FCC test report for a smartphone bearing the Swiss watch maker's name. It's unclear how gaudy (or practical) the so-called TH02M will be, but the doc does reveal that it's built to run on the GSM 800MHz and 1900MHz bands and also supports HSPA+ connectivity. For the money, it also includes table-stakes features such as Bluetooth and 802.11n WiFI. No word yet on pricing, of course -- not that we think your phone budget has expanded that much since the recession.
TAG Heuer Merediist GMT keeps your Monte Carlo arrivals on time
For all its luxurious sapphire crystal glass and genuine alligator skin, the TAG Heuer Meridiist has always struggled to keep up with the times -- but don't expect that two megapixel camera or 1.9-inch QVGA screen to change in the handset's latest iteration. No, the Merediist GMT's only new feature is -- you guessed it -- to literally keep track of Greenwich Mean Time. "Switch between home time and destination time," a flashy new ad teases, as a pair of (presumably) filthy rich individuals take the TAG Heuer Tesla for a cross-country drive. We're not quite sure how one originally forgets about world time with 150 years of watchmaking experience under one's belt, but at least the company has pledged to include the function in all future $4000+ models.
TAG Heuer's Tesla Roadster gets pictured on the road
The good people of Tesla couldn't leave us with just stock studio photography of their new TAG Heuer special edition vehicle, oh no. They've treated us to a full gallery of the car out on the road, sporting its new regalia and that radical paintjob with pride. To remind you, the only special thing about this edition is indeed that TAG Heuer has reskinned its exterior, while a center console mount for a Meridiist phone and room for a Limited Edition Stopwatch can be classified as product placements for the crowd who'd buy things just because there's an allotted space for them. Anyhow, a couple more pictures await after the break (sans that silly flare on the Tesla logo above) or you can hit the source for the full experience.
TAG Heuer and Tesla Motors team up to show off products you can't afford
The Tesla Roadster runs on batteries, and so too do (many) TAG Heuer watches. It's out of this obvious correlation that the TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster was born, a one-off special edition skinned in some unfortunate graphics then blessed with an extra slot in the center console for a similarly spendy Meridiist phone. There's also room in there for a one-fifth second analog Heuer Limited Edition Stopwatch, which sounds like a very useful addition indeed. Those attending Geneva Motor Show later this week will have a chance to see this (otherwise stock) car in-person, while the rest of us will have to make do with the gallery of photos below, which truly shows that "technology -- whether worn on your wrist or driven on the road -- can help us live better while we tread more lightly on this planet." These words courtesy of Elon Musk, who can surely be seen at the show wearing a giant piece of wrist-borne chronography. %Gallery-86723%
TAG Heuer Meridiist Lamborghini model announced, snickered at
In the market for an over-priced luxury handset? Do you equate luxury with a brand name, snakeskin, perhaps even a feature phone with all but the barest of "features?" You're in luck! Once again looking to give Vertu a run for its money, Tag Heuer has upped the ante with its newest, the Meridiist Automobili Lamborghini. In addition to that world famous 1.9-inch sapphire crystal display, 2 megapixel camera, media player, Bluetooth, and roughly seven hours of talk time, this guy throws the Lamborghini logo into the mix. Available in a limited edition of 1963 (the date that its namesake was first sold), look for it sometime this month at selected TAG Heuer and Lamborghini retailers -- which we're sure you frequent anyways. PR after the break.
TAG Heuer's Bluetooth headset proves the rich only need 4GB flash drives
Finding a headset that can match the overwhelming pretension exuded by your multi-thousand-dollar TAG Heuer Meridiist can be a daunting challenge; pairing it up with your old Vertu (which was just a Jabra clone, anyhow) would be an embarrassing faux pas to say the least, and a Jawbone Prime can't physically fit enough diamonds to accurately express your expertly-honed sense of luxurious style. No worries, though: your favorite watchmaker has crafted just the piece for you, combining a totally ordinary-looking headset with a USB-powered charging base that integrates 4GB of questionably useful storage. Looks like an $80 package to us, but rest assured -- whatever the actual price is at launch, it'll starkly remind you that you're wealthy, fancy, and on the cutting edge of cool.[Via Newlaunches]
Keepin' it real fake, part CXCVIII: TAG Heuer Meridiist gets way-too-low MSRP
You know how we know this here TAG Heuer Meridiist isn't the real deal? Not because it isn't sexy, and not because we don't really, really want to believe. No -- it's because the authentic handset can't be found for under five or six grand, while this little impostor can be had for the unfathomably low price of just $290. So yeah, you'll miss out on the fancy box and veritable bragging rights, but you will get twin SIM slots and a choice of black or red "leather." You know, come to think of it, maybe we would be willing to deal with a fake in order to save a few mortgage payments...[Via Tehnozona]
TAG Heuer launches official Meridiist site, still not on sale
Most of us aren't itching to pay over five grand for the privilege of putting TAG Heuer's first cellphone in our pockets -- or, rather, we simply don't have five grand to blow on such a lustworthy extravagance -- but the small handful of you still sitting there, tapping your fingers on the table with credit card outstretched are probably wondering where the hell you buy this thing. Turns out the Meridiist isn't really "on sale" yet, per se, but at least the company has finally done us the favor of whipping up a site where we can all ogle the luxury candybar at our leisure -- and, more importantly, place a pre-order. The timing of the site is no coincidence; watch show Baselworld starts this week, and the company (along with manufacturer partner Modelabs) wanted to be ready with some new action. It's not as cool as, say... a launch, but we suppose it's better than nothing. Update: It seems some retailers (even in the States) are stocking these, so we're not sure why TAG Heuer hasn't bothered to let site visitors know that their "pre-order" is more of an "actual order." Thanks, everyone!
TAG Heuer's ritzy Meridiist handset gets unboxed
All but the most affluent among us have likely purged the pricey Meridiist from our memories, but if you've ever wondered what exactly a £2,650 ($5,162) cellphone looks like (and really, who hasn't?), you'll definitely want to check this out. The fine folks over at Stuff were able to point their camera at TAG Heuer's exquisite handset ever-so-briefly, and while the images tell half the story, the folks handling it told the other. The chunky phone reportedly reeked of unnecessary luxury and was built solidly, but we didn't get the impression that they were champing at the bit to call this a bargain. At any rate, there are a few more shots where this one came from (that would be the read link, for the uninitiated).
TAG Heuer Meridiist hits FCC courtesy of ModeLabs
Looks just a little less glamorous when it's chilling in some clean-room lab somewhere, doesn't it? TAG Heuer's mighty Meridiist, the luxury set designed to compete with the Vertus and Mobiados of the world, has just navigated its way through the FCC's bureaucracy on the wings of French ODM ModeLabs complete with a posting of the user's manual. And let's be honest, at well over five grand, an online user's manual is about as close as most of us are ever going to get to this thing.
TAG Heuer's ???3,400 Meridiist handset gets official
Surely those rumored shots of TAG Heuer's luxurious first handset from last week are still stuck in your head, right? Go on and purge those puppies right on out, as we've got the very first press shots (more in the read link) of the now-official Meridiist to focus our attention on. Reportedly, the handset was indeed developed in partnership with Modelabs, and beyond the all-metal casing, you can also expect a sapphire crystal screen, 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player, 1.9-inch QVGA display, Bluetooth and a battery good for 7-hours of yappin' aimlessly about how pricey your new mobile is. Speaking of which, did we mention this prized piece will run you between €3,400 ($5,420) and €3,900 ($6,216), depending on customizations, when it sashays onto the scene in Q2? Yeah, ouch.
Shots, specs of TAG Heuer's Vertu killer?
When we first saw this picture, we immediately thought, "whoa, this thing could seriously give Vertu a run for its money for a fraction of the price." So yeah, we still think TAG Heuer's foray into the mobile market could give Vertu a taste of its own medicine (seriously, just look at it) all except for that "fraction of a price" bit; turns out the rumors have the candybar, named "Meridiist," priced somewhere around €3,400 to €3,900 (about $5,338 to $6,123) depending on how it's configured. Your fistful of euros will apparently get you a sapphire crystal display, 2 megapixel cam, 1.9 inch QVGA display (weak!), Bluetooth, and the full array of "luxury" materials like steel and leather when it launches later this quarter into the hands of the world's privileged.[Thanks, Aniki]
Creative-built TAG Heuer USB headset outed by FCC
We have no idea why luxury watch and occasional cellphone maker TAG Heuer would be getting into the PC peripherals game, yet according to an FCC filing we got our hands on, the 150-year-old Swiss watchmaker has a Creative Labs-built USB headset in the pipeline. And although this wireless unit is branded TAG and developed by Creative, the actual cans themselves will likely be sold by Listen To Believe (LTB) Audio, another accessories company with very similar products. Either way, what you're getting here is reportedly "the world [sic] first digital wireless headset that delivers high-quality 2.0-channel stereo audio with extra sound clarity and soft, deep bass effects," according to the manual. That's certainly a lot of caveats, so we'll have to wait for an actual product launch to really see what's what.
TAG Heuer teaming with Modelabs for branded phones
France's Modelabs does serious business brewing up custom devices for companies looking to slap their logo on a line of cellphones, and the latest to enter the fray is going to be decidedly Swiss. TAG Heuer, best known for its watches, is looking to grow the brand well beyond wrist candy; the CEO says he was encouraged by the success of its recently-launched eyewear line and figured that the luxury phone market was a good market to tap next, a rumor that has dogged the company for most of this year. Look for the fruits of Modelabs' and TAG Heuer's joint efforts to materialize in the second half of 2008. Here's our question, though: will it tell the time? These guys wouldn't want to put their bread-and-butter division out of work, right?[Via textually.org]
First Tag Heuer cellphone mockups surface
As we suspected, it looks like Tag Heuer will indeed be joining the ranks of D&G, Prada, Aston Martin, McLaren, and the host of other brands out there who are joining the cellphone craze. Dial-a-Phone is reporting that the forthcoming handset should be "a completely new design," unlike the D&G RAZR which was devoid of originality save for the branding, gold finish, and dangerously high pricetag. Additionally, the Paris-based ModeLabs will indeed be crafting the design, and if all goes as planned, should be launching in undisclosed locales "within a few months." Currently, all they know is that it should be "made of stainless steel" and closely resemble many of Tag's unmistakable timepieces, and while chances are slim that the phone will actually be in a watch, be sure to hit the read link for the first wave of mockups.[Thanks, Stokelake]
TAG Heuer to partner with ModeLabs on luxury handset?
It looks like the competition in the luxury phone market is heating up, as folks still trying to choose between Gresso, Vertu, GoldVish, the D&G RAZR, or the ridiculously pricey Black Diamond could see one more alternative in addition to the recently-unveiled LG Prada. According to Sybarites, TAG Heuer -- the folks responsible for Jeff Gordon and Tiger Woods' sumptuous wristwatches -- is teaming up with ModeLabs to introduce "a completely new phone" for deep-pocketed talkers. While details (including a sneak peek) are scant, the phone is "expected to be made of stainless steel and have many similarities to TAG watches," but it seems we'll just have to wait this one out before making any other far-reaching predictions.[Thanks, James]
