All proceeds from the sale will go to the Make-A-Wish foundationTAG Heuer announces the thousandth COSC certified Tourbillon movement

TAG Heuer announces that 1000 Heuer-02T Tourbillon movements have been certified by the independent testing body, Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC).

These 1000 pieces were produced and assembled by the TAG Heuer Manufacture, at its La Chaux-de-Fonds and Chevenez sites in Switzerland. From machining to fitting of the main plate, assembly of the movement, adjustment and fine-tuning, casing-up, functional and aesthetic testing, engraving, and fitting of the bracelet or strap: every step is performed in Switzerland, in-house, at the TAG Heuer Manufacture.

The news was announced by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, at the press conference for the new connected watch in Brunnen, Switzerland.

Jean-Claude Biver decided to celebrate the round number, which is highly significant for the brand, by auctioning the 1000th COSC Chronograph certified tourbillon chronograph on eBay from 14th to 29th March 2017. It comes in an exclusive presentation box which also contains the new TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 watch – all at a reserve price of CHF 17,900. All the proceeds from this one-off sale will go to Make-a-Wish Switzerland, who grant wishes for seriously ill children aged three to eighteen in order to give them strength and bring hope and joy into their lives.

Details of the COSC certified Tourbillon manufacture movement

The Heuer-02T COSC Chronograph Tourbillon movement was designed and developed entirely at TAG Heuer. A skeleton movement, low-inertia tourbillon designed in carbon and titanium (the only one currently on the market), it comprises 284 components, has a diameter of 31 mm (13 ¾’’ lignes), a thickness of 6.9 mm and a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour), with a power reserve of 65 hours. Its design — deliberately conceived with the strategic aim of falling below the CHF 15,000 mark — was launched in 2015. For this to be possible, every team within the manufacture (engineers, watchmakers, designers, purchasing, production) was involved in the process to enable costs to be optimised at each stage.

Thanks to this synergy, the challenge was successfully met, and the finished piece was unveiled at BaselWorld 2016.In the Swiss watchmaking industry, this price of CHF 14,900 for a Tourbillon watch is a highly competitive one. It is in line with Jean-Claude Biver's desire — and the strategy he put in place — to make TAG Heuer the leader in accessible luxury.