Wondering are Tag Heuer Luxury Watches? In the world of watches and timekeeping pieces, Tag Heuer is one of the most popular and reputable brands available.
Tag Heuer, the Swiss watch manufacturer, was founded in 1860, and has a long-standing reputation for producing some of the best timekeeping pieces in the world, among other things.
You might be wondering whether or not Tag Heuer is considered to be a luxury brand of watches, especially considering that they can be quite expensive.
The quick answer is that among the top watchmakers in the world, Tag Heuer is considered to be an entry level luxury brand.
Most would agree that Tag Heuer qualifies as a luxury brand, although it’s not at the very top.
Are Tag Heuer Watches Luxury?
Yes, Tag Heuer watches are technically considered luxury. However, if we divide luxury into 3 sections, entry level, mid-level, and high end, then Tag Heuer would fall within the entry level luxury section.
The fact of the matter is that while Tag Heuer watches will cost you a pretty penny, there are some far more high-end watchmakers out there.
Some of the most luxurious and expensive watch makers in the world include brands such as F.P. Journe, Richard Mille, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and of course, Rolex.
However, although it may on the lower end of the luxury scale, Tag Heuer is by all means still considered a luxury brand. For this reason, may people who want a luxury watch, but don’t want to spend a fortune, will choose Tag Heuer.
Why is Tag Heuer Considered a Luxury Watch Brand?
Much of why Tag Heuer is so well known and considered to be a luxury watch brand has more to do with its mystique, its rich and long-standing history, and its penchant to market its products using celebrities, than with the actual watches themselves.
This is not to say that Tag Heuer watches are not reliable, accurate, durable, and stylish.
In fact, their watches are renowned for being some of the most accurate timekeeping pieces in the world. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about this brand and how they add to the mystique that is Tag Heuer.
The First Swiss Watch in Space
One of the biggest accomplishments in the history of the Tag Heuer brand is that it holds the title of being the first Swiss-made watch to be in outer space.
People might think of Rolex and other famous Swiss watch makers, but Tag Heuer was the first in space.
In 1962 John Glenn wore the Tag Heuer 2915A as he orbited the earth 3 times. This watch was trusted to be the backup timer on the mission in the event that the main timer experienced any issues.
The Watch of the Olympics
Another factor which adds to the mystique of Tag Heuer is that due to a series of technical innovations which led to ultra-precise timekeeping, particularly in recording laps in races, Tag Heuer watches were for many years used as the official time keeping watch of the Olympic games.
During the 1920’s, the Olympic games exclusively used Tag Heuer watches to keep time. These watches were used in the Antwerp, Paris, and Amsterdam Olympics.
The Carrera: Dedicated to Race Car Drivers
Yet another piece of Tag Heuer history that helped solidify its reputation as one of the top watchmakers in the world is how it dedicated one of its now most popular watches to race car drivers.
The Mexican Carrera Panamericana is a world renowned border to border race spanning nearly 2,100 miles. This is a race that lasted 5 years and was seen as one of the most grueling and dangerous in the world.
Due to the need for race car drivers to have accurate timekeeping pieces that could also withstand heavy impacts and constant shocks, while also being waterproof, Tag Heuer decided to create the Tag Heuer Carrera, aptly named after the race.
The Monaco: Steven McQueen
Younger people will probably not know who Steven McQueen is, but he was a world famous TV and movie star during the 1960s and 1970s. He featured an anti-hero and bad boy persona that was all the rage during these decades.
During his run, Steven McQueen was chosen to star in an auto racing related film, and of course, he chose to wear the Tag Heuer Monaco in the film.
This alone was enough to make the Tag Heuer Monaco a huge hit among those that were invested in his films.
The fact that a movie star wore this watch in a movie was a big step in solidifying the status of the Tag Heuer brand in the world of watches. Combined, both the Carrera and the Monaco have become synonymous with auto racing.
The Most Popular Tag Heuer Watches
To give you a rough idea of what a Tag Heuer watch will cost you, let’s take a quick look at some of the most popular models.
- Monaco Automatic – $5,400
- Monaco Quartz – $2,450
- Heuer Heritage Calibre 02 Autavia – $6,050
- Autavia – $3,350
- Aquaracer Standard Quartz – $4,700
- Carrera Chronographs with 02 Movement – $13,100
- Carrera Chronographs with Caliber 16 Movement – $4,750
- Formula 1 Chronographs with Quartz Movements – $2,100
Related read: TAG Heuer Formula 1 Watch Review
As you can see, based on the price of these various popular Tag Heuer watches, when compared to other luxury watch makers, although these watches are not cheap by any means, they also don’t come close to the prices which the higher-end makers charge.
Conclusion
Tag Heuer makes some of the finest looking and accurate watches known to man, and it is a great brand to consider if you want a luxury watch at a reasonable price.