TAG Heuer S.A. designs, manufactures and markets high end watches, chronographs and fashion. Edouard Heuer founded Tag Heuer in St. Imier in Switzerland in 1860. Originally named the Uhrenmanufactur Heuer AG, or Heuer Watchmaking Inc., the company patented its chronograph in 1882 and the ...

TAG Heuer S.A. designs, manufactures and markets high end watches, chronographs and fashion. Edouard Heuer founded Tag Heuer in St. Imier in Switzerland in 1860. Originally named the Uhrenmanufactur Heuer AG, or Heuer Watchmaking Inc., the company patented its chronograph in 1882 and the oscillating pinion in 1887. The latter is still used in mechanical chronographs by the major watchmakers until now. In 1991, it was able to patent the first dashboard chronograph in the world. It was used for automobiles, aircrafts and boats. The brand introduced the use of timing devices for ski races and motor racing events, including Formula One. This accounted for its popularity among professional and amateur racers from the 50s to the 70s. It was also the first to introduce the automatic chronograph, in partnership with Breitling and Hamilton. It was also responsible for the Chronosplit, a digital chronograph watch with LED and LCD displays. In 1985, the Techniques d’ Avant Garde, or TAG, acquired Heuer. TAG was previously known for items such as the high tech ceramic turbochargers used in Formula One. LVMH, or Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, then bought Tag Heuer in 1999 for $739 million. The name Tag Heuer combines an abbreviation for Techniques d'Avant Garde and the surname Heuer.