Back when he took over the reigns of TAG Heuer in 2015, the ever quotable Jean Claude Biver said that he would love to change the name back to what it once was, but that it was 'too late' to do so. And yet the name is to this day a thorn in the side of the company, since it provides an all too easy stick for the detractors to beat the brand with; Heuer = Good, TAG = Bad.
It's an argument that is as stupid as it is oversimplified, because in a lot cases what people are really saying is 'I like vintage style, I don't like modern (large) watches', this could apply to other watch brands of course but there isn't an easy way to say it. For instance you may favour the style of the Railmaster over the Planet Ocean but because they both wear the same 'Omega' branding the distinction is harder to make.
Of course back in 1985/1986 it was seen as a positive thing, after all no-one cared less about vintage watches (or vintage anything) back then, and there was no great worth to the Heuer brand name. Pre-fixing it with the initials TAG was most likely seen as a way of updating the brand and making it seem relevant in an era of computers, shell suits, quartz watches and forward thinking.
And really, can we honestly blame the perpetrators for not anticipating a time when the name would become super important for selling the history of the brand? I'm sure in the mid 90s no one thought that almost every model line in the catalogue was on it's way out, and really when you look back through time it's only relatively recently that the Carrera line has become the dominant player.
The other day I posted a photo of my new green Aquaracer on Instagram and someone commented that it was great but from a marketing point of view it would be more successful if it had the 'Heuer' brand on the dial. I couldn't be bothered to get into an argument, but to me that made zero sense. Yes you can argue that the Aquaracer is an extension of the 2000 Series (and the 3000 Series) both of which were originally 'Heuer' products, but generally speaking when people talk about Heuer they do not mean 80s Heuer, they mean 60s and 70s Heuer: Carreras, Autavias and Monacos.
Besides, why did Jean Claude say it was too late to change the name back? Because to the vast majority of people who are not 'watch enthusiasts' TAG Heuer is TAG Heuer, not the company formerly known as Heuer. I bet staff in boutiques get asked endlessly why that square watch with the matt blue dial has Heuer on the dial and not TAG Heuer. And while it's easy to look down on those who don't spend every waking moment of their day thinking about watches, for TAG Heuer these people are critically important - like it or not, the watch industry is not built primarily on the custom of 'watch enthiusiasts - if it was we'd have nothing but 39mm Carreras that look fifty years old.
So I wondered to myself, do people really want to change the name back, or is that just a fallacy? I rather suspect that the Heuer fanbois rather like the fact that all those nasty new, oversized and skeletonized watches don't wear the Heuer name, since in turn it gives them an equally simple way to ensure that nobody misunderstands where their allegiances lie. And how many times do you hear You Tube Watch Gurus say they love 'Heuer' not 'TAG Heuer', in the process making that exact same distincion?
Personally my earliest recollections of the brand were in the 1980s with the Formula 1 and the TAG Heuer branding on the McLaren Formula 1 cars. I knew that 'Heuer' had been a thing because I had seen the logo on earlier Formula 1 cars, but to me it was always first and foremost 'TAG Heuer'.
Interestingly, when TAG Heuer re-issued the Carrera in 1996 they branded them 'Heuers' but by 2002 they had rebranded them with TAG Heuer shields on the dial. This seemed to be an early attempt to put the whole thing to bed, but it has been a bone of contention ever since. Now with the new 39mm Carreras we again see an attempt to put it all behind us, but I can see it coming back to bite them again. They are trying to appeal to the people who bought the glassbox Carreras but I'm sure at least some of them will moan about the TAG logo on the dial.
Someone literally just posted on the TAG Heuer forum that they would buy one with Heuer on the dial, but with TAG Heuer on it it's 'too expensive'...
Anyway, since I have a group of people available to me who largely favour the 'Heuer' incarnation of the brand (if you don't believe me just have a look at the watches that have been voted 'Watch of the Year' for the last three years) I thought it would be good to ask them their opinion on the matter, here's what they had to say...
JIM DOLLARES: No. This is a silly suggestion. TAG Heuer main customer group don't want 60's styled watches and care not for Heuer. I would bet the casual buyer, which is the majority of the customer base, don't even know TAG used to be Heuer. Today, the brand value of TAG Heuer is way higher than Heuer. Except among a very small clique of nerdy collectors of course, they love the good ol' Heuer days.
YAGO: TAG Heuer is a huge premium mass market brand. Collectors know about Heuer but the mass market does not. LVMH will never drop TAG and I believe that’s a good thing. With their motorsport and engineering history the TAG link is relevant in the history of Heuer and TAG Heuer. They’ve had a pretty good run so far. I’m not a fan of most watches that have been issued since the ‘80s but you can’t erase history.
Rather than focusing on a separate premium Heuer brand it appears current management is determined to elevate the TAG Heuer image with probably the best line-up of watches of the last 20 years. Coupled with daring marketing, partnerships and communication. I like TAG Heuer a lot more now than 5 years ago. In all honesty the Heuer by TAG Heuer watches have probably never lived up to their true Heuer ancestors. The originals are where Heuer’s at. I’d have peace with them not making any Heuer watches again. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go out and buy one
IMAGWAI: I would like that, but I guess it makes no sense for the brand to do that now. I am happy that some of the heritage models are Heuer branded, though.
MSPEEDSTER: The answer is NO. TAG never should've changed the name to begin with, but now it's far too late to go back. TAG Heuer has way more market presence now than Heuer ever did. TAG's primary youth demographic wasn't even born pre-TAG Heuer. The more common question that has regularly popped up over the years is whether TH should split their line up into tiers. Heuer for high end, TAG Heuer for the rest. This topic has been debated several times and there are different pros & cons to consider. For me, the answer isn't as cut and dry, but would still be NO. TH's current model of using Heuer only for heritage inspired is what works best.
HEUERHOLIC: Fuck yeah!! Should never have been changed. If we do that with every new owner then we would be known as “Louis Heuer” “LV Heuer” “LOV Heuer” now. Oh- that last one has a nice ring to it !! Go back to Heuer I say.
KAPPA MD: The TAG Heuer name has a place in the long history of Heuer watch making. Nobody questions why TAG group bought Heuer Company or else Heuer would have been non existent today. They could have rebranded to a different name, or just use TAG and drop Heuer. But it is what it is. That’s part of history. How can we ignore TAG Heuer in the most successful F1 Car of All Time? (McLaren MP4/4) And also comes with TAG Heuer’s recent win in Formula 1 with Red Bull-Honda. I love my Heuer (Heritage) watches, but also TAG Heuer as well. And I do understand the direction of the new management to just focus on TAG Heuer and not Heuer labelled timepieces.
THINGZILIKETOO: I don’t think they should. I think they have more brand recognition as Tag. The ones that long for the Heuer return are the vintage folks. Reissues should be Heuer, new designs Tag. I like both and can live with Tag Heuer only if they decide to go that route. If they go Tag only they need to get QC as a 1st priority.
BP SMITH: When I was a teenager I would not have a clue what a Heuer was, as everyone just referred to them as a TAG. On that basis, for those who never delved into watch nerd status, I would assume that still stands for them. No reason for dropping the TAG name, but I totally get that, for some, TAG is just xtra letters on a dial that they wish they didn’t have to see.
JEMAGLOH: After decades as TAG Heuer, I think they should stay the course with regard to their name. However, put me in the camp that likes seeing both "Heuer" and "TAG Heuer" branded watches released. I hope they continue to release heritage inspired pieces under the "Heuer" branding, but I'm fine with looking down at my wrist and seeing "TAG Heuer" on the dial, too. I think there is room for both to exist within TAG Heuer's offerings.
ALBERT-AMG: I think it’s fine to use the Heuer logo for models inspired in Heuer watches, and the TAG Heuer logo for new designs (or inspired in “old” TAG Heuer watches, like -for instance- the original Formula 1)
MR_ORANGE: No. I just feel as though this topic has been done to death on this forum and probably others. It just makes no sense to drop the 'TAG' part of the name because most buyers, outside of our small circle, don't even know who 'Heuer' was(is).
IMAGWAI: I would like that, but I guess it makes no sense for the brand to do that now. I am happy that some of the heritage models are Heuer branded, though.
ABROD520: This is an interesting question because as much as they wish, the TAG brand name doesn't carry much weight while Heuer does, in some circles. However, on the Forum we've previously discussed what I think is the solution we'd all like to see - a branding split for Heuer specifically. So, a strategy where we have TAG Heuer for the stuff TAG usually makes (F1, Aquaracer, quartz and gaudy 42mm+ models) and a separate Heuer line for things like the heritage models and the Monaco.
I think a 'Heuer by TAG Heuer' line could absolutely gain the respect of collectors if they truly focused on higher-quality movements and case designs. Similar to how Omega restarted production of the 321, I think there's room for a higher-priced line of slim, classic vintage-inspired watches to slot in above the regular everyday line. And this is absolutely where a reissue of the Caliber 11 movement would make sense. Sure, they'd be priced in the 9-12k US range, and that's a lot - but if the work was actually done to refine the case designs and finishing of the hands/markers I think it could work.
ANTHONY-R: I agree with Abrod520 but I would also be stunned if they created 2 separate divisions. It seems the Management is trying to bring everything into the higher end of pricing. Slight changes to the H02 movement have been made and now with a new Boss of Movement introduced there will be some better options going forward.
HUBERT: I don't think that will happen. If they were to do that, it would cause confusion with their core target demographic, which have only known the brand this way. It would also dissolve the separation between the heritage editions and the modern pieces. At least now, they know that to make heritage fan happy, they have to make a couple of Heuer branded releases per year that are clear classically oriented pieces.
OTTO: I don't think they should. But they need to always have at least ONE Heuer release every year. Could it be the question in the future will be "should Tag Heuer drop all Heuer altogether?", (just in case, I don't think they should do that either).
MATTP: No, keep TAG. If only for the fact it's the sexiest abbreviation I know. J'aime la langue française. Oeh, la la! They are inextricably linked to each other.
PAYSDOUFS: It’s probably no secret that I’m personally more drawn to the vintage (i.e., Heuer) design language. However, dropping the “TAG” altogether is nothing that I’m specifically keen on any longer - and frankly: if LVMH’s market research saw value in it, they would have already done it quite some time ago… As a part-time watch history nerd, I also like the fact that the “TAG Heuer” brand name is (IMHO) the only one among the Swiss heavy hitters that encapsulates (in only three syllables) the WHOLE history of the Swiss watchmaking industry over the last 120 yrs… I feel most other brands don’t own their “dark side” and prefer pretending that they’ve always been standing on top of the world ;) I just wish that TH were a little bit more consistent with their Heuer neo-vintage offering: a reliable, relatively affordable core line-up (Monaco, Carrera, Autavia) that remains permanently in the catalogue; and why not some more exotic pieces that come on top of that as L.E.s every now and then.
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