TAG Heuer Heritage Director Talks 165 Years of Chronograph History (& Teases Watches & Wonders 2026)

TAG Heuer doesn't just make chronographs. It is the chronograph. For over 165 years, the brand hasn't been chasing the complication — it's been defining it. And with Watches and Wonders 2026 on the horizon, and a new calibre (TH-80 — yes, Nick let that slip) about to drop, there's no better moment to understand what this brand actually is, and where it came from. n this video, Zach sits down with Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer's Heritage Director, for a deep dive through the brand's entire chronograph lineage — from Édouard Heuer's 1860s positioning as a stopwatch and chronograph specialist, to the 1916 Mikrograph that could measure to 1/100th of a second, the birth of the enduring Carrera and Monaco icons in the 1960s, to the legendary calibre 11 – the first automatic chronograph movement to market – in 1969, and the experimental era of the '70s which explored colour and shape in Heuer designs along with new electronic and quartz technologies. Here's what makes this conversation genuinely essential viewing: it's not a brand film. It's a history lesson from someone who knows where the bodies are buried — including the quartz crisis years, the identity turbulence of the early TAG era, the wild conceptual swings under LVMH, and the hard-won return to form that got the Monaco and Carrera back to where they belong. Along the way: the untold story of the Seafarer and its Abercrombie & Fitch origins. The moment Heuer went all-in on chronographs exclusively — and stayed there for 20 years. How the Formula 1 collection was simultaneously too successful to kill and too cheap to keep. And why the 1990s heritage revival wasn't nostalgia — it was survival. Zach and Nick then run through the current lineup of chronograph calibres in TAG Heuer's catalogue, leading Nick to let slip the calibre name TH-80. What exactly is the TH-80? That's for another day. But everything that led to it? That's what this video is about. 👇 Let us know in the comments: what do you want to see from TAG Heuer at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2026? ------------------------------- 00:00 Introduction 01:06 Édouard Heuer and the chronograph from day one 03:09 The 1916 Mikrograph and Olympic timekeeping 04:07 The '40s: Heuer's first Chronograph wristwatch references 05:41 The bold call: chronographs only 06:34 The '50s: Mareographe, Seafarer & Abercrombie & Fitch 08:36 Jack Heuer and the birth of Monaco & Carrera 10:38 Calibre 11 - the first automatic chronograph movement 12:38 Heuer and the first Swiss watch to go to space 13:36 Embracing digital and quartz ahead of the crisis 15:19 The '70s: Experimentation with colour and shape in design 16:49 '70s continued: Quartz chronographs enter the mix 17:34 The '80s: Piaget and TAG acquisitions, Formula 1 watch 19:25 The heritage revival and the return of Carrera & Monaco 22:34 The high-frequency era and the wildest ideas Basel ever saw 24:44 The current calibre lineup and what TH-80 could mean 26:30 Conclusion ------------------------------- {{Detailed description and specs}} ------------------------------- Read more articles: https://timeandtidewatches.com Shop: https://shop.timeandtidewatches.com ------------------------------- MB01OTIXZLPJ5VH INSTAGRAM @timetidewatches TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/search?q=timeandtidewatches T+T Shop Instagram https://www.instagram.com/timetideshop/