Tick tock: TAG Heuer joins tech race with new Connected Watch
![TAG Heuer’s latest launch](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eSrRX7FBZdv8NdfNWD5vLf-415-80.jpg)
TAG Heuer thinks it has the answer for those looking to sample the new world of wearable computing without giving up their analogue pleasures. The Connected Watch melds Swiss engineering and style with quality materials, contemporary technology and, most importantly of all for the uncertain, there’s option of exchanging it for a Swiss made Carrera watch at the end of the two-year warranty period.
For the most part, the Swiss watch industry has been lagging behind in the burgeoning smart watch market, evoked unwanted memories of when the country stumbled at the end of the 80s, steamrollered by the Japanese dominance of affordable quartz watches and the sudden explosion in demand for the new cutting edge digital watches. Back then, Swatch stepped in to save the day but so far there has been no digital equivalent.
There’s certainly a distinct void in the middle ground. While small-scale bespoke manufacturers are springing up to provide conventional analogue watches with an emphasis on design and distinction (Uniform Wares, Paulin or Tsovet spring to mind, amongst others), there’s a tech-focused hole in the market that Apple, Samsung and others are rushing to fill, with even high end versions finding willing buyers.
The fight back has begun. Breitling and Frederique Constant have added connectivity to conventional watches and Gucci is readying its Smartband. However, TAG’s new offering is the first true Samsung Gear and Apple Watch rival. The TAG Heuer Connected Watch with Intel Inside (to give it its full title) is an Android Wear device that makes explicit links to TAG’s 150 year heritage. Conventional smart watches struggle in the absence of any true watch-making heritage, and the plethora of tastelessly fancy watch faces available to download would make any true horologist blanche.
TAG has an instantly recognisable aesthetic, so it makes sense to stay with tradition. The Connected Watch has three familiar faces; the chronograph dial, the 3-hand dial and the GMT dial. Crucially, the Connected Watch is ‘always on’ – with hands and selected information staying illuminated at all times. Upgrades and apps – this is an Android device, remember – are supplied via a dedicated TAG website, while the case and strap are lavished with an attention to detail that shows up functional simplicity of its rivals. The company is certainly hoping a new generation of buyers will hedge their bets and switch.
The Connected Watch, melds Swiss engineering and style with quality materials, contemporary technology
The TAG Heuer Connected Watch with Intel Inside (to give it its full title) is an Android Wear device that makes explicit links to TAG’s 150 year heritage
Crucially, the Connected Watch is ‘always on’ – with hands and selected information staying illuminated at all times
INFORMATION
TAG Heuer Connected Watch, £1,100, website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Panerai’s new watch is full of nautical nods
Panerai encapsulates the classic design of a yacht in the Radiomir Eilean Experience Edition watch, and plots a course into new, metaverse waters
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
On your marks and get ready for Bremont and Williams Racing’s new watch
Bremont and Williams Racing have partnered on the Bremont WR-22 watch – and it's a sporting triumph
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Tudor unveils new watch developed with French Navy
The new Tudor Pelagos FXD watch draws on the brand’s diving watch history and the needs of elite combat swimmers
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Chopard Happy Sport watch puts a playful spin on diamonds
Two new editions, titled Chopard Happy Sport The First, rethink the classic sports watch for women and tantalise with dancing diamonds
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Nomos puts a sporty twist on a classic with the new Club watch
The limited edition Nomos Club pieces are available in three muted colours
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Into the deep: Tudor’s new diving watch builds on a rich history
The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ is the latest sports watch from the Swiss watch brand
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
The best gear, gadgets and garments for your bicycle
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Apple and Hermès reveal how their ultra-connected design could help us unplug
By Tony Chambers Last updated