While other watch brands have used the possibilities of relatively cheap zero-gravity flights for research purposes, TAG Heuer now plants its flag prominently in this field with the latest in a long line of partnerships announced by the brand since Jean-Claude Biver took over the reins.
The La Chaux-de-Fonds brand took advantage of the announcement of its new partnership with Swiss Space Systems (3S) to offer a gentle reminder that it was the first Swiss watch company to go into space on the wrist of astronaut John Glenn in 1962.
In keeping with the “accessible” ticket prices for the future zero-gravity flights, which will start from around 2,500 Swiss francs, TAG Heuer has chosen a quartz-regulated Formula 1 chronograph as the official S3 watch. The Formula 1 is experiencing a renaissance as TAG Heuer broadens its mass-market appeal and follows the recent launch of its official Red Bull Racing watch, which was also a Formula 1 chronograph.
The new partnership is interesting as a concrete example of the “experience economy”, where a memorable experience becomes a product. In the case of an S3 zero-gravity flight, the customer is buying a 2-hour experience of which around 25 seconds will be spent in zero gravity – the only tangible souvenir being the red engravings of this very time period on the dial of the TAG Heuer S3 watch and a reminder of the parabolic flight path engraved on the back of the watch.
Now the watch is designed and ready, look out for the next stage of this exciting new partnership in September, when the first adventurous passenger will undoubtedly be reminded of TAG Heuer’s #dontcrackunderpressure slogan.
