On March 7, 2018, at the International Geneva Motor Show, Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watches Division, and Andy Palmer, President and CEO of Aston Martin, announced that TAG Heuer has been chosen as Official Partner, Official Watch Partner and Official Connected Watch Partner of Aston Martin and Aston Martin Racing.
To mark the new partnership, TAG Heuer presented two special editions honouring the British luxury brand. The Swiss watchmaker drew on its extensive expertise and through a strong collaboration with the Aston Martin design team to develop the designs, drawing direct inspiration from the colours, shapes, patterns and materials characteristic of Aston Martin's sports cars. Every detail imparts a creative touch and recalls the overarching automotive spirit of the partnership.
The first model is the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 chronograph, which draws inspiration from Aston Martin's luxury universe. The manufacture movement is visible through the dial, which is skeletonised in a hexagonal pattern that recalls the details on the new Vantage, for an exclusive Aston Martin dial. Meanwhile, the sturdy 45 mm solid steel case also presents a design that was specifically developed for this edition, which features lines on the side to evoke speed, the race track and piston. In another of the piece's exclusive features, the shape of the lugs has been revisited, taking inspiration from the lines of Aston Martin's emblematic bodywork. With a black ceramic tachymeter bezel, this piece is the perfect reflection of the expertise and technical mastery arising from the partnership between the two brands.
The second model is a TAG Heuer Formula 1 chronograph inspired by Aston Martin Racing. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 is TAG Heuer's ultimate motor racing model, synonymous with performance and speed. Entirely in steel and measuring 43 mm in diameter, this quartz chronograph features a notched steel bezel and an aluminium ring with a tachymeter scale. The indexes, seconds hand and Aston Martin's famous winged logo all don Aston Martin Racing's specific shade of lime essence and stand out against the watch's black dial to beautiful effect. The movement is accurate to a tenth of a second – an indispensable feature in a motor racing watch – and is displayed on the small counter at 6 o'clock, with the minute counter at 9 o'clock and the current seconds counter at 3 o'clock. The model comes with a black leather strap with lime essence topstitching, which adds character and sporty style to the watch. Once again this is exclusively for Aston Martin as this is the first time TAG Heuer uses a leather strap in the TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection.
