LIFESTYLE Perfect Timing: A Valentine’s Day Dream Date

This year, our limited freedoms in the material realm have made imagination a vital world in which to play, fantasize, and dream. So why not imagine a fantastical date to remember, unlimited by travel restrictions, space-time, or budget? Because who knows, maybe it will come to pass one day… for better or worse, recently we’ve come to the conclusion that anything is possible in this world. And if you’re feeling generous, you could even write out your agenda by hand (remember paper?) in elegant writing and offer it up to your partner over (yet another) chaotic family dinner. You old romantic, you.

Let’s clear one thing up: our dream date is tailored to the most dedicated of watch-lovers, whose shared passion is the exploration of time in all its glorious forms, and to whom the perfection of timekeeping is an obsession. If your partner doesn’t share your devotion to watch-lore, you might have to actually use your own imagination and come up with something your very special non-watch-loving-weirdo would enjoy. 

Start the date off right with a visit to London’s most iconic clock, where you can stare into your lover’s eyes as Ben goes bong across Westminster… but don’t forget to coordinate your watches to the second first (in a flurry of horological excitement only another watch-lover would understand). Cast off any February chill with a post-bell cup of strong Yorkshire tea (get your chronographs out, Yorkshire must be steeped for four minutes 30 seconds to get the proper, creosote-coloured brew) and a Full English at the local “caf”.

Yes, you only just synced your watch to GMT, but now it’s time to hop over to La Chaux-de-Fonds and move yourself an hour ahead to Swiss time, for a visit to the International museum of watchmaking. Check out their triptych of extraordinary frescoes, produced by Hans Erni for the 1958 Brussels World Fair and illustrating epic horological scenes depicting the history, techniques, and philosophy of time measurement. Or explore their new exhibition space, dedicated to the ‘femtosecond’– that’s one quadrillionth of a second, or the margin of error in an atomic clock.

If you’re not too tipsy from all that champagne, jump on an afternoon journey into orbit and back on the first public voyage into space. We keep hearing it’s only a year or two away, so heck, why not? And you won’t be the first impeccable time-keeper to make such a groundbreaking journey – John Glenn orbited the Earth with a Heuer stopwatch strapped to his wrist in 1962, making it the very first Swiss timepiece in space – so why not take a Carrera SpaceX Calibre 1887 with you, and complete the legend?. And lest you worry this venture will take up too much time in your busy Valentine’s schedule, fear not – in fact, it takes a space shuttle only about 8 minutes and 30 seconds to get into orbit. Now, that degree of acceleration may prove a wild ride – but we know you’re not the timid type. So take a deep breath, rearrange your hair, and sip an afternoon Darjeeling blend through a straw as you experiment with zero-gravity dance moves to the soundtrack of Ziggy Stardust… and return to earth in time for a power nap at the space station.

Refreshed from your snooze, it’s time to pack your bags again and zoom off to Venice for boarding on the Venice Simplon-Orient Express. Drop your luggage with the butler in your Grand Suite and as the train picks up speed, settle down for a perfectly-timed romantic meal in the luxurious dining car – Appetiser: The Perfect Egg (5 minutes 30 seconds), Entree: Rare Fillet Steak (2 min 45 seconds each side) Dessert: Molten Chocolate souffle (11 minutes 30 seconds exactly). Pair with a 1985 Bordeaux vintage – not just one of the best years for the region’s wine, but a timely celebration of the rebirth of TAG Heuer.

As you speed away from the lights of civilisation and the night sky clears to reveal a hopeful new moon and a canopy of twinkling stars, foxtrot over to the bar car (known affectionately as ‘3674’) for a Jazz-Era Sidecar and a sentimental serenade from the local musical talent; no need to check your watch to know their timing is flawless. If that’s not a Happy Valentine’s day, we don’t know what is. And they said romance was dead…

If your inner Lord Byron remains unsatisfied by this epic day of dreams, up the romance to mythic proportions and become a horological hero – give your lucky lover the gift of time (and a stunning TAG Heuer watch to measure it).

For the Passionate: TAG Heuer Autavia

This special edition automatic timepiece is a stunning, three-handed bronze edition of the rounded first-generation Autavia case, with beveled lugs inspired by 1960’s design. A bidirectional rotating bezel surrounds a ruby-hued dial as red as a rose and as romantic as they come. Eye-catching elements evoke the pilot’s cockpit and historic adventures spanning both time and space. 

For the Bold: TAG Heuer X Grand Prix de Monaco Historique

Relive your memories of that remarkable Monte Carlo Valentine’s adventure with this Limited Edition watch, celebrating the partnership between TAG Heuer and the Grand Prix Historique de Monaco. Limited to only 1000 pieces, it stands out from the crowd with an exclusive red sunray dial, and the iconic square case of the TAG Heuer Monaco collection.  An in-house Heuer 02 movement (with 80 hour power-reserve) powers this bold beauty for extraordinary accuracy – an exceptionally stylish chronograph.

For the Beautiful: TAG Heuer Carrera

This elegant, 18k 5N rose gold and diamond edition of the Carrera Lady incorporates a slender 32mm steel case and a stunning H-shape bracelet with outer rows in steel and alternating rose-gold links.  Glamorous as a silver-screen star, this refined timepiece brings a subtle decadence to a classic design, inspired by the bold and beautiful spirit of the Carrera Panamericana.