Watches Moments of Wonder: The Edge by TAG Heuer reports live from Geneva – at Watches and Wonders 2022

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived! It’s finally time for the legendary event now known as Watches and Wonders (formerly known as Salon International de Haute Horlogerie) to open its doors once again at Geneva’s Palexpo centre. After a two year hiatus during Covid restrictions that left an empty space in the lives of watch enthusiasts the world over, a week of thrilling discoveries, revelations, and innovations in the world of Horlogerie begins today. For the very first time, it will be a hybrid physical-digital event set to make history. We can’t wait to get started. 

And to celebrate the revival of this landmark event in any watch-lover’s calendar, we’re bringing you a blow-by blow (or tick by tock) account of the day’s events, atmosphere, attendees – along with TAG Heuer’s exclusive releases for the event.  

Stay tuned here for a live-updated article written from the heat of the action; we’ll be bringing you regular updates on The Edge, for an up-close-and-personal  experience of Watches and Wonders that’s the next best thing to being there yourself. Tune in for real-time reports on one-of-a-kind moments – from TAG Heuer’s Keynote address by CEO Frédéric Arnault, to the release of exciting new projects, sparkling with TAG Heuer’s signature innovation…

BEHIND THE SCENES – A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE EVENT

30th March, 2022. 7am.

After several days of careful but rapid construction, the TAG Heuer Experience Booth comes to life, with the finishing touches added on March 29th – including an immersive experience room.  Check out all the hard work here, in our (rather speedier) time-lapse video of the unique construction project… that at 7am began to set the stage for TAG Heuer’s innovative new releases. Stay tuned for views of the immersive adrenaline-inspired entrance that greeted our new releases… 

As the impeccably-dressed (and be-watched) guests arrive at Watches & Wonders 2022 – to a flawless welcome amidst soaring installations from the world’s Watchmaking superstars – TAG Heuer revealed to the world new beauties in the Aquaracer family that are made to dip beneath the surface. Far from superficial (though undeniably elegant) the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is more or less the ‘Ultimate Diving Watch’. Made entirely from grade 5 titanium, this sensational diver includes orange accents to stand out amidst murky depths or moonlit adventures. Discover more about the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver in our full article.

The spectacular TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph, meanwhile, makes a shining debut for TAG Heuer’s first ever solar-powered movement. Read more about about the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph here. 

And if you’re still hungry for breaking Aquaracer news, don’t fret.  The innovation doesn’t stop there – in the Aquaracer family, Orange is officially the new Black.  Inspired by collector favourite the Heuer orange Diver Ref. 844, our latest dial in this adrenaline-fuelled collection is a vibrant hue set to turn heads. Meet the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Orange Diver.

And that’s before we even get to the releases of our exceptional new racing-themed watches, born from legendary partnerships that have stood the ‘test of time’. Our second creation in the TAG Heuer x Porsche collaboration emerged today amidst a stunning immersive video montage of the Porsche 911 – driven by none other than the great Patrick Dempsey. The TAG Heuer Carrera x Porsche Limited Edition brings bold black and yellow hues to life for a definitively sporty style – which even inspired a specially-commissioned original artwork by Paris-based multimedia artist ‘Hydrane’.  Stay tuned for more on this impressive creation soon!

The second (but still taking first place) of our motorsports-inspired releases is the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition.  This long-awaited timepiece elevates the avant-garde lines and iconic beauty of the traditional TAG Heuer Monaco shape with the blue, orange, and white signature colours of longtime partner Gulf – a legendary brand in the racing world. For the very first time, this collab incorporates the in-house Heuer 02 movement in a limited-edition run.

An historic keynote address from TAG Heuer CEO Frederic Arnault marked the official launch of our new releases in style; stunning video footage brought movement and vitality to an in-depth exploration of specific features, materials, and links to TAG Heuer Heritage.  Arnault – along with VP of Product and Design Maria Laffont and Chief Innovation Officer Edouard Mignon – took us through the remarkable achievements in design and innovation that have made these releases possible… before announcing some groundbreaking news. The final revelation of the day for TAG Heuer was a first-of-its kind creation that brought a certain brilliance to the TAG Heuer Carrera family: the glittering sparkle of diamonds.  But not just any diamonds.  These are ‘Diamant d’Avant-Garde’: lab-grown stones that have made possible an unparalleled timepiece, known as the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma. This glittering, darkly luminescent edition of the TAG Heuer Carrera showcases carbon in all its immense versatility – including its ‘ultimate’ form.  Explore the TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma in our full article here and learn more about the specific process of lab-grown diamonds.

Inspired by an ear (and eye) catching keynote address and eager to see the new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma Edition up close and personal, guests flocked to the TAG Heuer booth to catch a first glimpse of the newly-revealed glimmering timepiece. (Take our word for it: if it looks good on camera, it looks even better in person).  Attendees could also discover a brand-new artwork by Paris-based multimedia artist ‘Hydrane’, inspired by the new TAG Heuer Carrera X Porsche Limited Edition timepiece.  Her remarkable interpretation of this eye-catching collab draws on the classic lines of the Porsche 911, elevated to new sculptural heights. This three-dimensional tour de force is part-painting, part-sculpture, part-car and part-watch, uniting the graphic elements of the Limited Edition’s iconic black and yellow accents with the elegance of Porsche design.  

Earlier today, we spoke to the artist about her approach and got a bit of insight into her creative process; she shared that as an artist with a strong background in architecture and design, she found this project to be an exciting challenge. What caught her imagination? She told us that she drew inspiration from the ‘beauty of Porsche form and design’, along with the ‘spirit of precision, and the very heights of technology’ innate to TAG Heuer’s DNA. As a result, she related, there was a certain pressure to achieve perfection – but also a great pleasure in expressing the union of these two experts in performance and beauty.

Today we welcomed a special guest at the TAG Heuer booth, with a visit from Mr Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of the LVMH Group. Along with TAG Heuer CEO Frederic Arnault, he explored the exhibits of our new releases and our immersive video installations – a fitting conclusion for this live report from the world’s most illustrious watch event! Watches & Wonders 2022 will continue until April 5th, but our live reporting ends here. Thank you for joining us on this adventure in horological wonderland… stay tuned on The Edge for more articles from the frontline of watchmaking, and don’t forget to explore our new releases fully via the links above.