The luxury watchmaker releases new special edition Formula 1 timepiece to honor “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and celebrate 160 years of revolutionary timekeeping achievements in the world of motorsport.
La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland – August 10, 2020: To celebrate 16 years as the Official Timekeeper of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the 104th Indianapolis 500 race, TAG Heuer has unveiled a special-edition timepiece that honors its long-standing partnership with the premier league of open-wheel racing in North America. Known as one of the oldest automobile races and part of the famous “Triple Crown”, the Indy 500 is a 500-mile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana and is one of the most-attended single-day sporting events in the world.
Designed in collaboration with the INDYCAR team, the 43 mm Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition chronograph represents the luxury watchmaker’s passion for the intensity and spirit of motor racing, with rich, eye-catching red accents including a brick motif on the dial to honor the Indy racetrack’s “The Brickyard” nickname and history.
The Indy 500 logo is displayed on the 6 o’clock subdial with “Indy 500” engraved in red on the ceramic bezel. The detailed black dial enhances the daring and sporty aesthetic of this model, and is complete with three azurage-patterned subdials: 3 o’clock permanent second indicator, 6 o’clock hour chronograph counter and 1/10th second chronograph counter embellished with the Indy 500 logo, and a 9 o’clock minute chronograph counter, with a date window at 4 o’clock.
The quartz-powered chronograph is presented on a durable black rubber strap to easily size and fit the watch over a racing suit. A road-tested endurance machine, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition is water resistant to 200 meters and highly shock resistant.
Created in 1987, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection is a stylish extension of the brand’s ties with the thrilling, fast-paced world of racing. Like the sport itself, the timepieces in this renowned collection are daring with bold designs that demand attention and advanced technical features inspired by the extreme performance of motor racing teams. The adrenaline and excitement of the sport have driven TAG Heuer when it comes to the functionality of these statement-making models. Tough enough for the pros and worn by champion drivers, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 timepieces were made for life in the fast lane.
This action-packed timepiece is limited to 1 500 units and will be seen on the wrist of TAG Heuer friend and NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver, Alexander Rossi, at this year’s Indy 500 race.
A Dial with Meaning
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway racetrack has been known among fans as “The Brickyard” dating back to the early 20th century. When the race-course first opened in August 1909, the track surface was made of gravel and tar which caused a number of accidents. After many concerns and complaints over safety, the track was subsequently repaved with 3.2 million 10-pound bricks and a final brick laid by the governor of Indiana. Over time, the bricks were paved over with asphalt except for a 1-yard strip of bricks at the start / finish line that remains exposed, but its fabled history as “The Brickyard” endures. Victorious drivers also continue the tradition of kneeling and “kissing the bricks.”.
For this year’s special timepiece, TAG Heuer has the brick motif splashed across the dial to pay homage to the long and storied history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track.
Trailblazing History on the Racetrack
2020 marks the 160th anniversary of TAG Heuer’s avant-garde watchmaking and revolutionary novelties. TAG Heuer continues to innovate new ways of measuring the smallest increments of time with absolute precision, and following Jack Heuer’s footsteps, the watchmaker continues to collaborate with outstanding teams and renowned brands within the racing world today. TAG Heuer’s motto is “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” and the world-renowned brand has prominent partnerships that reflect its passion for action and high performance.
In addition to the IndyCar Series and the Indy 500, TAG Heuer’s motor racing heritage comprises the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula One team, the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the World Endurance Championships, the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, and legends Steve McQueen and Ayrton Senna.
The history of the brand is marked with trailblazing novelties and noteworthy partnerships, but what has remained the same over the past 160 years is TAG Heuer’s affinity for creating bold, avant-garde timepieces. This was the case over a century ago when Edouard Heuer opened his shop, and it continues today as the watchmaker and its team make use of cutting-edge tools and advanced knowledge to create luxurious timepieces that are built to last a lifetime, and precisely measure all the significant seconds at every turn.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 43 mm Indy 500 2020 Special Edition
Reference CAZ101AD.FT8024
| FACTS AND FIGURES
MOVEMENT Quartz
FUNCTIONS Chronograph with minutes and 1/10th seconds, permanent second indicator; hours, minutes; central chronograph seconds hand, date
CASE Diameter 43 mm Black DLC steel and sand blasted case Ceramic black sand blasted tachymeter fixed bezel Flat sapphire crystal Sand blasted black DLC steel screw-down crown Steel screw-down case back with special Indy 500 engraving Water resistance to 200 meters
DIAL Black textured dial (asphalt and red bricks pattern) Black flange with 60 second / minute scale 3 counters: 3 o’clock silver “azurage” permanent second Indicator 6 o’clock silver “azurage” hour chronograph counter / 1/10th second chronograph counter 9 o’clock silver “azurage” minute chronograph counter Rhodium plated applied indices, hour and minute hands with white Super-LumiNova® 4 o’clock angled date
BRACELET Black rubber and leather strap Pin buckle with fine-brushed steel
Special packaging
Available from August 2020 |
About INDYCAR
INDYCAR is the Indianapolis-based governing body for North America’s premier open-wheel auto racing series known as the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The series features an international field of the world’s most versatile drivers – including five-time series champion Scott Dixon, reigning series champion Josef Newgarden and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Simon Pagenaud – who compete on superspeedways, short ovals, street circuits and permanent road courses.
The 2020 season, which runs from June to October, currently consists of 14 races in the United States and is highlighted by the historic Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in August at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IMS Productions are owned by Penske Corporation, a global transportation, automotive and motorsports leader.
For more information on INDYCAR and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, please visit www.indycar.com.
About TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, is a luxury watch brand that is part of LVMH Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton SE (“LVMH”), the world’s leading luxury group. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and with four production sites, TAG Heuer has 1470 employees and is active in 139 countries. TAG Heuer products are available online on the watchmaker’s website www.tagheuer.com for select countries and in 160 boutiques and 3,500 points of sale worldwide. The company is headed up by Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer.
For 160 years, TAG Heuer has demonstrated pure avant-garde watchmaking spirit and a commitment to innovation with revolutionary technologies that have included the oscillating pinion for mechanical stopwatches in 1887, the Mikrograph in 1916, the first automatic-winding chronograph movement – Calibre 11 – in 1969, the first luxury smartwatch in 2015, and the ground-breaking Isograph technology in 2019, made possible through a unique collaboration with the TAG Heuer Institute. Today, the brand’s core collection consists of three iconic families designed by Jack Heuer – TAG Heuer Carrera, Monaco and Autavia – and is rounded out with the contemporary Link, Aquaracer, Formula 1 and Connected lines.
Capturing TAG Heuer’s motto, “Don’t Crack Under Pressure”, are prominent partnerships and brand ambassadors that express the brand’s passion for action and high performance. These include the Formula E World Championship, of which the brand is a founding partner, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Team, the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the World Endurance Championships, the Indianapolis 500, legends Steve McQueen and Ayrton Senna, actors Chris Hemsworth and Patrick Dempsey, ATP next-generation tennis players Alex de Minaur, Frances Tiafoe, Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger Aliassime, and surfer Kai Lenny, among others.
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Julia van Herpen
International PR Director TAG Heuer
+41 32 919 8656
press@tagheuer.com
