PRESTIGE
LIMITED TO THE 50TH BIRTHDAY
It is thanks to Jack W. Heuer that Steve McQueen wore a Heuer ‘Monaco’ on his wrist during the shooting of the cult film ‘Le Mans’, back in 1971. The head of the family business had sent the filmmaker several copies of the angular-progressive and therefore at that time, a less successful chronograph wristwatch. The water-resistant square case contained an automatic caliber 11 with microrotor self-winding mechanism and rear stop module, launched in 1969. After the shooting was completed, this wristwatch was given back to Don Nunley. In July 2012, it raised an incredible $650,000 at an auction. ‘I believe’, says Jack W. Heuer, ‘that a Heuer watch will never fetch that much again’. 2019 is the 50th birthday. On this occasion, TAG Heuer is offering a total of five strictly limited models. The grainy rhodium-plated dial of number three reflects the straightforward street style of the 1990s. The case back contains the engravings ‘1989-1999 Special Edition’ and ‘One of 169’. As in the past, the ‘Calibre 11’ inside the 39 mm stainless steel case is a mechanical sandwich. In contrast to 1969, the stopping layer of Dubois-Dépraz is hidden directly under the dial. It is driven by a Eta 2892-A2 with a central rotor, around 40 hours of autonomy and a contemporary four-hertz balance frequency. Those who missed out on the previously offered anniversary ‘Monacos’ can console themselves, until the end of 2019, with one of 50 sets. Each set contains all five watches.
WATCHES IN THE SPIRIT OF EVOLUTION
It was the year 1972 when John Blashford-Snell, with his Range Rover, crossed a swampy rainforest area on the borderland between Colombia and Panama. If the researcher wanted to know the exact time, he would look at the dial of his Zenith ‘El Primero’. Of course, the 1969 launched wristwatch survived the hardships in overcoming the incomplete road link between North and South America, as well as the vehicle. In 2016, a ‘Range Rover Special Edition’ of the world's first automatic chronograph with a five-hertz balance frequency announced the beginning of the partnership between the two traditional brands. Zenith again created a special model for the launch of the new Range Rover ‘Evoque’. As the car wants to appeal to people living in cities and in the country, the 41 mm ‘Zenith Classic Range Rover’ features modern and traditional elements. Design and engineering teams from both brands worked together in close harmony to create this model. The automobile seats inspire the turquoise blue of the second hand and the oscillating weight–of the 3.88 mm flat Elite 670 SK manufactory calibre, with approximately 48 hours of autonomy and four Hertz balance frequency. Watchmakers assemble it from 187 parts. Anchor and escapement wheel are made of amagnetic silicon. The rim design of the luxurious SUV is stylized in the skeleton dial. And the design of the rubber strap is inspired by the quilted-patterned upholstery. Zenith uses lightweight, robust and anti-allergic titanium for the water-resistant case of the 200-unit limited-edition wristwatch, which is water- resistant to ten bar.
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