A robust and practical technical instrument

The new TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrograph represents the alliance of revolutionary technology and functional design seen in the sports timekeeping instruments of the 1920s.

Accurate. Legible. Robust. The large spherical ridged crown at 12 o'clock, framed by the characteristic "mushroom" push-pieces, is reminiscent of the earliest Heuer counters.

The white lacquered dial sports black painted numerals and indices, a vintage Heuer logo and the inscription "Made in Switzerland", faithfully configured as on the original model. Optimal legibility.

Legibility is enhanced by the blued steel hands for the chronograph indications, with a tear drop shaped counterweight on the minute hand and an arrow on the counter hands. Rounded leaf-shaped hour and minute hands typical of the Roaring Twenties. A display at once utilitarian and oozing authentic retro charm. A look at the history of the Mikrograph.

Mikrograph (1916): chasing the hundredth of a second

It all began when a visionary boss set his technical team a challenge. In 1914, Charles-Auguste, son of Edouard Heuer, asked his employees to design "a counter 5 to 10 times more accurate than anything currently in existence". 

At the time, the race for accuracy was intensifying in the field of sports timekeeping. A year later, the first prototype appeared. The result exceeded all expectations: an oscillation and escapement system vibrating 360,000 times per hour, in other words, accuracy to 1/100 of a second.

Two patents for the chronograph mechanism were filed for 20 years. At the same time, Charles-Auguste Heuer requested the development of the 1/50 of a second - 5 to 10 times more accurate than the standard of the time. And so, in 1916, the Mikrograph, the Microsplit, the Semikrograph and the Semicrosplit were born. These were the world's first mechanical counters accurate to 1/100 and 1/50 of a second. Revolutions in science, industry and watchmaking, these developments led to Heuer's appointment as the official supplier of chronographs to the Olympic Games in Antwerp (1920), Paris (1924) and Amsterdam (1928). Thousands of Mikrographs were produced until 1969. The fruit of unique expertise, this movement, which vibrates at an astonishing speed, was used in particular for timekeeping in bob-sleigh and greyhound races.

Double chain architecture: speed and accuracy

The anniversary edition TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrograph vibrates at the speed of a unique manufacture movement first unveiled to the world in 2011: the TAG Heuer Calibre Mikrograph 1/100 second. The first mechanical chronograph with integrated column wheel displaying 1/100 of a second using a central hand.

Protected by 11 patents, this 480-component calibre incorporates two mechanisms: one for the time, the other for the chronograph. Each has its own barrel and transmission and escapement system. The first, for the watch (hours, minutes, small second and date), oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz), and has a power reserve of 42 hours. The second, with an autonomy of 90 minutes, controls the 1/100 second chronograph.

Thanks to a dynamic compensation system, it achieves a frequency of 360,000 vibrations per hour (50 Hz) and a dizzying rotational speed of one second per revolution. The "normal frequency" and "high frequency" kinematic chains are independent, guaranteeing unrivalled accuracy and timekeeping by preventing the chronograph from affecting the operation of the watch and reducing energy loss.

In addition to its remarkable timekeeping performance, this automatic bidirectional calibre features hours, minutes, a power reserve indication at 9 o'clock, a date window at 4:30, a central 1/100 second chronograph hand, a chronograph 30-minute counter at 12 o'clock and a seconds counter at 3 o'clock. 

Embedded technology and interchangeability

One movement; a choice of three supports. A watch and a chronograph combined, the TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrograph is a modular model. Thanks to an ingenious bayonet mounting system, it can be housed in a TAG Heuer Carrera case, placed on a table support or screwed onto a car dashboard. In its historical 12 o'clock position, the dome-shaped crown winds both the watch and the chronograph. Visible on the back, the oscillating weight arms only the barrel of the watch mechanism, while the chronograph is wound manually. The sapphire back of the case, which is water-resistant to 100 metres, reveals a titanium carbide-coated movement decorated with Côtes de Genève. 

45 mm steel. Distinctive lug facets. The iconic Carrera lines extend to a grey perforated calfskin strap with a deployant buckle, Heuer logo and a security push-piece. The watch, its two supports and a plate stamped with Mikrograph Heuer come in a grey ash case with an Alcantara covering. And all at the very competitive price of less than CHF 20,000. 

Avant-garde with an eye on the future

This special edition pays tribute to a major advance in the field of timekeeping – the Mikrograph – made a hundred years ago. It provides an opportunity to measure the company's achievements over the last century. Its contribution in the field of chronographs and accuracy. A spotlight on the fearless, innovative and always avant-garde spirit of TAG Heuer. The passion that has fired it since its foundation in 1860. Bold, visionary, dedicated... the brand has remained true to its values with each creation.

Just like the recent TAG Heuer Connected. Reinventing the future. Combining age-old innovation and modern technologies. Embarking on a propitious adventure in partnership with the best specialists - Intel Corporation and Google. 

With the ambition, formulated by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, to be "the first Swiss brand capable of competing over the long term with the best connected watches on the market". TAG Heuer, a creative force defying convention through the "aesthetics, quality, accuracy and exclusivity of its products", has three pillars: avant-garde, accessible luxury and perceived quality.

Youthful in spirit, and connected to the future, TAG Heuer does not wish to repeat the traditional art of watchmaking, but to keep it alive, active and ever-changing by incorporating elements which enrich it now and in the future. both the TAG Heuer Connected and the TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrograph embody this vision through their very DNA", concludes Jean-Claude Biver.

Daring. Expertise. Avant-garde. A return to the milestones of the last century, with an eye on the future.

• 1916 Mikrograph

Creation of the first mechanical counters accurate to 1/100 of a second: the Mikrograph and the Microsplit (with split second), then the Semikrograph and the Semicrosplit (with split second), accurate to a 1/50 of a second. These extremely high-quality chronographs were used during the Olympic Games in 1920, 1924 and 1928.

The same year: the Dada intellectual, literary and artistic movement is born in Zurich.

• 1933 Autavia and Hervue – On-board counter/8-day autonomy

Launch of the Autavia chronograph (a contraction of AUTomobile and AVIAtion), the first on-board counter for racing cars and planes. Fixed to the dashboard on a chrome plate, it is generally coupled to a Hervue watch with an 8-day movement (power reserve of eight days). 

The same year: Franklin Delano Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the USA and launches his New Deal economic policy. The world's first speaking clock goes into service in Paris. The birth of Monopoly.

• 1957 Ring Master – A 7-scale sports counter

Launch of the Ring Master, a sports counter with seven interchangeable rings featuring scales for different sporting disciplines. 

The same year: the conquest of space begins with the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite put into orbit by the USSR. Signing of the treaties of Rome preceding the creation of the European Economic Community. Launch of the Fiat 500. 

• 1962 Autavia – The first wrist chronograph/First Swiss watch to be worn by an American in space

The first wrist chronograph with a rotary bezel created by Heuer, the Autavia was worn by famous drivers of the 1960s and 1970s, such as Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, Jo Siffert and Clay Regazzoni.

The American astronaut John Glenn wore a Heuer sports counter when he first orbited the Earth aboard the Mercury-Atlas 6 (Friendship 7) capsule. This made Heuer the first Swiss watch brand to go into space.

The same year: Inauguration of the SS France, the world's longest transatlantic liner. First public concert by English group The Rolling Stones in London. Death of actress Marilyn Monroe.

• 1964 Heuer Carrera – The first generation of motor racing chronographs

Launch of the legendary Heuer Carrera line of motor racing chronographs whose name was inspired by the Carrera Panamericana Mexico race of the 1950s. With its revolutionary dial design, it quickly became an international success. 

The same year: presentation of the Ford Mustang in New York, 100,000 models sold in 100 days. The black American minister Martin Luther King receives the Nobel Peace Prize. 

• 1969 Calibre 11 – First automatic chronograph equipped with a micro-rotor

World première of the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the first automatic chronograph movement with a micro-rotor. It drives the Heuer Carrera, the Autavia and the legendary Monaco. It made its motor racing début on the wrist of the Swiss driver Jo Siffert, the first racing driver to be sponsored by a watch brand.

• 1969 Heuer Monaco – A water-resistant square case with a legendary design

Christened by Jack Heuer following the Monaco Grand Prix, this automatic chronograph is distinctive for its large water-resistant square case, petrol blue dial, bright red minute hand, domed plastic crystal and the crown located on the left-hand side. It achieved legendary status when it was worn by Steve McQueen during the filming of "Le Mans" in 1970.

The same year: The American astronaut Neil Alden Armstrong is the first man to set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Half a million hippies attend the Woodstock festival. Maiden flight of the Franco-British supersonic aircraft, Concorde 001. 

• 1975 Heuer Chronosplit LED/LCD Ferrari Edition – Quartz split second chronograph

As Official Timekeeper for the Ferrari stable from 1971 to 1979, the company unveiled the Chronosplit, the first electronic wrist chronograph with a double LCD/LED display. The LCD indicates the time, while the LED displays the elapsed time accurate to a tenth of a second. 

The same year: Creation of the Microsoft company.

International Women's Year declared by the UN.

• 1977 Chronosplit Manhattan GMT – Hexagonal shape and hybrid display

Launch of the Chronosplit Manhattan GMT, the first wrist quartz chronograph with double analogue display, accurate to one hundredth of a second.

The same year: Adoption of the bar code in Europe. Death of Elvis Presley in Memphis. Start of the Star Wars saga directed by George Lucas.

• 1987 S/el chronograph – Favourite of Ayrton Senna

The S/el (Sport and elegance) watch is a quartz chronograph with a digital display and a unique design. Its signature: a strap in the form of a double S. This recreational watch reinforced the position of TAG Heuer in the world of sport, thanks to the McLaren driver Ayrton Senna, a brand ambassador, who declared it his favourite model.

The same year: The UN creates the IPCC group tasked with studying global warming. Opening of the Louvre Pyramid in Paris.

• 2004 Monaco V4 – The first movement with belt transmission

Unveiling of the Monaco V4 concept watch equipped with a mechanical movement driven by micro belts as fine as a hair (0.07 mm), a linear weight and ball bearings. The name V4 refers to the V-shaped main plate which carries the four barrels mounted in series, like the cylinders in a Formula 1 engine. 

The same year: Expansion of the European Union to include ten new countries. Launch of the Facebook social media network and Google Maps in the USA and Canada. The Cassini-Huygens space probe, launched in 1997, reaches Saturn.

• 2012 Mikrogirder – Accurate to 5/10,000a second

An automatic chronograph 250 times faster than a classic watch and accurate to 5/10,000 of a second, the Mikrogirder completely reinvented the regulator on a mechanical watch. 

Instead of a classic balance-spring, its system combines a coupling beam/girder and an excitatory beam associated with a linear oscillator. It features isochronous vibration at a very small angle. Advantages: no loss of amplitude, huge frequency modulation, increased accuracy and performance. 

The same year: Costa Concordia shipwrecked off the coast of Tuscany. Russian president Vladimir Putin re-elected for a third term. NASA's Curiosity rover lands on Mars. The Austrian Felix Baumgartner breaks the sound barrier in freefall. 

• 2012 Mikropendulum

The balance-spring is replaced by a virtual spring, produced using four magnets. The magnetic field generated by the magnets supplies the linear restoring torque required for the alternate oscillations of the balance. Impervious to variations in the disruptive forces, this fully mechanical oscillator represents an exceptional timekeeping system set to run at 6 Hz.

The same year: Pope Benedict XVI announces his resignation and is succeeded by Pope Francis. Nelson Mandela dies aged 95.

• 2015 TAG Heuer Connected – Entry into the world of the connected watch

In collaboration with Intel Corporation and Google, the first Swiss luxury connected watch is driven by Intel Inside and operates using Android Wear™. It is equipped with digital watch dials and offers a multitude of connectivity options and intelligent functions. 4 GB of memory, a lithium battery with 1-day autonomy, voice control, sapphire touch screen and water resistance - a marriage of more than 150 years of history with the future. 

The same year: Expo Milano 2015. NASA discovers salt water on Mars. The 21st climate conference in Paris concludes an international agreement limiting global warming to a maximum of 2°C.