First: What is Heuer?

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Heuer
– well known watch manufacture, founded by Edouard “Ed” Heuer in 1860 in Saint-Imier (Switzerland).

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Merge with TAG (Techniques dÁvant Garde) to TAG Heuer in 1985. IPO in 1996 and 1999 bought by LVHM and till now located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Heuer developed a lot of cool things and is famous for that:

1880s
First patents chronographs and for oscillating pinion

1911
Patent for “Time of Trip” – First dashboard chronograph

1916
First 1/100 seconds chronograph

1942
Heuer developed the fist Wrist-Chronograph with water-resistant case and from 1942 water-resistant Military-Chronographs were produced. Since then all Chronographs got a water-resistant case.

1949
The first multifunctional Solunar displaying the Moon and the Tide as first watch in the world was produced by Heuer with an initial batch of 1000 watches.
Abercrombie & Fitch as an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods especially fishing rods, tents and expensive shotguns sells the Solunar in the end of 1949.

1950
The Solunar becomes the Mareographe – a watch for offshore sailor to keep the eyes on the Tides of a pointed harbor. As well an Regatta-Countdown was on the dial to shows the 5minute-Intervals of the starting phase of a Race. That was the first chronograph in the world with both functions: tide indicator and regatta-countdown.
Abercrombie and Fitch needs a name for the american market: the Seafarer was born.

1958
Jack Heuer joins the company.

1962
Special waterproofed Yachting Timer comes to the market, with Regatta-Countdown as subdial.
John Glenn wears a Heuer stopwatch on a special strap on the first manner space flight of the Amercians in February.

1969
The “second” automatic chronograph (“first” was Zenith El Premiero launched some days earlier) build in Autavia (Automobile Aviation), Carrera and Monaco. Was the first automatic chronograph movement with a micro-rotor called the “Chronomatic” (calibre 11).

The first HEUER SKIPPER comes to the market in a Carrera Case – the 7754 – so called Skipperera

1970s
Huge publicity for Heuer with advertisments for Heuer Monaco with Steve McQueen in the movie “Le Mans” and Autavia with Jochen Rindt, Jo Siffert and many other racedrivers. The Team Ferrari with Clay Regazzoni wears the Heuer Shield on the driving suits.

1992-2003
Timemessurement for Formula 1 (Today only used by Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes)

2004-
Timemessurement for IndyCar

 

A nice infographic by TAG Heuer you find here.