THE CALIBRE 1887
A New Movement and a New Measure of Excellence with the fastest chronograph start in history
Accurately measuring time is a complicated undertaking, and the Swiss watchmaking industry has been the standard bearer of excellence in the field since the 16th century.
Even more difficult, however, is dividing time, precisely, into the smallest possible fractions, by means of a chronograph function — a chronometric mechanism that accurately measures elapsed time.
A more recent innovation, dating only from the nineteenth century, the chronographs is rightly considered the most complex watchmaking complication in terms of construction and components. Once again, the Swiss are the unrivaled masters of its manufacture — and since 1860, TAG Heuer has been its pioneering virtuoso.
The world leader in avant-garde sports watches and chronographs market, TAG Heuer innovates more than any other watch brand. Refusing to rest on its laurels, it has again and again pushed back the limits of chronograph functionality and precision. Today, in this fiercely competitive industry, TAG Heuer, the only watch brand to master 1/10th and 1/100th of a second precision in a mechanical automatic chronograph movement, continues its committed drive towards manufacturing excellence.
TAG Heuer: Reinventing Swiss watchmaking tradition by challenging its conventions
Innovation has a long tradition at TAG Heuer. Through its steadfast commitment to creativity, quality and service, the company has transformed itself from a small workshop in the Swiss Jura to one of the most prestigious watchmaking brands in the world.
From the world’s first oscillating pinion, patented in 1887 and still the beating heart of virtually every mechanical chronograph, to the launch of the revolutionary, belt-driven Monaco V4 in 2009, TAG Heuer has led the way. In 1911, the company launched the first car dashboard chronograph, the famous Time of Trip, followed in 1916, by the Mikrograph, the first stopwatch able to measure 1/100th of a second. In 1933, it rolled out the Autavia, the first dashboard timekeeper for both automobiles and aviation. In 1966, the Microtimer became the first-ever portable timekeeping system precise to 1/1,000th of a second. In 1969, TAG Heuer patented the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the first automatic chronograph movement with micro-rotor. In 2005, the TAG Heuer Calibre 360, presented as a concept chronograph at BaselWorld, became the first mechanical chronograph to display 1/100th of second. In 2007, TAG Heuer laid down another benchmark by launching the Link Calibre S, the first electro-mechanical chronograph accurate to 1/100th of a second.
Now TAG Heuer is ready to push Swiss tradition even further…
TAG Heuer: From Heritage to Innovation — The Calibre 1887
To continue its reign as the world leader in luxury chronographs, TAG Heuer needs unique, technically different and challenging movements. Just as important, however, to keep market share, it needs unlimited access to mechanical movements, in order to further distinguish itself as the worldwide leader in mechanical chronographs. This is why, in early 2006, the brand decided to develop the Calibre 1887, its own in-house, high-volume chronograph movement.
This exceptional new automatic rewinding calibre joins the Calibre 11, 12, 16, 17, 1887, 36 and 360, extending TAG Heuer’s fleet of mechanical chronograph movements to seven — the broadest range in the luxury watchmaking world.
Oscillating at 28,800 beats per hour, the Calibre 1887’s 39-jewel, 29.3mm movement has 320 working parts. It is a powerful engine and a breathtaking feat of engineering prowess.
True to its inspiration, it is composed of an audaciously re-engineered version of the brand’s 1887-patented oscillating pinion and a column wheel.
PRECISION
At the occasion of its 150th anniversary, TAG Heuer has re-engineered one of Edouard Heuer’s greatest contributions to watchmaking: the oscillating pinion of 1887. The result is an all-new, in-house chronograph: the TAG Heuer Calibre 1887.
The oscillating pinion, which comprises a mobile stem and two pinions, allows the chronograph to function very efficiently by replacing the two large wheels of the anterior movements. A coupling system enables the chronograph to locate onto the watch movement with ultimate precision. The chronograph’s lightning fast start — an incredible 2/1,000th-of-a-second — guarantees the utmost in timekeeping accuracy.
MECHANICS
The column wheel, which governs start, stop and reset functions, ensures extreme accuracy with a super-soft click of the button.
TAG Heuer: Pioneering Swiss precision and craftsmanship for 150 years
TAG Heuer’s innovative and avant-garde esprit is not only found in the originality of its creations, but also in the way in which it manufactures and assembles them. To do so, the company brings together designers, production and quality engineers, with other specialists from the watch, car and medical industries.
The Calibre 1887 is the fifth movement designed 100% in-house by TAG Heuer, joining the powerful Microtimer 1/1000, launched in 2003, the first-ever wrist chronograph and timekeeping system accurate to 1/1000th of a second; the Calibre 360, launched in 2005, the only mechanical movement capable of measuring and displaying 100th of a second; the Calibre S, launched in 2007, the world’s easiest-to-read chronograph; and the V4, launched in 2009, the revolutionary belt-driven mechanical movement with ball bearings. To bring these in-house movements to market, TAG Heuer created an R&D team specialized in movement research. This massive investment in R&D has enabled TAG Heuer to entirely dedicate itself to quality and service — at a level bordering on obsession, especially at the testing department of the TAG Heuer Laboratory, where the Swiss watchmaking industry’s rigorous requirements are matched or surpassed by TAG Heuer’s own exacting standards.
To produce the Calibre 1887, TAG Heuer followed a simple philosophy: go to the best suppliers when the company can get the best quality at the best rate, but produce itself the components it can make better. The movement’s main plate and bridges, as well as the oscillating weight plate, are produced at TAG Heuer’s industrial facility at Cornol, which accommodates a workshop dedicated to making the movement’s mechanical parts. For the assortment – composed of the balance-spring, the pallets and the escape-wheel — TAG Heuer has decided to buy it from Nivarox, the leading Swiss specialist in the production of oscillating and escapement parts.
The movement is assembled in a new dust-free conditions workshop created in 2008, when the company expanded its La Chaux-de-Fonds main site by 30% by adding a fourth building to its facility. TAG Heuer took inspiration from other high-tech sectors to develop a revolutionary semi-automated line on which each movement is individually traced by high-performance software.
After each station, the movement is automatically sent to the next relevant station, but humans are always in complete control. The fluid organization in two “U” cells — a modernization of classic Taylorism — optimizes the production process, and the mix of time-honored artisanal craftsmanship with high-tech automation and space-age materials allows for the creation of incredibly innovative products. Assembly is just-in-time flexible and can be easily adapted to other tasks, quickly switching to the assembly of a different watch movement without having to make major modifications to the line. Once again, the state-of-the art equipment comes from the very best Swiss machine specialist.
However, TAG Heuer does not want to manufacture all its movements, and will continue to buy movements from top Swiss suppliers like Zenith, Dubois-Depraz and ETA. The Calibre 1887 will equip only a small proportion of TAG Heuer’s production. In tandem, by developing prestigious and rare movements in-house, such as the 2009 belt-driven mechanical V4, TAG Heuer stays true to its unique brand DNA — innovation, avant-garde, excellence, performance, and human achievement.
Q&A with Jean-Christophe BABIN
President and CEO of TAG Heuer
1- What led you to produce in-house your own high-volume automatic chronograph movement?
The idea began in 2006, at the height of the watch industry’s boom. We couldn’t get access to the quantity of mechanical movements the brand needed to keep pace with its growth, and this was really holding us back. Also, we’ve been the pioneering chronograph brand since our oscillating pinion patent in 1887. Because of this heritage, we felt it was imperative that TAG Heuer not only rely on older models from manufacturers like Valjoux or Zenith, but develop its own new generation calibres in-house. So we started discussions with the board and put together a plan, which ultimately led to the Calibre 1887. And here we are, three years down the road, ready to launch ourselves into this amazing adventure.
To celebrate the brand’s 150th anniversary, we wanted to launch something truly exceptional. What better way to show off our talents and “savoir faire” than by adding a new 100% TAG Heuer Chronograph movement to our in-house roster, which already includes the Caliber 360, V4, Caliber S and the Microtimer.
We are now capable of outfitting chronographs with a full range of movements, each with a different performance profile. This is key: to remain number one in the luxury chronograph market we need to be able to produce unique, technically complicated movements and have unlimited access to mechanical movements. This is why we went in-house with the Calibre 1887.
2- Why did you call it the Calibre 1887?
For our 150th anniversary, we wanted to pay homage to a great piece of TAG Heuer heritage, the oscillating pinion, which is one of our most famous inventions. It was patented in 1887 and remains to this day among our most significant contributions to watchmaking.
By replacing the two large wheels of the anterior movements, the oscillating pinion made chronographs super efficient. It’s a truly revolutionary component, still used today in almost every mechanical chronographs made by the top Swiss watch brands.
It helped make us what we are today — the reference standard in chronographs and timing instruments for high-level sports. “The chronograph par excellence” was the motto Jack Heuer coined for it in the ads he ran in the 1960s.
But we don’t want to manufacture all our movements, so we’ll keep buying movements from top Swiss suppliers like Zenith, ETA, Dubois-Depraz, Ronda and Sellita. The Calibre 1887 joins our other great in-house movements, such as the Calibre 360, and those developed with partners like Dubois Depraz, such as the new Calibres 11 and 12, and with Zenith — the Calibre 36. And at the same time, we’ll keep doing what we do best: developing rare and totally revolutionary in-house movements like the belt-driven mechanical V4.
3- Is the movement manufactured and assembled in your own facilities?
Not entirely. Like most manufacturers, we go to top-end suppliers for some parts when that makes the most sense in terms of cost and quality. But many components we can produce better ourselves.
This is especially true for the key parts of the Calibre 1887 — for example, the main plate and bridges, which are manufactured in Cornol, in specifically designated areas of our main case-making factory. All the machines there are custom-made for us by Fleury. They’re fully automated, CNC controlled and totally cutting edge.
The movement is assembled in a new workshop created last year when we added a fourth building to our main site in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We use an advanced semi-automated line in a totally dust-free environment. Every movement is individually traced. Once again, the state-of-the art equipment comes from the very best Swiss machine specialist in T1. It’s an incredible facility.
4- What is the origin of the movement? When did the project start?
Back in January 2006, we started looking at every mechanical chronograph on the market, and none made the grade in terms of our criteria — high-volume production, unbeatable reliability, easy maintenance and reasonable manufacturing cost. So we set out to make our own, and three years later came up with a beauty.
The turnaround time for a new movement — from first draft to final product — is between 3 and 5 years. The Calibre 1887 is at the front end of the timeframe. But we didn’t rush anything, we took our time, we didn’t make any compromises. When it was completely ready, we launched. As always, the number one priority was to produce the best possible product.
5- When will the first chronograph with a Calibre 1887 be launched, and in which series?
The Calibre 1887 will be launched next year. It will equip only a small proportion of TAG Heuer’s production.
Q&A with Guy Semon
V.P. Science & Engineering
1- Creating the Calibre 1887 must have put a considerable burden on your facilities. What was your approach?
A modern manufacturing process is a complicated affair involving a whole host of problems, mainly to do with quality, cost and capacity constraints. For the Calibre 1887, we focused on selecting sites and pooling resources for the layout, clustering, and so on, in two workshops: one, the manufacturing base in Cornol (JU); the other, for assembly, in La Chaux-de-Fonds (NE).
The locations and structures were selected based on intensive organization and scheduling studies. Our assembly process, for example, is based on very advanced evolutionary methods. It’s a truly innovative system that allows us to solve many practical problems: simultaneous grouping of machines and products into families, the minimization of component traffic, a coherent grouping of machines and operators, the balancing of loads, and so forth. Using the latest generation of automated equipment, we’ve optimized the scheduling process for a chronograph component assembly line. It’s fully flexible in terms of volume, and fully reliable in terms of quality. We can multitask, quickly switching to the assembly of a different watch movement, without having to make any major modifications to the line. It’s a beautiful, absolutely amazing thing to see.
2- What are the most important features of this movement? What makes it different from other automatic chronograph movements?
Well, top of the list is the new oscillating pinion, which enables the chronograph feature to start in only 2/1,000th of a second. Then there’s the blue column wheel, which has the greatest precision and smoothest feeling of any start/stop chronograph feature we’ve ever seen.
We didn’t set out to revolutionize watchmaking, but to come up with a high-quality, high-performance industrial movement consistent with our mainstream volume requirements, price position and margin structure. But along the way, we pulled off a real knockout of a movement. We’re incredibly proud of this.
3- Who produces the balance-spring?
The balance-spring is one of the most difficult elements to produce, so we had to find a top quality, high-volume balance-spring supplier with strong technological and financial credentials. We reviewed the only two specialists meeting these requirements before selecting Nivarox. The choice makes perfect sense, as Nivarox already equips most of our existing movements. Nivarox is also among the very few manufacturers with the advanced technologies, production and quality systems capable of delivering just-in-time top-quality components.
4- Will it comply with “Swiss-Made” regulations (50% value)?
The Calibre 1887 is obviously 100% compliant with “Swiss-Made” regulations, even though we use some components manufactured in other countries — but these account for only a tiny fraction of the production cost.
There will be several phases: in 2009/2010, TAG Heuer is concentrating on the production of main plates and bridges, but also on assembly and testing. By keeping these in-house, we ensure for our customers products of the highest “Swiss-Made” quality.
5- Will it be COSC certified?
The movement is tested internally. TAG Heuer has the highest quality requirements and COSC certification testing is included in standard TAG Heuer quality testing, therefore the COSC test would be redundant.
We don’t exclude COSC certification for specific products, if this is relevant for our customers, as the Calibre 1887’s pre-series performances are very close to COSC requirements.
