TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck on the New Carreras, Formula One, and the Future of the Brand

TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck on the New Carreras, Formula One, and the Future of the Brand

It can be hard to love a heritage brand in its modern guise. The chasm between the demands of the modern world and the spirit that once defined a legacy brand is usually vast, and the need to progress and stay relevant typically outweighs any brand’s need to satisfy the enthusiasts and history buffs that love it. When it comes to TAG Heuer, however, there’s a different story being told–one that truly celebrates the brand’s history while seeking a seat at the table of the upper echelon of watchmaking. 

The man responsible for orchestrating that balancing act is Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer’s Heritage Director. While Biebuyck wears many hats within the TAG Heuer machine, he’s an enthusiast at his core. The man understands where the brand has been and what that history means to his fellow enthusiasts, but he also has his eyes firmly on the future. Biebuyck knows that for TAG Heuer to stand on the top step of the horological podium, it needs to innovate in every regard–including swinging for the fences with its halo products like the Monaco Split-Seconds Rattrapante.

To that end, TAG Heuer has announced the release of several new Carrera models that vamp on their successful “Glass Box” design. These watches, unveiled at LVMH Watch Week, include a new Carrera Seafarer that picks up where the brand’s 2024 Hodinkee limited edition left off while nodding at a beloved, if somewhat obscure classic from the Heuer archive. 

These new releases continue to telegraph the direction the brand is taking and show just how good they’re getting at splitting the difference between honoring their past and progressing. However, to truly understand the philosophy driving TAG Heuer’s modern renaissance, it’s best to hear it from the man himself. 

Following the announcement of the LVMH Watch Week releases, Biebuyck spoke with Worn & Wound about the brand’s new references, where it hopes to go in the future, and the unexpected camaraderie at the top of motorsport-minded watchmaking. 

David Von Bader: It’s really difficult to balance creating something innovative within a beloved form factor like the Carrera. How did the brand approach that balancing act with these new references? 

Nicholas Biebuyck: I always say heritage is a bit of a double-edged sword, because on one hand, we have more than 4,000 watches in our archives to take inspiration from. At the same time, you have to be respectful and considerate of what these icons represent and their heritage. The reason brands like Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Hermes can do whatever they want in watchmaking is because they don’t have this longterm legacy in watches to weigh them down. For us, we have icons like the Carrera, the Monaco, and even things like the Formula 1 to build upon as our key pillars, and that takes a different approach. It took us a little while to find the right balance and philosophy. 

We try to understand the DNA, the essence, the soul, and the core philosophies that make a Carrera a Carrera, a Monaco a Monaco, and a Monza a Monza. We then take those as base ingredients and distill the watch down to that essence, which gives us the foundation to create something new on top of it. It would be so easy for us to walk into the archive, pull out a 2446 first execution Autavia, laser scan it, fire up the CNC machine, and off we go. I know other brands are happy to do that, but for me, it’s a total disservice to the client. 

If you’re buying a new watch, you should be getting a new watch. You should get five years of warranty, 80 hours of power reserve, better than COSC accuracy, water resistance, etc. If you want a vintage watch, maybe we should just be better at selling you vintage watches and maybe we need a good pre-owned program or something? But when we create something new, it has to be something new. I think the first place we were really able to share that was with the Carrera Glass Box 39mm in 2023.

The new, larger, “Glassbox” Carrera

There was a lot of hesitation around the development of that watch in 2021, but what we were able to finish with is fantastic and I’ve worn that watch almost continuously for the last three years. I’m looking forward to finally changing it for something new in a few months time. 

The Monaco Rattrapante is another great example of that. At the beginning of the project, the first thing we did was go into the archive and pull out a bunch of Monacos. In fact, I gave an original, I think it was a ref. 73633 case, to our design team to model in 3D so we could better understand what it looks like and how we could reinterpret it in a way that makes sense. You can see the DNA of the Rattrapante goes directly back to the ref. 1133. 

The Formula 1 Solargraph is another one where we went back to the beginning, we worked to understand what it was, and we took those codes and made something completely new with them–in that case adding a high-precision solar quartz movement, which is crazy good. 

That approach must be working for the brand to be releasing three new vintage-inspired Carrera models. I do think there are a lot of clients that would love for the brand to repop a laser-scanned 2446 Autavia at an accessible price point. That said, the watch world has an obligation to progress and innovate, just like the racing world, and I do think there’s a risk of muting the spirit of these things with too much progress. What’s the trick to honoring an important heritage while taking on the burden of progress? How do you bring vintage-minded collectors into the nuance of your modern offerings?

I think the important thing is that when we launch something new, it has to work on many different levels. First, it has to be beautiful and the design has to be fantastic. You can see with what we’ve done with the clocks at the F1 races and how that plays into the Formula 1 collection, and we have this great connection to the sport represented in those watches. Beyond that, it needs to be respectful to the heritage of the brand and convey that story as well. So for those like yourself who are passionate about the vintage icons of the brand, it needs to tell that story to resonate. Beyond that, it needs to be technically innovative and we need to be able to share those messages on a certain level. And it needs to feel great on the wrist; it needs to be super comfortable and super wearable. We always have to think about these different layers and these different interactions because ownership is only part of the journey. 

You can be enthusiastic and you can love a design and maybe you can’t afford it or maybe it’s a bit too big on your wrist, or doesn’t sit quite right because of your wrist bone. If you buy it from us, great–obviously that helps us–but at the same time, it needs to be something that people respect and love regardless of owning it. We’ve got to tell multi-layered stories with our watches.

The thing behind the scenes that helps us really achieve that is we have this very comprehensive archive with historic models, we have an in-house research and development lab where we have transmission electron microscopes and scanning equipment, and the ability to make our own hair-springs, our own foundry, etc. And we have an incredible supply chain to bolster that. The great secret source of truly strong watchmaking is your supply chain and your partners.

With the new Carrera Seafarer with the Abercrombie & Fitch-style dial, those classic AF Heuer watches are something of a cult classic and maybe a bit of a dark horse within the Heuer archive. What does that particular watch mean to you personally as a student of the brand’s past?

To be quite frank, this was a watch that we were meant to launch a bit earlier. It is essentially the Hodinkee limited edition Seafarer Mareographe with a different dial–so we didn’t rub too many brain cells together creatively to come up with it. We had the idea to develop a tide indicator on the Carrera kicking around for a while and Hodinkee approached us with an idea for a limited edition on that basis at the same time, so when we launched the Seafarer Mareographe with them in 2024, it was extremely well received. But it was a limited edition and we had done a lot to develop that complication. We developed this new white dial as a follow up to that limited edition, so it’s been waiting in the wings for a year now.

I think it’s a great opportunity for us to talk about TAG Heuer’s relationship with the nautical universe. We have Skipper, but for me, the tide indicator tells an even stronger story. Whilst the Skipper has this great human connection to competition through the America’s Cup Intrepid, the Seafarer tells this amazing human story with Walter Hayes, the former chairman of Abercrombie & Fitch, and Charles-Edouard Heuer. Walter’s interest in deep water fishing and his motivations to create a tide indicator are a unique story and there were so many important Heuer references born from that request, so this watch is a great opportunity for us to tell those stories on the back of a truly modern watch. 

Of all these new releases, which are you the most excited about? Which one’s going to be on your wrist? 

The Monaco Split-Seconds Rattrapante is a watch that I think is very, very exciting. It’s a halo product, and while it’s a six figure watch, it allows us to project where we’re going and what we want to do as an innovative brand. Maybe you’ve seen some of our communication on social media around our “Year of the Chronograph” and our mastery of the chronograph complication, but this watch is really a chance for us to push that topic. The Rattrapante with the Calibre TH81-00 really stands at the top of that, but we’ve got something coming out at Watches & Wonders which I believe is going to dramatically change people’s perceptions of the brand–which is super exciting. The good news is people won’t need to wait very long until April, but that watch is a project that’s been five years in development. So for it to finally see the light day is super exciting. 

I appreciate virtuosic movement design, but I know a lot of watch enthusiasts that aren’t as deep on the technical aspects of watchmaking or care much about technical innovation. Can you explain why an innovative split-seconds chronograph should matter to those less tech-minded fans of the brand?

Regarding the Rattrapante, it’s like our version of the Bugatti Veyron and it allows us to develop our version of a DSG gearbox for it. That gearbox is going to show up in our version of the Golf eventually. And the watch isn’t just about the technical development itself, but it was about understanding how we work with these very high end partners like Vaucher–who make the movement in that watch. It was about understanding how we interact with that caliber of client, who are coming from Richard Mille and Audemars and Patek, and understanding how we engage with those people. I’m lucky to already know quite a few of those guys from my past life, but to understand how TAG Heuer as a brand engages with those clients and treats that particular retail environment are things we needed to explore.

When it comes to the kind of deep level movement conception and development, it is fundamentally about the expertise of the people that you are working with. A decent amount of that happens internally here and Carole Forestier-Kasapi [TAG Heuer Movements Strategy and Haute Horologie Director] is someone who’s a very dear friend and someone who contributes a huge amount to the uplift of our movement strategy, but all the guys at the institute do as well and they coexist and work together with the team at Vaucher or the team working on internal movement development, so to be able to work with all these people together, is what makes us so powerful and that allows us for to move ahead. There’s a huge machine of people within this ecosystem that truly love watchmaking and believe in it, and want to push the brand further. That’s how we can create something exciting.

You name checked Richard Mille. I can’t think of another time when an official timing partner that has the kind of relationship TAG Heuer has with Formula 1 has made a watch that also plays in the sandbox of the ultra high end like Richard Mille. As a Formula 1 fan, I’d much rather have something from an official partner with the heritage TAG Heuer has than something from a brand that’s on three different cars in the field like Richard Mille. Creating a watch on that level seems like a very smart move.

I’ve been quite lucky to get to know Richard fairly well. I was at the LeMans Classic with him over the summer and we spoke a lot about where the industry is going and he loves what we are doing right now. He’s super excited to see TAG Heuer doing these kinds of projects with the kind of partners that we’re working with, and he loves the fact that we are telling these kinds of stories. Case in point, we had Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/4 on our stand at Watches & Wonders last year. When we initially asked McLaren they said “Absolutely no way, Richard Mille would never agree to it.” So it seemed like McLaren was blocking it on behalf of Richard Mille. The thing is, I’m very close with the owner of that car and Richard, so we just back channeled Richard and asked and he said “Go for it, I think it’s great. TAG Heuer owns its automotive heritage!” 

To have someone else within the watchmaking industry on that level be supportive and believe in what you’re doing lends TAG Heuer in this era a huge amount of credibility. And as you say, if you are into Formula One and if you’re in the position where you can spend $150k on a watch, odds are you’re old enough to remember Nikki Lauda, Clay Regazzoni, Jo Siffert, and Mario Andretti, and every great F1 driver from the ‘70s, or were around for Senna, Alain Prost or Michael Schumacher’s time as an ambassador for us. Even Lewis Hamilton was with us for a time, though everyone seems to gloss over that. Over the last 60 years in Formula One, nearly every single one of the greatest drivers has been associated with TAG Heuer, let alone 1992 to 2003, when our logo was everywhere at the races. The cultural relevance TAG Heuer has and the indelible mark that it left in the subconscious of so many motor racing enthusiasts is really important to us. A lot of people are coming back to the brand that thought we only made things like the $500 Formula 1 from back that period. When they realize we’re making a high end split seconds chronograph and things like the glass box watches, or even our standard core range Monaco, we’re getting a lot of folks that realize they need to take another look at what this brand is doing. That’s been amazing for us. 

I would imagine the client that’s getting a Richard Mille also has the money to put a halo level TAG Heuer in their watch box. With watches on that level, you’re probably not fighting for clients so much as sharing them.

It’s not a zero sum game at that level. And Richard is a true fan of the sport and I think that makes him more supportive of what we do. Another story that underlines that is I was talking to him about racing and he was like “By the way, I know the guy that owns Jo Siffert’s Lotus 49B Rob Walker Racing car. It’s currently in the 1968 Silverstone configuration–so with the low wings–but if you want me to ask him to put it into the ‘69 configuration with the Heuer logo, I’m happy to do that.” Richard was just super pumped to be able to help us tell that story. It was so cool. 

Formula 1 is still enjoying a massive boom in the United States and I imagine a lot of American fans that have only been following the sport since Drive To Survive first debuted are still more accustomed to seeing the Rolex logo everywhere at races. It’s got to be a really exciting time for a brand like TAG Heuer to get to share its heritage with a new wave of young enthusiasts that are either just getting into motorsports and/or watches for the first time. 

Yes, absolutely. The thing is we are a marketing powerhouse today. We were the number one for engagement on social media with watch brands according to a few different external agencies–above Rolex and above everyone–so clearly we’re cutting through. Part of that is we are able to tell stories that others can’t. Literally 40 minutes ago, I got a message from a guy that owns Nick Lauda’s 1975 championship winning Ferrari 312T and another 312T saying “We are doing a test day in April with Jean Alesi and Adrian Newey driving the cars like, do you want to come?” I mention it because these people want our help to tell those stories and share that history with the world. So to be able to have that kind of support and have a mutually beneficial thing where we can talk about the people preserving racing history is the best of both worlds for us. 

You hinted at a major release coming at Watches & Wonders. Is that release going to be more exciting for the haute horologie clients or the heritage sect? 

It is gonna be exciting for everyone. I can tell you this: it’s a deep cut that goes through so many verticals in so many different ways. It showcases our technical innovation, amazing design prowess, and elevates one of our great icons. For me, it’s probably the most exciting watch in our 165 year history in many, many ways. It’s going to completely change people’s interpretations of who we are as a brand. The thing to understand is in the ‘60s and ‘70s, we were cross-shopped with Omega and Rolex, brands that are considered highly prestigious today. We certainly slipped a little bit in our history with some of the products that we were creating, but this new watch allows us to present a product and a story that will allow us to resonate on that prestigious level again. It repositions the brand in many ways. Again, we are not going to leave things like the Solargraph Formula 1 behind and we are super happy with what we’ve done on the ultra high end of things, but this watch represents a new chapter. 

The post TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nicholas Biebuyck on the New Carreras, Formula One, and the Future of the Brand appeared first on Worn & Wound.