Simply Abu Dhabi XI

1 0 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I S ince Edouard Heuer founded the company in 1860, TAGHeuer has become world famous for its relentless desire to push boundaries, to ceaselessly explore the fringes of what is possible and to drive forward horological technology. TAG Heuer watches are defined by innovation and excellence and the brand has many milestones to be proud of. In 1887, Heuer patented the oscillating pinion, a clutch-like component that is still at the core of virtually every mechanical chronograph. In 1916, Heuer revolutionised science and industry with the world’s first mechanical stopwatch accurate to 1/100th of a second. This made the company the only choice for the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1920. By the 1960s, TAG Heuer became the first Swiss watchmaker in space when American astronaut John Glenn wore a TAGHeuer stopwatch as a pilot on the first manned US orbital mission. These associations and the essential applications of TAG Heuer products in the world of sport have time and again proven vital. It was TAG Heuer’s peerless timekeeping that produced an unbeaten world record for the closest finish in the whole of motor racing history. It happened in France, in the 2006 Race of Champions, where top drivers from different racing categories go head to head. The winner, Mattias Ekström, beat Heikki Kovalainen by 2/10,000ths of a second (0.0002). That infinitesimal fragment of time corresponded to 10 millimetres of track between the two cars travelling at over 220mph.