In the automotive industry everything is about speed, but when it comes to watches, speed isn’t exactly number one on the list. Tag Heuer is changing that with the Mikrotimer Flying 1000, a concept watch that is capable of banging out 3.6 million beats per hour - 125 times faster than most existing chronographs. The good news, sort of, is that the concept will be put into production in a limited series of 10 units, each priced at $88,580.
What makes this watch so special is that the flying central hand of the Mikrotimer Flying 1000 makes an astounding 10 rotations per second, indicating 1/1000th of a second and 1/100th of a second on a scale on the external part of the dial, which has 100 graduations over 360°. A second, smaller central hand indicates minutes (TAG Heuer Patent pending) and 1/12th of a minute on a 150-second scale. A counter at 6 o’clock displays 1/10th of a second, calibrated to 5 seconds. This makes it so that you will not only be able to read minutes and seconds, but also 1/1,000th of a second, a feature that is essential for competitions like Formula 1.
Hit the jump for the video on the Tag Heuer Mikrotimer Flying 1000 .
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Tag Heuer has been rather busy this year coming up with several special editions to celebrate their partnerships. So far, we’ve seen the Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium Chronograph, the TAG Heuer Limited Edition Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph, and the TAG Heuer McLaren MP4-12C Chronograph. Their latest ode is the limited edition Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch which celebrates the timepiece company’s partnership with both Monaco Gulf and Formula 1.
The special edition timepiece is based on the steel 44mm wide Tag Heuer Formula 1 Big Date watch with a Swiss quartz movement and a time, subsidiary seconds dial. It features a black dial with a light gray cross-hatching pattern and contrasting Gulf racing stripes in orange and blue, as well as the orange and white Gulf logo. The Formula 1 Gulf Edition is available in either a steel or rubber strap.
The Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Edition Watch sells for somewhere in the $1,000 range.
The Tag Heuer Monaco V4 range of watches is by all accounts, one of the most sought-after Tag Heuer watches we’ve seen in a while. First introduced in 2009 with the release of the Platinum Edition, the Monaco V4 range sprang another version a year later called the New Generation Rose Gold Edition”. And now that it’s 2011, the Swiss timepiece maker has decided to introduce the latest addition to the line: the Titanium Limited Edition.
Sporting the same 41mm “New Generation” V4 case, the Titanium edition differentiates itself by the use – and plenty of it – of titanium on a number of its parts, including the case, the hour markers, the hands, the crown, and the folding buckle. On top of that, the watch also features a mix of Ruthenium and Ceramic with the former used as the black coating on the ridged dial of the watch while the latter runs along the side of the watch.
As a special edition watch that’s limited to only 200 units, the Tag Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium Edition won’t come cheap. Prices have yet to be announced, but it is looking to fetch a price tag of about $120,000. The watch is set to become available in October, which means that anybody with any remote interest in buying this watch will have about four months to save up for the purchase.
TAG Heuer is putting their watch-making expertise to work by creating a special edition chronograph to celebrate a very important time in history. This year marks the 100th anniversary of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” and in order to celebrate it in style, TAG Heuer has created a special edition TAG Heuer Limited Edition Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph which will be presented to the winner of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 29, 2011. This chronograph will be produced in a run of 1,000 units, each priced at $1650.
This special chronograph will feature a gray stylized dial patterned after the famed "Yard of Bricks" start/finish line of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a printed "INDY 500" logo inside the counter at 6 o’’clock. Its distinctive case back marks the 100 year anniversary of the great race. The watch’s dial is inspired by a racecar’s dashboard: a small second at 3 o’clock, a chronograph minutes counter with double hands at 9 o’clock, and a 1/10th of second counter at 6 o’clock. The date window, which is positioned at 12 o’clock, is flanked by hand-applied indexes, as well as luminescent hands and markers for optimum readability.
Come on, what’s the fun in having a beautiful and expensive supercar if you can’t have an equally beautiful and expensive watch to go along with it? We don’t necessarily understand the thought process that goes behind this, but we do know that, lately, building a supercar means getting together with a watchmaker to get a timepiece to match. The McLaren MP4-12C is no exception to this.
British auto manufacturer, McLaren, and Swiss luxury watchmaker, TAG Heuer, have announced the launch of the special edition MP4-12C Chronograph at the TAG Heuer Mastering Speed Exhibition at Halle Secheron in Geneva. This special chronograph will be limited to only 1,000 units and will be available in late 2011. Hey, that means the McLaren’s sale date in the Spring will probably stand true.
The MP4-12C Chronograph’s characteristics will match the unique color, materials, and design of the new 12C. The carbon dial is inspired by the 12C’s carbon fiber MonoCell and there are sapphire inserts on the dial revealing the "engine" behind the watch face. The watch is even able to match the time intervals between two locations. Oooh, fancy.
Other features for the chronograph include a Titanium case that minimizes weight, an Alcantara leather strap inspired by the 12C’s interior materials, orange super luminescent markers on the hands, and orange stitching on the bracelet.
Press release after the jump.
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