TAG’s Credibility Under Heavy Fire from Watch Enthusiasts, CEO Takes to the Web to Defend. You know there’s a problem when the CEO of a global watch brand is forced to defend his company’s actions. Such is the situation now unfolding at TAG Heuer, where CEO J.C. Babin’s remarks can be seen on watch blogs such as Calibre 11 and watch forums such as Watchuseek – as he defends what now appears to be overly aggressive marketing by TAG Heuer for the launch of its new, ahem, “designed 100% in-house” Caliber 1887.
So here’s the quick run-down: on December 2, TAG Heuer in great fanfare announced the launch of a new Caliber, the Caliber 1887. The press release unequivocally states “The Calibre 1887 is the fifth movement designed 100% in-house by TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer did NOT 100% design this movement in house.
“Hi, I’m J.C. Babin the CEO of TAG Heuer, and YES, the new Caliber 1887 is based on a SII (Seiko Instruments Inc.)TC78 platform developped and patented in 1997 and eversince produced in very limited quantities, apparently for Junghans and Seiko watches in Japan.
“Hi, I’m J.C. Babin the CEO of TAG Heuer, and YES, the new Caliber 1887 is based on a SII (Seiko Instruments Inc.)TC78 platform developped and patented in 1997 and eversince produced in very limited quantities, apparently for Junghans and Seiko watches in Japan.
The Caliber 1887 is an evolution (major or minor, it matters not) of a pre-existing platform. Babin goes on to state that “I would therefore qualify that movement as really in-house and manufactured by TAG Heuer even though, yes, the original IP has been acquired from SII.” Sure, I suppose it does “qualify” as in-house but the obvious reality is that is was not 100% designed in house.
The first Grand Carrera models are based in Caliber 1887.
Tag Heuer "Japan Made"...
Mark