TAG Heuer Connected: the future on your wrist

Jean-Claude Biver was with Brian Krzanich, CEO of Intel Corporation, and David Singleton, VP Engineering Android at Google, when he uncovered the real face of the new watch at TAG Heuer Connected, a horological item of the third millennium that converges avant-garde technologies and the Swiss watchmaking tradition. It should be noted that the Chairman and CEO of LVMH , Bernard Arnault travelled to New York to attend the presentation.

TAG Heuer Connected

Today is tomorrow

Its heart is driven by an Intel Atom processor operating with AndroidWear. This new-generation timekeeper with a traditional design will undoubtedly draw the attention of the entire watch world, not only due to its case, which is a generous 46 millimeters across, but also its attractive functionalities. It comes in grade 2 titanium, a noble and modern metal, and it holds on the wrist with a rubber strap and a folding clasp also of titanium, which puts it in the sportive chic class It's a light piece as well, 57 grams for the case, 30 for the strap, the wearer will forget it entirely while he or she concentrates on the functionalities. Worthy of note is the fact that this tool can be configured according to the user's needs: it can become a three-hand watch, or a chronograph with totalizers, or a watch offering GMT mode. "When it comes to connected watches and given the position occupied by TAG Heuer in the watchmaking world," says Jean-Claude Biver, "it was crucial that we offer a timekeeper at a reasonable price, that is, 1,350 euros. " And so, November 9, noon, became the official launch date of this watch in a new genre entirely. It is available at twenty points of sale and on the Internet. As Jean-Claude Biver said:  "It should really attract a young clientele, one that appreciates the kind of connectivity with which it is familiar. "

TAG Heuer Connected

Classic esthetics and futuristic functions

At first glance, the watch, which has a perfect fit on the wrist, seems like it has unbelievable functionality, which is something the future owners can really get into. The digital dial offers analog display, inspired by the brand's own dials, and it is completely integrated. When in sleep mode, to preserve battery power, the time is still readable on the black backdrop. To activate the dial and, hence, to light it up or get one of the functionalities going, all you need to do is touch the tactile sapphire crystal, the way you would a smartphone. The personalized applications offered by TAG Heuer for this watch are the following:Golfshot Pro (golf), RaceChrono (racing), Viewrangers (trailing). In the near future, the wearers of the watch will be able to download other apps online to enrich their device, which does boast four gigabytes of memory, or to listen to music while doing sports, as long as they own Bluetooth headphones.   "On top of that, we have added classic functions  that are part and parcel of the watchmaking world," said Biver, "like a minute track, the alarm, the traditional chronograph, and a design that remains true to the brand's codes. "

TAG Heuer Connected

Back to the future

Thanks to its electronics, the TAG Heuer Connected watch offers a wealth of connectivity options. It can work with audio as well, because it has an integrated microphone that allows it to send oral text messages; or it can perform various other actions, like launch apps using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. The Connected is water-resistant for daily wear only. It is powered by a lithium battery of the latest generation and  synchronizes with Android 4. 3+ or IOS 8. 2+. Recharging has to be done every day, by placing the watch on a dedicated dock bearing contacts affixed to a resin base.

TAG Heuer Connected on the wrist

But, as Jean-Claude Biver said, to conclude the presentation,"the essential quality of this timepiece is that it has a second life, depending on its owner's desires.   Once the two-year guarantee has expired, the owner of this new generation watch will have the opportunity to bring it back to the shop where he or she bought it and, for the sum of 1,350 euros, trade it in for an identical watch, but this time driven by a real automatic movement. "This prevents this rather original reference from falling victim to issues connected with the natural obsolescence of digital products. It's a good deal that should prove to be very attractive.

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