Switch watch typically has a reputation for being accurate, reliable, water proof and hard to damage. Tag Heuer is one of the oldest Swiss Watchmakers, and the reputation of has solidified over the decades. So how is a Tag Heuer watch actually made, and why did the young Barack Obama rely on one?

 

According to Tag Heuer CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, the watchmaker made many of its famous technological innovations in the 1970s, and refined its style and desirability in the 1980s and 1990s. The cost of a high-end Tag Heuer timepiece can be broken down into the cost of research, materials and testing.

The gold and diamond components alone mean that Tag Heuer pieces straddle the line between watch and jewel. But make no mistake, these devices are made to perform. The case must be airtight and watertight. The hard case of the watch is made with a mixture of stainless steel and chromium. The gears, springs and pins are laser-cut. The final adjustments are made by specialists working by hand and the date plate and face are protected by silk paper. Finally, the case is closed up by sapphire crystals – which are naturally scratchproof and help to keep the case watertight. Before going on sale, the finished watches are put through a series of shock tests. If the watch stays in sync, then it’s ready to go out as a finished Tag Heuer.

Barack Obama is famous for wearing a Tag Heuer watch throughout the mid 1990’s until his election in 2008. His model of choice was a Series 1500 Two-Tone Diver, a watch that as its name suggests is built to be used as a piece of diving kit. It’s described by the maker as a piece of pure function with no unnecessary extras. Obama seems to have stuck with it throughout the key moments in his political career – proving that a Tag Heuer is the perfect watch for an ambitious, principled young person on the make.