Motorsport race and rallye events wouldn’t be where they are today without the innovation and precision of timing devices. At the very root of these instruments is one of today’s well known luxury watchmakers, Tag Heuer. In Rallye Events, timing is critical and early on was often a controversial subject. Tag Heuer pioneered many of the devices used at large in Rallye’s the world over.

Tag Heuer began watchmaking in 1860 in St. Imier, Switzerland. The men behind the name were Edouard Heuer and his son’s Jules-Edouard and Charles-Auguste Heuer.

To this day Edouard is considered a watchmaking genius. He first patented the Chronograph in 1882. Then, in 1887 patented the Oscillating Pinion which is still used today. Amazingly these mechanical watches are capable of timing down to an astonishing 1/10,000th of a second.

In 1911 Heuer received a patent for the “Time of Trip” which was the first dashboard mounted timing clock. This was quickly adapted for aircraft and automobiles. It wasn’t long before Heuer developed a similar system capable of timing up to 8 hour trips without winding. By the 1950′s, the Tag Heuer brand became synonymous with automotive rallies and sporting events at large.

Shown here are dashmounted timing devices for rallye racing.

Vintage Heuer timepieces such as the Monza, Autavia, Carrera and Monaco are highly collectible and sought after in the motoring enthusiast world. The website OnTheDash.com is a fantastic resource that takes a deeper look into Heuer Timepieces. Steve Mcqueen’s 1969 Movie Le Mans promoted the fashionable Monaco Chronograph wristwatch (not to mention the killer vintage clothing in the movie).

Original Monaco’s such as the one McQueen is wearing in the photo above and pictured below sell upwards of $5,000.00USD

My choice would be the vintage 1960′s Carrera, of course named after The Carrera Panamerica. In my opinion the relatively simple yet timeless style is, well just my style…

For more resources and info on the Tag Heuer Timepiece visit the following websites:
Wiki Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer Official

OnTheDash.com A Guide To Tag Heuer

Heuer Carrera Chronographs