TAG Heuer, Giancarlo Stanton, Hilaire Damiron Celebrate 100 Years of Innovation and History Surrounding the Carrera Panamericana Races
This was a busy week in Miami for TAG Heuer, where the brand had several key brand ambassadors on hand, including Miami Marlins right-fielder Giancarlo Stanton and racecar driver Hilaire Damiron, at an event and exhibit designedto celebrate 100 Years of Innovation. The event not only marked the 100th anniversary is of the first Heuer Mikrograph watch, which was created in 1916, but also honored the brand’s iconic Carrera line and its long and storied past with auto racing. The “100 Years of Innovation” exhibition made its debut at the Aventura Mall and showcased historical watches alongside some of the brand’s more innovative pieces of today, including its Connected watch and an all-new 2016 re-edition of the Mikrograph. Also on display were the original 1963 Carrera and its evolutions, such as the Heuer 01 and Heuer 02 watches.
That first Mikrograph pocket watch was used for precise timing of events, and it, along with the inspiring Carrera Panamericana Races of the early 1950’s, served as inspiration for Jack Heuer to create the Carrera watch line. The Carrera Panamericana race was a border-to-border event on the open roads of Mexico, and was one of the most dangerous races in history, as it traversed hundreds of miles of the rugged landscapes. The races took place from 1950 to 1954, but because the 8-day-long races were so lethal (27 peopled died in those five years of racing, and dozens were injured), they were stopped after that — for more than three decades.
However during those years the race was run, Jack Heuer became enthralled with them, and in 1953 he introduced the Carrera Panamericana chronograph. This watch later was the inspiration for the now-famed Carrera line of timepieces that he unveiled to the world in 1963.
In 1988, the Carrera Panamericana races were resurrected — after a 33-year hiatus — as a speed rally for classic sports cars. Today, it is one of the most engaging races featuring vintage cars built before 1955 once again driving Mexico’s open roads. TAG Heuer is the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper for the internationally recognized rally.
It is this rich history and this official role that were at the forefront of the Miami event that underscored the brand’s innovation in timepieces. In addition to brand ambassadors, watches and an historic timeline of the races, TAG Heuer brought in a 1953 Studebaker that has been modified with a NASCAR engine, and that pays homage to Damiron, who will again be racing at this year’s Carrera Panamericana races in October. TAG Heuer also had several virtual reality 3-D goggles on hand for guests to experience 360-degree views of the Carrera watch from 1960 to today. Also in honor of the 100 years, TAG Heuer is unveiling a new Mikrograph watch that will be in stores in September.
