Haute Time’s Exclusive One-On-One With TAG Heuer Ambassador Henrik Lundqvist Of The NY Rangers

Swiss luxury watch manufacturer TAG Heuer opened the doors to its flagship boutique on New York’s Fifth Avenue, with brand ambassador Henrik Lundqvist—superstar goaltender of the New York Rangers hockey team— who visited the boutique to put the final touches on his limited edition timepiece. Lundqvist turned to CEO of TAG Heuer North America, Kilian Muller, who was also in attendance, to discuss various design elements on his new, limited edition Henrik Lundqvist watch with the brand, which will launch at the beginning of the hockey season later this year. At the event, Muller said, “We are excited to have our friend and brand ambassador, Henrik Lundqvist, visit our new boutique and see the incredible innovation we have built in-store. The new iTAG display provides customers an interactive shopping experience.” While guests enjoyed their interactive shopping experience with the brand’s new iTAG display—an innovative technology allowing users to browse the watch collections via just a few, simple swipes on the built-in iPad display—Haute Time was able to sit down and chat with the famed ice hockey player, in anticipation of his upcoming Henrik Lundqvist x TAG Heuer collaboration.

HT: You’re wearing a very nice watch right now. Tell us which TAG Heuer you’ve got on your wrist.

HL: It’s a Carrera. It’s my favorite line. I have five or six from the Carrera line. I like more of a classic, traditional, clean look, I’d say. But I also like to mix it up. On off days, I wear a lot of leather jacket and jeans, and with that, I like to wear a lot of bigger watches.

HT: TAG Heuer has obviously signed with some of the biggest household names, like football player Tom Brady and international supermodel, Bella Hadid. What does it mean for you to be part of such a select group of individuals, especially being the only hockey player in the mix?

HL: Well, it’s an honor. To be grouped into this incredible list of people…when you look at all of them…it’s just such an honor.

HT: How is your own brand, Henrik Lundqvist, synonymous with TAG Heuer’s?

HL: I feel like I take a lot of pride in how I execute and perform, as well as how I train and how I compete. TAG has been around for such a long time, and like me, they take a lot of pride in everyting they do. They are pushing technology in the right direction as well and continuing to be creative. I really enjoy being creative as well.

HT: We see that you’re a very fashionable guy, as you’re currently wearing a well-tailored, three-piece suit. Tell us what type of watches match your style?

HL: Well, four-to-five a week, I’m in a suit and my favorite line is the Carrera line. I always choose more classic and clean pieces, and watches that are slimmer so they slide underneath my shirts easily. But on the days that I wear leather jackets and jeans, I usually will wear bigger, more sporty watches. That’s the thing I like about TAG, is that they have such a wide variety of watches. There are watches that I didn’t even know they had until I started working with them.

HT: With all the pressures that come your way with being one of the fiercest goalies that the NHL has ever seen, what measures do you take to ensure that you don’t crack under pressure, per the TAG Heuer slogan?

HL: For me, everybody feels pressure. The more important goals you have, obviousy the pressure goes up a little bit. But it’s pretty much the same for everybody. It’s just about how you feel, regardless as to whether you have a lot or a little bit of pressure. For me it’s about not feeling that pressure when I go out to play. Instead, I see it as a great opportunity and I focus more on that opportunity than the actual pressure. That’s kind of how I deal with it. I focus on the right things.

HT: We know you’re very dedicated to your foundation, the Henrik Lundqvist Foundation. Tell us a bit about it.

HL: It’s going really well. We actually just had our big board meeting today to discuss this past year and what’s coming next. Our foundation is supporting great groups like the New York Presbyterian Children’s Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. We’re super excited about everything and getting more involved with the community work and being able to give back.

For more information, please visit the TAG Heuer website.

All photos courtesy of Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images.