TAG Heuer celebrates 100th anniversary of the Indy 500

TAG HEUER'S LIMITED EDITION INDY 500 CENTENNIAL CHRONOGRAPH CELEBRATES THE "GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING"

INDIANAPOLIS, May 26, 2011 – For 150 years, TAG Heuer has stood at the forefront of designing exceptional timing instruments used for competitive sports, most notably automotive racing, in which capturing the tiniest fraction of a second can determine the victor. To commemorate this remarkable milestone of mastering speed and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the brand today announced the official watch of the Indy 500, the TAG Heuer Limited Edition, Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph.

The Limited Edition Chronograph boasts a grey stylized dial patterned after the famed "Yard of Bricks" start/finish line of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a printed "INDY 500" logo inside the counter at 6 o'clock. Its distinctive case back marks the 100 year anniversary of the great race.

Inspired by a racecar's dashboard, the 44 mm dial hosts three counters: a small second at 3 o'clock, a chronograph minutes counter with double hands at 9 o'clock, and a 1/10th of second counter at 6 o'clock. The date window, which is positioned at 12 o'clock, is flanked by hand-applied indexes, as well as luminescent hands and markers for optimum readability.

Other distinguishing details include a fixed polished bezel with a tachymeter scale in black and "INDY 500" in red and a fine-brushed, 44mm steel case with scratch resistant sapphire crystal. It is also water resistant to 200 meters.

A fitting tribute to the 100th anniversary celebration of the world's largest single-day spectator sporting event, the Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph is available in a limited quantity of 1000 pieces. It is offered on a choice of black rubber strap or polished steel bracelet for about $1650.

The TAG Heuer Limited Edition Indy 500 Centennial Chronograph will be presented to the winner of the Indy 500 on Sunday, May 29, 2011.

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer celebrates "150 years of Motor Racing" in 2011. Founded in Saint-Imier in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, TAG Heuer has set many major milestones of high-end watchmaking, especially in the field of chronographs and ultimate precision. Today, one of the largest and most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, the Swiss legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate timing instruments and watches in the world. TAG Heuer is the first watchmaker to master luxury chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1,000th and 1/10,000 of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper for Formula One in the 90s and the legendary Indy 500 race today, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher. This is reflected in its partnerships with F1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and its World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Audi Sport in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, and the Automobile Club de Monaco and its full roster of prestigious racing events. Now actively engaged in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Le Mans 24 and the Indy 500, TAG Heuer is ''Mastering Speed'' on motorsport's 3 most iconic racetracks. More than ever, the brand epitomizes prestige and performance through active partnerships with Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, LPGA star Suzann Pettersen and WTA tennis champion Maria Sharapova. TAG Heuer is a privileged member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the most exclusive club in the Swiss watchmaking industry. The newest additions to the TAG Heuer legacy are: the Calibre 1887, an in-house, Swiss manufactured, integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that pays tribute to the original Heuer oscillating pinion of 1887, one of the brand's first patents and a major benchmark in modern watchmaking; and the Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph, the first ever column wheel integrated mechanical chronograph with 1/100th of a second display by a central hand, which pays tribute to the legendary Heuer Mikrograph stopwatch of 1916.

The TAG HEUER CARRERA 1887 CHRONOGRAPH has been named the 2010 Swiss Watch of the Year in the Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Genève's prestigious "La Petite Aiguille" ("Small Hand") category.

TAG Heuer's "150 Years of Mastering Speed" celebrations in 2011 commemorate the brand's unrivalled heritage in motor sports, which include such historic contributions as the 1911 patent for 'Time of Trip', the world's first dashboard chronograph. As part of the celebrations, a unique exhibition showcasing TAG Heuer's greatest racing partners and motorsport-inspired timepieces will tour major cities and racing capitals. Four-time F1 World Champion Alain Prost, a friend of the brand since the 1980s, is the "Mastering Speed" Special Ambassador.