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TAG Heuer and Formula 1 Grand Prix Monaco
Monaco. A symbol of exclusivity, luxury, security and prestige. For the first time, at the invitation of TAG Heuer, two young Chinese stars with millions of followers in their home country, rock-pop singer G.E.M. and actor Li Yifeng, accompanied by the Chinese media, attended the Formula 1 Grand Prix Monaco, alongside the Swiss watchmaker, Official Sponsor and Official Watch of the most glamorous race of the season. They also had the privilege and honour to be greeted by the Ambassador of Monaco to China, Catherine Fautrier, at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco for a private tour.
Monaco on Chinese time
At the invitation of TAG Heuer, Chinese superstars, the singer G.E.M. and actor Li Yifeng, accompanied by a raft of Chinese media, attended the prestigious Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, of which TAG Heuer is the Official Sponsor.
Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer & President of the LVMH Watches Division, welcomed them alongside racing driver, actor and TAG Heuer Ambassador Patrick Dempsey, as well as the Ambassador for Monaco in China, Catherine Fautrier.
It was also the perfect opportunity to unveil the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Team watches, in the presence of Max Verstappen, now the “youngest F1 GP race winner”.
And whilst in the dream setting of Monaco, why not also unveil the TAG Heuer Connected 18K gold?
A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY PHOTO!
TAG Heuer ambassador and driver Patrick Dempsey, as well as the Red Bull Racing Team joined them for a family photo with Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of the company and President of the LVMH Watches Division, to celebrate the Swiss watch brand's passion for motor racing, and its long history of involvement with the sport.
Four major themes of communication captured the weekend:
People> China, glamour, celebrities
TAG Heuer on the starting grid and tour of the garage areas with Patrick Dempsey,
TAG Heuer, partner of the “Grid Girls” dressed in the brand colours,
TAG Heuer, hosts of the Chinese superstars, singer G.E.M. and actor Li Yifeng,
TAG Heuer aboard the yacht VarietyVoyager for an exclusive dragon-themed party.
Sports > Supporting the Red Bull Racing team, and around the circuit
TAG Heuer, Team Partner of the Red Bull Racing Team,
TAG Heuer watches sported by drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen,
TAG Heuer on the circuit, with a dedicated area and strategic TV visibility.
History > Partner of the ACM, links with the great history of F1
TAG Heuer & Automobile Club de Monaco, a shared history, a legendary watch: the Monaco
TAG Heuer, a brand which has been part of the great history of F1 since it was founded.
The Watches> Unveiled this weekend in a world-exclusive launch
The two TAG Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing special editions (Steel Chronograph),
The TAG Heuer Connected presented for the first time in 18K rose gold.
Monaco and China:
The TAG Heuer Chinese delegation visit the Prince’s Palace
This year, China – the world’s second largest economy – has passed the symbolic threshold of 300 billionaires, according to a study published by the Hurun Research Institute, with the average wealth of the 1,000 richest Chinese standing at $1.04 billion.
Diplomatic relations between the Principality and China were opened in 1995. In 2006, the first ambassadors were appointed from both sides. Then, in 2010, the World Expo took place in Shanghai, featuring a Monaco pavilion. This was a huge boost to promote and raise the profile of Monaco in China.
Now, Monaco is hoping to make its ties with China even closer than ever. An embassy has existed since 2006, although it is not currently residential. Delegations have been organised. And most recently, in February, the first Chinese Festival in Monaco took place. It cannot be denied that Monaco hopes to seduce the world's most populous country.
To coincide with the visit, organised by TAG Heuer, of these two Chinese superstars, G.E.M. and Li Yifeng, to Monaco, the Ambassador of Monaco in China, Catherine Fautrier, invited the delegation to visit the Prince’s Palais on Friday, a sign of close relations with China.
Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer has, of course, had a presence in China since 2001-2002, and currently has 13 stores, including 3 in Hong Kong.
TAG Heuer and the Monaco F1 Grand Prix
From Juan Manuel Fangio to Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, the greatest motorsports champions have all played their part in the TAG Heuer legend. It's the same for all motorsport races but the highlight is the most prestigious race and one of the oldest motor races in the world: the iconic Monaco Grand Prix. At this circuit, TAG Heuer occupies its own very special place, written in the great annals of history.
The Swiss watch brand is building up the biggest number of Monaco Grand Prix winners: Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard, Kimi Räikkönen, Fernando Alonso, and Lewis Hamilton have all been TAG Heuer ambassadors at one time or another, and have all taken the chequered flag.
To understand the bond between watchmaking and motor racing, it's TAG Heuer that you have to look to. The brand has built, consolidated and driven forward this bond to an unprecedented level of performance, with the creation of chronographs which have pushed the boundaries of chronometric accuracy – 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1,000th and 5/10,000th of a second.
The history of TAG Heuer is closely linked with the Automobile Club de Monaco. In 1911, the ACM created the Monte-Carlo Rally, the very first motor racing event organised across Europe. The Rally was not only designed to prove that steam or petrol cars could cross Europe in the middle of winter, but also to put the spotlight on the Rally's final destination – the famous gambling capital, Monte-Carlo.
That same year, TAG Heuer unveiled the Time of Trip, the first 12-hour chronograph specially designed for car dashboards and aeroplane instrument panels. Another new development came in 1916 with the launch of the first chronograph which could measure to within 1/100th of a second.
In 1929, the ACM was once again at the forefront of innovation when it organised for the first Formula 1 Grand Prix in motor racing history to take place in the heart of a city.
Since 2011, TAG Heuer and the Automobile Club of Monaco have been strengthening their relationship even further by signing a historic and now all-encompassing agreement: Official Partner and Official Watch.
TAG Heuer unveils TAG Heuer Watches at a world-exclusive launch in Monaco:
Two special editions of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Red Bull Racing Team watch, a steel quartz chronograph with either a stainless steel bracelet or a textile strap for a sportier look.
The TAG Heuer Connected in 18K rose gold. After the huge success of the launch of the first connected watch, designed and developed by a luxury Swiss watchmaker in partnership with Intel and Google Android, the watch is once again available in a 46 mm case made from 5N 18K rose gold, and equipped with an elegant strap in a natural calf tone, sewn onto black rubber.
And, fittingly, since we are on the coast, the newest Aquaracer 300M – for both Men and Women – will also be on display.
Not to mention the famous Chronograph Calibre 11 Monaco, a re-release of the Heuer Monaco 1969, the square watch which made history as the first water-resistant automatic chronograph in the history of Swiss watchmaking.
Named by Jack W. Heuer after the Monaco Grand Prix in 1969, the watch broke completely with the aesthetic of traditional watchmaking. Just as innovative at the time, its technology offered perfect water resistance. However, the origins of the revolution lay inside the watch: the famous Chronomatic Calibre 11, which was the first automatic chronograph movement to go on sale in the history of Swiss watchmaking. The crown positioned to the left signified that the watch did not need winding.
Some key facts and dates in the history of TAG Heuer's involvement in motor racing
TAG Heuer is currently partnering the Red Bull Racing F1 Team, and is the founding partner and Official Timekeeper of the FIA Formula E Championship; Tag Heuer is also Official Timekeeper of the legendary Carrera Panamericana, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Pike's Peak in the USA, Official Sponsor & Official Watch of the Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) and the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500 (Indy 500), the FIA WTCC World Touring Car Championship endurance race, endurance racing with the Dempsey Racing team, and motorcycle racing in the Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC).
Steve McQueen and Ayrton Senna are figures with a historic link to the brand, which continues to include their images in its communications
1969: Heuer is the first watch brand to sponsor a professional driver, Jo Siffert.1969: After the Monaco GP, the first waterproof automatic chronograph square watch, the Monaco, is unveiled, featuring the first Automatic Chrono movement, the Chronomatic Cal.11.
1971: The watch starred with Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans.
1971-1979: The first watch brand associated with a Grand Prix team, team Scuderia Ferrari.1972: Jack W. Heuer presents an 18K gold Carrera Chrono “racing driver's watch” to Ronnie Peterson.
1976: Heuer dedicates the watch dubbed Monza to Niki Lauda in recognition of his world championship title.
1985 to 2015: TAG Heuer is the watch brand with the most cumulative wins in Monaco (15) alongside McLaren, with whom it has maintained the longest partnership in F1 history (30 years).1988: The arrival of the young Brazilian prodigy Ayrton Senna, who wears a TAG Heuer S / EL chrono watch on his wrist, representing Sport and Elegance with its famous bracelet shaped like an "S" for Senna.
1992-2003: Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 – 1/1,000 of a second.
2004-2006 and since 2014: Official Timekeeper of the Indy Racing League and the legendary Indianapolis 500 – 1/10,000 of a second.
2011 to date: Official Sponsor & Official Watch of the Monaco Grand Prix with the Automobile Club of Monaco.Since 2014: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner of the Formula E, the first single-seater fully-electric Championship.
Since 2015: Signed up as a Team Partner and Official Watch of the F1 team Red Bull Racing team
Since 2015: TAG Heuer supports the international revival of the legendary Carrera Panamerica
Since 2016: Official Timekeeper of the WTCC Endurance Championship
Since 2016: Official Timekeeper for the centenary of the legendary American Pikes Peak race
About TAG Heuer The avant-garde of Swiss watchmaking since 1860. Ever since, TAG Heuer has been striving to push the boundaries further, inventing timepieces for those who love to defy convention. This technical expertise was harnessed at a very early stage for achieving extreme accuracy, particularly in the creation of exceptional chronographs.
Under the leadership of Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of the brand and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division, the new models reveal a new dynamism: faster lead times and developments, and a completely transformed environment. TAG Heuer is currently the only watch brand able to communicate in the four different worlds: Art, Lifestyle, Sport and Heritage.
Our partnerships (The English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, Major League Soccer in the USA, the Chinese Football League in China, the Australian national football team, the World Surf League and Big Wave Tour, Championship FIA Formula E, the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, etc.) and our ambassadors, the F1 team Red Bull Racing team, living football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, it-girl Cara Delevingne, icons of electronic music David Guetta and Martin Garrix, American star quarterback Tom Brady, Australian actor Chris Hemsworth, ... all share the brand's core values: teamwork, ambition and a taste for challenge, which drive TAG Heuer to go beyond the traditions of the watchmaking industry. Our slogan #DontCrackUnderPressure is much more than an affirmation: it's a state of mind.
G.E.M. 2016 Bio
Gloria Tang Tsz-kei, better known by her stage name G.E.M., is a globally acclaimed Chinese superstar distinguished by her strong pop vocals and all around talent as an artist. Her seemingly endless skills which range from songwriting, piano, drums, and guitar have validated her in the entertainment industry while the versatility in her music makes her appealing to people of all ages and backgrounds. The wide spectrum of her musical influences consists of Soul, EDM, and R&B, to Classical as well as Rock. The name G.E.M., which is an acronym for “Get Everybody Moving” captures the essence of her spirit as an artist, entertainer and symbolizes her dreams to inspire people through her music.
G.E.M. started performing at the age of 16, and became a break-out star by 23 after her appearance on “I am a Singer,” China’s top-rated TV show, which made her a global YouTube sensation. Audiences everywhere were captivated by her performance and in the three months following her appearance, G.E.M.’s social media following skyrocketed- going from 2 to 20 million on Instagram alone. She now has 25 million Instagram followers, 2 million on Twitter, 17 million on Weibo, and 170 million YouTube plays. After an extremely successful 2008 debut and four bestselling albums later, G.E.M. rightfully claimed her spot as China’s number one pop star. Through her sheer talent and relentless drive, she broke down cultural boundaries and propelled herself into international stardom, selling out shows worldwide.
The international superstar even received nationwide recognition in the U.S., a country whose entertainment industry is inarguably one of the most prominent and influential of them all. Entertainment Tonight referred to her as the “Chinese pop star about to take over America” and the Daily Mail has referred to her as “China’s Taylor Swift”. In 2010, G.E.M.’s album release had actually surpassed Taylor’s for the number 1 spot in Hong Kong and in 2014 she was nominated alongside Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey for World’s Best Female Artist at the World Music Awards as well as World’s Best Live Act alongside Del Ray, Big Rush, and Mumford and Sons. Her reputation speaks for itself.
In recent years, she just wrapped up a two-year X.X.X. Live World Tour, playing 73 shows across Asia, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and London in front of crowds as large as 40,000 fans including Wembley Stadium in London, and the Forum in Los Angeles. She also made history in 2014 with the unveiling of her wax figure at the Madame Tussaud’s Hong Kong Museum, making her the youngest artist to have a wax statue in the museum. G.E.M. is also the TAG Heuer global ambassador and was the face for the 2015 Apple Music launch in China. When iTunes launched in China, she dominated the “Top 10” singles chart with 9 of the songs being her own. She was recently recognized in Forbes “30 Under 30”, the only Asian singer on the global list (Music sector), which led to her also being listed in Forbes "30 Under 30" Asia (Sports & Entertainment sector).
Aside from being an artist, G.E.M. also proved herself as a humanitarian and positive role model. She acts as the ambassador for many charitable organizations in which her dedication and work ethic sets a great example for youth worldwide. Her total dedication to her craft has brought her this far and she still shows no signs of slowing down. She has a role in the upcoming U.S. animated film, “Charming” starring alongside Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne and Ashley Tisdale. Whatever the future may hold, G.E.M.’s success and domination in the entertainment industry is one that is undeniable.
