Speed, or rather the accurate calculation of it, has been an obsession for German watchmaker TAG Heuer since its founder Eduoard Heuer started the company in 1860. Since then, the TAG Heuer brand has been irrevocably linked with precision timing from horse racing courses to Formula 1 circuits, and the Olympics. Little surprise then that the main attraction at the TAG Heuer booth at BaselWorld was the Mikrotimer Flying 1000 Concept Chronograph, which flew straight from the manufacturer and into the fair. The first mechanical chronograph capable of measuring - and displaying - 1/1000th of a second, the Flying 1000 is an extension of the Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph unveiled in Geneva in January.
With 12 patents pending, the Mikrotimer Flying 1000 is already being hailed as a 'quantum leap in mechanical precision'.
The Flying 1000's precision is anchored by two new escapements: one at 4HZ for the regular time which oscillates at 28,800 beats per hour, and another at 500Hz which beats at 3,600,000 beats per hour for the ultra-fast time.
The mechanical achievement is displayed on the innovative dial which features two indicators on the outer dial, and a subdial which allows the wearer to read minutes, seconds and 1/1000th instantly. 'We wanted to demonstrate that it's possible to measure and display the correct scale on the dial. Sometimes you have the small dial at 3 o'clock or 6 o'clock, but how do you read such a small gradation? We have a big scale that is very visible,' says Guy Semon, vice-president of science and engineering at TAG Heuer.
One of the biggest 'added values' to the Flying 1000 is that, in another first, collectors will be able to get two certifications - one for the watch and one for the chronograph. 'When you buy a chronograph, it's for the accuracy of the chrono, but in reality it is different: the guarantee is only for the watch, never the chrono. But with the Mikrotimer, you get two guarantees,' Semon says. Being still in the concept stage, enthusiasts will have to wait until September next year before the watches will be released - and then only if they can get their hands on one because just 150 pieces will be produced.
TAG Heuer's other main Basel references also stayed true to the brand's sporting roots with new references in the Carrera and the Monza series. There are 11 references for the Carrera Calibre 6 Heritage with various options of stainless steel, steel and gold or rose gold, and rose gold casings, silver or black dials, leather or steel, and rose gold straps.