Text by Ana Franco.
TAG Heuer, one of the best-known Swiss watch brands in Spain, has chosen sunny Miami to surprise with its latest launch, one that doesn’t tell the time. This time, the company owned by French luxury colossus LVMH has presented a collection of high-end glasses and sunglasses that could well be worn by Rosalía and Rihanna, but also by cyclist Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the last two Tour de France, and even Carlos Sainz (father and son) when they drive. Because they are avant-garde and have a high dose of innovation and a sporty look.
This is not the first time that the brand has entered this sector. Between 2002 and 2016 it marketed models such as Reflex and 27th together with the French eyewear manufacturer Groupe Logo: “It was a great success, more than 400 pairs of glasses were sold, but at the time the team was not very happy with the designs and the technology. They didn’t have the right partner,” says Julien Tornare, who has been CEO of TAG Heuer since 1 January. “Now the potential is huge, because opticians remembered TAG Heuer as a strong eyewear brand and were asking for it to come back, and we have partnered with Thélios [the eyewear producer also owned by LVMH].”
Both Thélios and TAG Heuer have brought new materials to their eyewear, moving away from the previous plastic, glue and acetate. They use recycled graphite, carbon fibre, titanium and bionylon fibres, which come not from petroleum but from castor oil. They also use gold and platinum in some lenses because they say it improves visual clarity, bringing the functionality and performance of TAG Heuer watches to the eyewear market.
Three product lines have been created to suit different lifestyles: Pro Performance, for extreme and adventurous sports such as jogging in the mountains; Sport Performance, for more relaxed athletes who play golf and/or jog in style; and Daily Performance, for everyday, office and sightseeing wear, adding a sporty touch to any outfit.
TAG Heuer glasses are very light and strong, they are not heavy and the flexible black temples do not fit behind the ear, but on the head. Mineral-coloured, made in Europe, they come in five designs, with different frames. The Shield Pro, for example, have interchangeable lenses, and their nose pads adjust to each nose.
Their average price is 400 euros (ranging from 315 to 1,200 euros), and the sunglasses will be sold from March in selected TAG Heuer shops (in Madrid, in the one on Calle Serrano), while the sunglasses will be available in opticians’ stores. They will also be available online.
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