The main highlight of the launch was the presence of the brand’s
iconic ambassador Datuk Shah Rukh Khan accompanied by TAG Heuer chief
executive officer and president Jean-Christophe Babin. Some of
the die-hard fans were seen struggling to get a glimpse of the star and
holding on to their cameras and handphones trying to get a perfect
picture of the popular actor Following the landmark design of
the TAG Heuer 360° Museum in Switzerland, the brand aims to bring a new
watchmaking culture to Malaysia via the concept boutique. The boutique adopts a contemporary design and visual identity that reflects the brand’s values and trademark style. Measuring
93sqm, the new boutique shows off the latest creations as well as the
new series of TAG Heuer leather accessories, avant-garde spectacles and
the new Meridiist communication tool.In an exclusive interview before the launch, Babin expressed his passion about the brand known for its consistency. Babin has been at the helm of TAG Heuer since November 2000 and draws his inspiration from the TAG Heuer DNA. He said as one of the oldest watch making companies from Switzerland, TAG Heuer was mostly family-owned until the 1980s. “We
were the first one in 1916 to get the 1/100th of a second mechanical,
which opened the gates to timing the Olympic Games in 1920s. “Till
today we are one of the capable watch making companies who has produced
mechanical chronograph, represented in Geneva accurate 1/100th of a
second. “We have established and reinforced unique leadership in
mastering the most accurate time covering many different sports thanks
to out time keeping instruments,” he said. Babin said before 1916, sport events were measured 1/5th of a second. This, according to Babin was not accurate enough to establish a real winner sometimes. With
the precise time-keeping instrument, the company has helped to add
integrity to sports and this is a source of pride for the brand. In
the luxury market worldwide, TAG Heuer is the fourth largest brand and
in Malaysia it is the second largest. “We have a very strong investment
and our boutique is the seventh in Malaysia, making it the second
country in terms of boutique behind China and worldwide. “For
us, Malaysia is a primary market and by bringing Shah Rukh Khan, it
shows how serious we take the market’s potential,” he said, adding that
the boutique helped to reaffirm the brand’s stellar position in the
industry. He added China was a challenge as they only ventured
into it two years ago, thus they would have to employ similar strategy
like in Malaysia to become one of the leading brands. “Out target for Malaysia is to become No. 1 and enhance our reputation and the desirability factor.” TAG Heuer has a long list of ambassadors from actor Leonardo DiCaprio, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton to Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh Khan is known for his versatility. We have a talented guy who can go from Om Shanti Om, Don to My Name Is Khan. “Shah
Rukh Khan is not sitting on his success but building and enriching it
every day by working as well as developing his talent, so that is what
we like in TAG Heuer,” he said. During the interview Babin also shared a few tips for luxury watch collectors. He said the watches had to be kept running and every three years it needed servicing, like cars. During the launch, the charming Shah Rukh Khan spoke fondly of his friendship with TAG Heuer. “It is a watch that has been around for 150 years and the kind of watch you can pass on from generation to generation. “When I was growing up I used to read books by James Hadley Chase and one of the proTAGonists wears a TAG Heuer watch. “I
have always wanted to own a TAG Heuer watch, so when they asked me to
become an ambassador it was a dream come true,” he said, adding that it
has been a satisfying working relationship. “It is a piece of legacy you can continue wearing and the technology is one of the finest,” he said. Khan said some of the designs he liked were Carrera, Steve McQueen, Monaco and V4. “I
have more watches than in the showroom, so I am very fortunate but I
like the Monaco the most and carry the watches everywhere,” he said.
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