TAG Heuer has always been known as a prestigious watchmaking brand, and aside from some controversy, it’s well earned. And as with most high-end watches, they can cost quite a lot. But why are TAG Heuer watches so expensive?
The TAG Heuer name is held in high regard and paired with the high-quality materials, TAG Heuer can price their watches as high as they do. They’re a prestigious Swiss watch brand, and they produce fine timepieces.
TAG Heuer is an excellent watchmaking company that wants to portray prestige and luxury. And they’re not shy of pricing their watches that way. This article will show why TAG Heuer watches are as expensive and whether or not they’re worth the high price.
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Why Are TAG Heuer Watches So Expensive?
As with most Swiss watch brands, Tag Heuer watches can cost quite a lot. Prices start from around $1300 for the more affordable models and can go up in the multiple tens of thousands for the higher-end range.
With prices like these, it isn’t weird to ask yourself why a TAG Heuer watch is so expensive.
High-end watch brands typically base their prices on a few factors; the name of the brand, the materials used, the manufacturing process, and the reliability and durability of their watches.
The Brand Name
One of the largest driving factors behind the high price tags is always the brand’s name. Yes, high-end watches use costly materials and have a costly manufacturing process. But the name of the brand and the feeling of prestige and luxury it wants to portray is undoubtedly the biggest price-raiser.
A name like TAG Heuer is universally known as a watch brand with high-end and prestigious watches. People know that their watches are of high quality and that they don’t produce watches that are available for everyone.
Now, TAG Heuer isn’t yet on the same brand level as the likes of Rolex, Omega, or Patek Philippe, but TAG Heuer definitely sits a few steps higher than most other watch brands.
And that’s reflected in the price. TAG Heuer wants to be a watchmaker known for luxury and prestige, and to attain that status, the price is bumped up accordingly.
The Materials Used
The quality of the materials dictates how much it costs to make a watch (together with the manufacturing process). And since TAG Heuer isn’t shy of using high-quality materials such as diamonds and 18K gold, naturally, the costs of making a TAG Heuer watch are slightly higher as well.
As for the case and bracelet, the stainless steel used by TAG Heuer is 316L, the industry-leading stainless steel alloy. Alternatively, TAG Heuer also uses titanium, an even more luxurious option compared to stainless steel.
And on top of that, every TAG Heuer watch is equipped with a sapphire crystal, the most durable option for a watch face. Sapphire crystals are extremely durable and can only be scratched by diamonds.
By using these high-quality and expensive materials, a TAG Heuer watch costs a fair price to make. And that is in turn reflected in the price.
The Manufacturing Process
TAG Heuer watches are Swiss-made, a prestigious title to boast. Brands that stamp their watches as Swiss-made are regularly audited to make sure that they actually adhere to the set guidelines:
- The movement must be Swiss.
- The watch must be assembled and inspected in Switzerland.
- At least 60% of the manufacturing costs and process are made and take place in Switzerland.
TAG Heuer does actually adhere to these guidelines. Every TAG Heuer watch is hand-made in Switzerland (La Chaux de Fonds) and the movements used inside their watches, although not made in-house, come from Swiss movement-making companies.
In this manufacturing process, there are two obvious factors that drive up the price. First up, to adhere to the Swiss-made guidelines, a lot of the manufacturing has to take place in Switzerland. Parts and components also need to originate from Switzerland, and to put it simply, Switzerland is quite an expensive country.
On top of that, a TAG Heuer watch is hand-made. And like with any luxurious and expensive watch brand, not just anyone can assemble such a timepiece.
When you have a Swiss watchmaking expert work on a watch, doing it all by hand, you can imagine that the production costs go up. Not to mention that the wages in Switzerland are much higher than in most countries.
Reliability & Durability
A TAG Heuer watch is, without a doubt, a reliable and durable watch. We briefly covered the materials used to make TAG Heuer watches, which are all of fantastic quality. Sapphire crystals are the best options for the watch face, and the 316L stainless steel alloy is one of the more dense and scratch-resistant options.
Aside from the exterior, the interior of a TAG Heuer watch is also outstanding. Although they don’t produce their won movement, the movement in a TAG Heuer comes from renowned companies such as ETA, Sellita, Zenith, Dubois Depraz, and Ronda. These are all fantastic companies known for their high-quality movements.
TAG Heuer watches are also super accurate as well. They have several quartz models, which are always known as reliable and accurate watches, but even their mechanical and automatic watches are really accurate.
Is TAG Heuer Considered A Luxury Watch Brand?
TAG Heuer is not officially a luxury watch brand. Although they do make high-quality, luxurious watches, the movement is not made in-house, which is a prerequisite for a watch to be a luxury watch. Other than the movement, TAG Heuer watches tick pretty much every box when it comes to luxury watches.
In order for a watch to be a luxury watch, it needs to meet some standards. The most important is that the watch uses an in-house-made movement. And for TAG Heuer, that just isn’t the case. They source their movement from fantastic companies, but because they source them, they disqualify themselves from being a luxury watch brand.
Aside from the movement, though, TAG Heuer does tick most boxes. They use high-quality materials and aren’t shy of using exotic materials like gold or diamonds either. The TAG Heuer name also certainly commands respect, and the watches are all hand-made.
The price of a TAG Heuer watch also makes you think of it as luxurious and prestigious, and for most people, a TAG Heuer is a sign of luxury. It’s only when you really get into the details that it’s apparent that TAG Heuer isn’t actually a luxury watch brand.
If you’d like to read more about why TAG Heuer watches aren’t considered to be luxury watches, you can read this article about it here.
Are TAG Heuer Watches Worth The Money?
A TAG Heuer watch is durable, reliable, and of fantastic quality. They do cost quite a lot, but a TAG Heuer watch is a good purchase if you have the money for it.
Whether or not a watch is worth it always comes down to you. Are you willing to spend multiple thousands of dollars on a watch? More importantly, are you able to?
The most important thing to take away is that a watch is never, ever worth going into debt over. If you’re not sure on whether or not you’re able to purchase a watch, read this article. It goes in-depth into how much you should spend on a watch.
Despite not carrying the ‘luxury watch’ title, a TAG Heuer is still a luxurious watch. They’re of fantastic quality, and despite the movement being outsourced, they’re outsourced from reputable companies that create incredible quality. If you have the money, a TAG Heuer watch is definitely a good purchase if you’re looking for a nice watch!
