TAG Heuer Opens First North American Flagship in Las Vegas

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Jun 02, 2011, 09:00 ET

SPRINGFIELD, N.J., June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Reinforcing its position as a purveyor of technologically advanced and aesthetically arresting timepieces, TAG Heuer, the leading Swiss luxury watch brand, will celebrate the opening of its first North American flagship, located within Las Vegas' most prestigious shopping destination, Crystals at CityCenter. The official grand opening commences with a Ribbon Cutting at 10am on Thursday, June 2, 2011 with a special appearance by Jean-Christophe Babin, Worldwide CEO, TAG Heuer.

The comprehensive 800-square foot lifestyle retail environment will offer timepieces, including boutique-exclusive and limited-edition product not available anywhere else in the U.S. The flagship will also house TAG Heuer fashion items ranging from beautifully crafted, vintage stainless steel cufflinks to the brand's technologically advanced eyewear and fine leathergoods. In addition, the brand's peerless communication tool, MERIDIIST, will be featured, allowing customers to integrate TAG Heuer into all aspects of their lives, from telling time to adding the perfect finishing touch to a three-piece suit.

Designed by renowned architect Eric Carlson, the Las Vegas boutique eschews the formal countertop retail formula in favor of a warm and inviting environment that allows customers to easily interact with the product without pretense. The openness of the space invites visitors to browse at their leisure, engage the expertise of the boutique's sales personnel and immerse themselves in the award-winning world of TAG Heuer, whose over 150-year legacy is peppered with displays of engineering prowess.

A hallmark of the boutique's contemporary design is the customized wall niches, which are made of dark zebrawood, finely hand-brushed aluminum, glass and cream leather. Unlike traditional watch vitrines, TAG Heuer's displays are integrated into the store's architecture and showcase timepieces at eye level, ensuring that customers can shop in an effortless and comfortable manner. Several cases celebrate the brand's motor-racing legacy and highlight automotive-inspired collections, such as the legendary Monaco collection. Another niche houses TAG Heuer's women's pieces, including the brand's top-selling Formula 1 ceramic and steel timepieces, and elegant Carrera watches. Additional ground-breaking innovations on display include the new Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph, the world's first, fully integrated, COSC-certified mechanical chronograph with a column wheel system that displays 1/100th of a second by a sweeping central hand.

In designing the store's main façade, Carlson—who has collaborated with TAG Heuer on several projects, including its London-and Paris-based flagships—played upon the abundance of natural light that infuses Crystals at CityCenter. A series of bronzed, brushed aluminum vertical slats superimpose TAG Heuer's shield logo, which is back-lit with LED lights. This results in a dramatic, glow-from-within effect that embodies the center's aesthetic and TAG Heuer's design philosophy.

"With TAG Heuer's heritage as a leading luxury brand and its unprecedented commitment to innovative design, opening the first North American flagship at Crystals at CityCenter was an ideal selection for our first branded retail space," says Jean-Christophe Babin, Worldwide CEO, TAG Heuer. "The TAG Heuer boutique offers guests a unique shopping experience that stimulates the senses while the exquisite Las Vegas destination allows us to reach a wide range of American and international visitors."

Located at 3720 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Ste 206, the TAG Heuer boutique will be open Sunday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – midnight.

Worldwide, TAG Heuer has more than 100 freestanding boutiques in major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Shanghai, Prague, Kuala Lampur and Paris.

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer celebrates "150 years of Motor Racing" in 2011. Founded in Saint-Imier in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, TAG Heuer has set many major milestones of high-end watchmaking, especially in the field of chronographs and ultimate precision. Today, one of the largest and most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, the Swiss legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate timing instruments and watches in the world. TAG Heuer is the first watchmaker to master luxury chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1,000th and 1/10,000 of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper for Formula One in the 90s and the legendary Indy 500 race today, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher. This is reflected in its partnerships with F1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and its World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Audi Sport in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, and the Automobile Club de Monaco and its full roster of prestigious racing events. Now actively engaged in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Le Mans 24 and the Indy 500, TAG Heuer is ''Mastering Speed'' on motorsport's 3 most iconic racetracks. More than ever, the brand epitomizes prestige and performance through active partnerships with Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, LPGA star Suzann Pettersen and WTA tennis champion Maria Sharapova. TAG Heuer is a privileged member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the most exclusive club in the Swiss watchmaking industry. The newest additions to the TAG Heuer legacy are: the Calibre 1887, an in-house, Swiss manufactured, integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that pays tribute to the original Heuer oscillating pinion of 1887, one of the brand's first patents and a major benchmark in modern watchmaking; and the Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph, the first ever column wheel integrated mechanical chronograph with 1/100th of a second display by a central hand, which pays tribute to the legendary Heuer Mikrograph stopwatch of 1916.

The TAG HEUER CARRERA 1887 CHRONOGRAPH has been named the 2010 Swiss Watch of the Year in the Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Geneve's prestigious "La Petite Aiguille" ("Small Hand") category. TAG Heuer's "150 Years of Mastering Speed" celebrations in 2011 commemorate the brand's unrivalled heritage in motor sports, which include such historic contributions as the 1911 patent for 'Time of Trip', the world's first dashboard chronograph.

As part of the celebrations, a unique exhibition showcasing TAG Heuer's greatest racing partners and motorsport-inspired timepieces will tour major cities and racing capitals. Four-time F1 World Champion Alain Prost, a friend of the brand since the 1980s, is the "Mastering Speed" Special Ambassador.

About Crystals at CityCenter

Crystals at CityCenter is an exquisite 500,000-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment experience at the entrance to CityCenter, an unprecedented urban metropolis on the Las Vegas Strip. Designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind and Rockwell Group, Crystals delights the senses with its contemporary art, elaborate water and ice displays, lush floral decor and iconic elements including a 70-foot-tall tree house. Rivaling shopping meccas throughout the world, Crystals features the largest Louis Vuitton store in North America, as well as flagship stores for Prada, Gucci, Tiffany & Co., Roberto Cavalli and Ermenegildo Zegna. Unique-to-the-market retailers include TOM FORD, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, Donna Karan, Kiton, Kiki De Montparnasse, Marni, Assouline, H. Stern, Tourbillon, Porsche Design, de Grisogono, Lanvin and rLo Gallery (Rodney Lough Jr. Wilderness Collections Gallery). Crystals is also home to a selection of premier restaurants, many of which are new to Las Vegas, including Eva Longoria's Beso, along with her nightclub Eve; Mastro's Ocean Club; Todd English P.U.B; and Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria & Cucina. Crystals has received LEED® Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the world's largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. For more information on Crystals, please visit: www.crystalsatcitycenter.com. Keep up with the latest Crystals news, events and photos via Facebook and Twitter.