The Next Chapter

Frédéric Arnault landed the hot seat as CEO of TAG Heuer during the height of the pandemic - and appears to have passed the test with flying colours.

- Alvin Wong

IN THE TWO years since Frédéric Arnault took the helm at TAG Heuer, the 28-year-old has worked hard to ensure that the watch company lives up to its ‘avant-garde since 1860’ credo. With an intriguing blend of youth and derring-do – a rarity in the centuries-old watch business – Arnault has pushed for developments in the smartwatch category, welcomed the use of crypto payments, and delved headlong into material experimentation, all while ensuring that TAG Heuer’s hard-earned reputation as a technically driven luxury sports watch brand remains undiminished.

In Singapore for LVMH Watch Week 2023 in February to present TAG Heuer’s new creations that span a vintage-style commemorative Carrera to new Connected Watch models, Arnault discusses his balancing act of looking forward while staying mindful of the past.

The past two years have been great for luxury watches. Was it the same for TAG Heuer?

Last year was pivotal for us because it was the first year that we announced our new product strategy. We had watches like the Solargraph and Carrera Plasma, which were first watches of their kind for us. I think our brand vision is being understood, and they represent the first steps we are taking for the years to come.

It seems that luxury watch brands are not afraid to be more provocative in recent years?