In celebration of the 34th America’s Cup, TAG Heuer and Oracle Team USA joined together to create a new sailing chronograph—the first Swiss sports smartwatch. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer 72 was worn by every member of the team during the event, allowing them to access real-time data with crucial race conditions. The official watch, while not being released to the public, was the inspiration for new, limited edition timepieces which allows fans own a piece of the iconic partnership.
This Aquaracer is the first watch co-designed by a professional sailing team and offers an easy-to-read 51mm open face, is impact resistant up to 5000 G and weighs only 108 g. It’s also designed with a leather strap that is ergonomically made to fit over a wet suit. The embedded system is customized to each sailor allowing them to have the information for their specific task requirement easily accessible. High contract LED screens display data on sail behavior, boat speed, foil balance, as well as wind speed, direction and angle.
“This was a first for sailing and a first for Swiss watchmaking,” said Stéphane Linder, TAG Heuer President and CEO. “It represents the next-generation of competitive sport technology. We’re looking forward to participating in similar ventures with teams across the full spectrum of professional sports.”
Only 50 of these watches were made and none are available commercially, but TAG Heuer launched Aquaracer 500m Calibre 72 Countdown Automatic Chronograph 43 MM, named in honor of the team. Stamped with the official US team logo, it holds a scratch resistant ceramic bezel, rubber coated pushers, screw-in crown, and is waterproof up to 500 meters. It also offers black, white and red team colors and a countdown function to easily visualize the start of a race.