TAG Heuer Celebrates 150th Anniversary With Event in Basel Honoring Environmental Activist, Actor Leonardo DiCaprio

Basel, Switzerland, March 19, 2010 (ots/PRNewswire) - TAG Heuer today
kicked off a celebration if its 150th anniversary at an
invitation-only event for more than 600 guests, honoring actor and
climate change activist Leonardo DiCaprio for his dedication to
saving the environment. DiCaprio has an ongoing partnership with the
company that benefits the NRDC and Green Cross International.

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http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/tagheuer/42906/

The evening - dedicated to the pioneering spirit of innovation -
also served as the launch for the Odyssey of Pioneers - a unique
travelling roadshow that will showcase TAG Heuer's finest timepieces
of past, present and future in 15 cities, between March and October
2010.

As an Olympic flame, the tour will be lead by the new TAG Heuer
Tesla Roadster, an exclusive model introduced by electric carmaker
Tesla Motors at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2010. This
one-of-a-kind collector's car incorporates the defining TAG Heuer
avant-garde design elements, and celebrates the core values of both
brands: innovation, precision, prestige and performance.

Starting in Basel, "The Odyssey of Pioneers" will be the first
round-the-world tour by a zero-emission GT car: 37,000 km/24,000
miles; six-months; 15 stops; 18 watches on show, one record to be
scored.

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, was at the wheel
of the new vehicle when it made its grand entry on stage. "The
engineers of both brands have worked hand-in-hand, convinced that
performance-driven technology - whether on the wrist or on the road -
must be part of any sustainable development," Musk said.

The night also served as the premiere of the Grand Carrera
Pendulum, a 2010 concept watch that turns an immutable principle of
mechanical watchmaking on its head - it is the first movement without
a hairspring. Jean-Christophe Babin, president and CEO of TAG Heuer,
explained how it works : "In the regulation system, we simply
replaced the traditional hairspring with magnetic fields. TAG Heuer
invented the oscillating pinion in 1887; the Mikrograph, the first
counter that was accurate to a 100th of a second; and the V4, with
its belt-driven transmission system. Now, we are introducing another
major innovation, and another example of the pioneering spirit that
has imbued us for a century and a half."

"Mastering time, this has been our challenge since 1860," said
TAG Heuer Honorary Chairman Jack Heuer as he opened the celebration.

In his remarks, Leonardo DiCaprio - wearing the new Carrera 1887
- discussed his pride in being an ambassador for the company : "I am
excited to be here to celebrate TAG's 150th birthday," said DiCaprio.
"I am proud to be associated with a company that not only has a rich
and storied history, but also understand the importance of doing good
in the world. Our partnership, which enables people to buy a quality
timepiece and help save the planet at the same time, is a model I
hope other brands will follow."

At dawn on Friday, April 19, the TAG Heuer Tesla Roadster left
Basel to carry out its task of taking 150 years of heritage around
the world and write a new page in this wonderful story.

For further information concerning the products, please consult
our press corner: http://presscorner.tagheuer.com/

To chart the Odyssey in real time and read about the drivers and
events, please visit: http://www.odyssey.tagheuer.com and
http://www.teslamotors.com/odyssey

In 2010, TAG Heuer proudly celebrates 150 years of pioneering
Swiss watchmaking. 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
and 1/1,000th of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its
role as official timekeeper to within 1/10,000th of a second for the
legendary Indy 500, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation,
excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher.
This is reflected in its quarter-century partnership with F1 team
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, its 7-year partnership with 2008 Formula 1
World Champion, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, and
his new teammate , 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button. TAG
Heuer, more than ever, epitomizes prestige and performance through
active partnerships with Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio and
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 addition to the TAG
Heuer legacy is 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. From March
through October 2010, TAG Heuer's revolutionary and ecologically
conscious "Odyssey of Pioneers" exhibit, the first-ever
round-the-world trip in a 100% electric car designed specifically by
Tesla Motors for TAG Heuer, will showcase in Olympic flame fashion
the brand's past, present and future collections across 15 key cities
of the world.

ots Originaltext: TAG Heuer SA
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: Contact: Mrs Mariam Sylla, press@tagheuer.com,
+41(32)7556000