Julien Tornare, who is no stranger to firing up esteemed watchmaking houses with bold new ideas, on managing one of the most progressive brands in the business during his six-month tenure as TAG Heuer’s CEO
Julien Tornare had a brief tenure at TAG Heuer, yet he follows in the footsteps of an illustrious cognoscenti of predecessors. These names include Jack Heuer, great- grandson of the eponymous founder and creator of iconic watches such as Carrera and Monaco; Jean-Christophe Babin, who is now the CEO of Bvlgari; and Jean-Claude Biver, a living legend who was behind the revitalisation of brands such as Blancpain, Omega, Hublot and, of course, TAG Heuer.
The 50-year-old, who helmed Zenith for seven years before joining TAG Heuer in January 2024, will soon be taking over the helm as Hublot’s new CEO. This follows a reshuffle of the top brass at the LVMH conglomerate, which owns the three watch companies, in July. Antoine Pin, who was the general manager of Bvlgari Horlogerie, will be taking over from Tornare.
Even so, Tornare hadn’t taken his time at TAG Heuer lightly. He not only sought the blessings of Jack Heuer prior to stepping into the role, he also immersed himself in the company’s heritage and DNA in order to get his bearings right. “You have to understand the fundamentals of the heritage before you are able to think about what you can bring to the brand,” he said.
Avant-garde Always
Stepping into a 164-year-old company with an impeccable track record of rolling out highly innovative sports-inspired timepieces was no easy task. During his time with the brand, Tornare helped establish a clear roadmap of where TAG Heuer ought to be headed. For a start, he sought to delve deeper into the brand’s rich lineage.
“TAG Heuer is cool. We have great brand ambassadors, we are into motorsports and all that. But sometimes, people don’t realise the level of savoir-faire, the level of watchmaking know-how, the type of history that we have. And I want to bring these back to the forefront,” he said.
“Having the right balance between tradition and innovation is essential to the watch business,” added Tornare. “That is what makes people buy into your product and the identity of your brand.”
Although Tornare didn’t oversee the latest TAG Heuer roll-outs at Watches and Wonders 2024, the new timepieces are testament to the strong foundations that the company can use as a platform to venture ahead.
One of Robb Report Singapore’s top watches for the year, the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, showcases the brand’s prowess in technical watchmaking. An ultra-light watch that weighs only 85g and fitted with one of the most complex chronograph movements TAG Heuer has ever produced, the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is the latest in a long line of progressive interval timekeepers stretching back to the early 1900s.
“I am amazed by this watch,” said Tornare. “I’ve worked with brands that are known for very high levels of technical and decorative finesse, and I am blown away by what I see in this chronograph.”
Also on offer this year: a new Carrera Skipper in full 18k rose gold case that costs S$30,350, as well as a modestly priced, vintage-style Carrera Chronograph in steel with ‘panda’ dial. Both watches are “no-brainers” when it comes to the job they do to espouse the TAG Heuer story, said Tornare. “These are great examples of how to get inspiration from the past and reinterpret it in a cool way.”
TAG Heuer’s tagline, ‘Swiss avant-garde since 1860’, carries a certain gravitas as well as a declaration of its appetite for taking risks. For anyone in the hot seat at TAG Heuer, will he also sometimes throw caution to the wind in a bid to stay true to the brand’s DNA?
“I don’t think we have a choice,” he said, pointing to recent TAG Heuer innovations, from utilising lab-grown diamonds in its watches to its forays into the smartwatch business with the Connected Watch. “I spoke with Jack Heuer about it. He is 92 this year and he is still a fierce advocate of TAG Heuer’s avant-garde spirit. He told me that (the current generation) must continue to feed it,” said Tornare.
This story first appeared in the August 2024 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
