Frédéric Arnault, the young, and still very new, CEO of Tag Heuer, is fast making a mark on the iconic brand, in part by bringing in Canadian actor Ryan Gosling as the brand ambassador for the TAG Heuer Carrera brand. The two are photographed together, above, at the launch event for the brand’s refresh earlier this month.
Related: The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300
Ryan Gosling wears the Carrera Three Hands Collection for the initial campaign with TAG Heuer. The new collection features 13 pieces, re-imagined in four variations – TAG Heuer Carrera Day Date 41mm, the TAG Heuer Carrera Twin-Time Date 41mm, the Carrera Date 39mm, and the Carrera Date 29mm.
Since their introduction almost 60 years ago, the TAG Heuer Carrera has always been marked by their smooth, clean lines. Sporty meets elegant, the original Carrera was designed with the race car driver in mind. The Spanish word “Carrera” means road, race, career or course.
“Legend has it that TAG Heuer’s obsession with readability started in 1958 when Jack Heuer dropped from first to third in a Swiss rally he was competing in because he was unable to read the dashboard timer correctly. After that, Jack decided to focus on and improve this specific pain point, and he embraced his love of modern design to create an incredibly legible watch,” explains Nicholas Biebuyck Heritage Director at TAG Heuer.
Lavish launch event
TAG Heuer has re-launched their iconic Carrera brand, with Ryan Gosling as new brand ambassador. New Moon experiential agency choreographed the event, meant to capture a shift in the definition of luxury coming out of the pandemic. TAG Heuer is looking to bridge the history and tradition of their Carrera brand with a new generation of luxury connoisseurs. New Moon produced an event that marked this cultural re-set along with the return of experiential events.
New Moon took over a sprawling mansion in the Los Angeles Hills described by a writer as “David Lynch’s idea of an Italian villa.” It was a great canvas to build an event that transported guests into the storied world of the brand.
Gosling did a Q+A about his new relationship with TAG Heuer:
Playwright Jeremy O. Harris, Ryan Gosling, Frédéric Arnault
It’s your first brand partnership, why did you choose TAG Heuer?
And, you know, time in general is just something I think more about now. I have two young kids and they are growing up fast – so I keep an eye on the clock in the way I never used to before. So, for me, partnering with TAG Heuer signifies that for me.
What is your interest in watches?
Throughout your filmography, your characters have been noted for their timekeepers. Why?
What do you look for in the watch and its design? Is it the form factor, the complication, or the mechanical artistry? Do you see them as an accessory that completes an outfit or as a starting point?
That was the gold standard for them, and I even learned that a TAG Heuer watch was used on one of the early Mercury missions because all the other brands had failed. Basically, they’re emblematic of what great craftsmanship and design can be. I think working on that film and hearing NASA’s admiration and respect for it really helped me to also appreciate it.
What do you especially like about the Carrera Three Hands watch?
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
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