“Designed to win” is the tagline for Tag Heuer’s latest advertising campaign, debuting today at the Watches Wonders fair in Geneva. Listening to CEO Antoine Pin, who has been leading the brand since September, it’s more than just a marketing refresh — it’s a mission statement.
“From the moment I joined Tag Heuer, the campaign was the main thing,” Pin tells Vogue Business ahead of the launch. “It was seen as necessary — both from an internal perspective and from my own external point of view at the time of joining.”
Tag Heuer has been bucking industry trends: while Swiss watch exports declined by 2.8 per cent in 2024 to CHF 26 billion ($30 billion) and fell another 2.5 per cent year-on-year between January and February 2025, Tag Heuer grew its turnover by approximately 4 per cent, reaching CHF 670 million ($760 million), according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. The brand also increased its market share from 1.8 per cent to 2 per cent, becoming the 11th largest watch brand by turnover among those tracked by Morgan Stanley, up from 15th (leapfrogging IWC Schaffhausen, Hublot and Jaeger-LeCoultre).
However, some analysts have expressed concerns about Tag Heuer’s recent strategy, including swift price increases and the introduction of high-end timepieces featuring laboratory-grown diamonds. It has also faced challenges from the slowdown in China. Now, Pin is refocusing the brand on performance by underlining its ties to sport, while investing in innovation and growth in other global markets.
Filmed in black and white with flashes of red, the campaign showcases all of the sports Tag Heuer has been involved with, from Formula One to golf to swimming, featuring current and past ambassadors, including Max Verstappen, Steve McQueen, Patrick Dempsey and Ayrton Senna caught in decisive moments of competition. Over the montage, brand ambassador Ryan Gosling narrates a message about the inner drive that pushes people to surpass their limits and win. The new tagline reframes in more positive terms the brand’s most famous motto: “Don’t crack under pressure.”
Watch brands, many steeped in tradition, are moving away from classic marketing recipes to better connect with young and expert consumers eager for authenticity and playfulness.
Tag Heuer — alongside Bvlgari, where Pin previously led the watch division from 2019 — is the only LVMH-owned watch brand showing growth. The group overall continues to lose market share in the watch category in line with the performance of other luxury groups such as Richemont and Swatch, while leading privately owned brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille continue to gain ground. This trend contrasts with the broader luxury goods sector, where listed groups typically lead market share gains in categories like handbags and shoes.
Tag Heuer is expanding in South Korea, where it will open a subsidiary to replace its local agent. The brand is also accelerating in the US and the Middle East. Pin sees strong potential in India — not just as a buffer against China’s slowdown, but as a market that can be a fertile ground for the brand as it aligns well with Tag Heuer’s values.
However, Pin acknowledges that China remains a critical challenge. “We need to crack the Chinese market,” he admits. “We’re still not strong there. I believe we’ve tried to seduce the market in too many different ways, and in doing so, we may have strayed from our core identity. It’s wrong to compromise your essence. What we need now is consistency and stability to communicate who we are.”
F1 and products that give ‘goosebumps’
Tag Heuer reportedly outbid Rolex in a deal worth $1 billion to become the official timekeeper of Formula One, a sport the brand has been involved with during the late ’60s, the ’90s and the early 2000s. (Tag Heuer declined to comment on the specifics of the deal.) The F1 partnership has brought a wave of enthusiasm to Tag Heuer, Pin says, pointing to an increase in footfall since the announcement was made in January.
Pin also sees the renewed focus on sports watches as key to growing the brand’s appeal among women, who currently make up only about a quarter of Tag Heuer’s customer base. “Sports watches have always been a strong market for women — from Rolex to Panerai, they’re often worn by women. Tag Heuer has long had a solid presence in this segment, though perhaps a bit less so today. So yes, we fully intend to expand in the women’s market,” says Pin.
Tag Heuer’s emphasis on sport is welcomed by analysts, too. “Maintaining cultural relevance through storytelling is vital to Tag Heuer’s healthy development. Speed is the brand’s core value and should be the foundation of all its activities,” says Susanna Nicoletti, an independent consultant specialising in luxury goods.
However, Nicoletti flags that Tag’s Formula One deal is shared with other LVMH brands — Moët Chandon as the official champagne provider and Louis Vuitton for the trophy trunks — potentially raising the risk of being overshadowed. For this reason, she advises an even greater focus on research and innovation. “Since Tag positions itself as avant-garde, it should really push the boundaries creatively,” she adds.
“As long as a product creates excitement, it will find its audience,” says Pin, who argues that only “products that give goosebumps” can break any preconceived ideas surrounding price point, and thus seduce new clients.
Whereas Tag Heuer was once seen as the entry point for a first ‘serious’ watch buyer, Pin notes that today the brand’s best customers are in their 50s. Still, he resists defining the brand by age or price bracket, choosing instead to focus on mindset and shared values. “It’s about connecting with people who resonate with our mindset,” he concludes.
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