: As a long time collector I've owned Zenith
: chronos well before they came to America.
: Let me tell you that it doesn't matter if
: the dial says TAG or Concord or Rolex, if
: there is an El Primero movement underneath
: it you have one fine timepiece!!

yeah i'd agree and i don't think anyone would disagree about the el primero.:)

: For the sake of the Heuer legacy I would love
: to see TAG take the path of fine-quality,
: high-end watches. To change their image and
: do this I think they will have to lose the
: bulk of their product line and restructure
: their marketing plan as well as bring out
: new innovative pieces like the Aquagraph \

i don't know that they would have to do this. Chuck has made a good suggestion in his manifesto about tag heuer splitting the lines between a high end (hopefully el primero?:) labeled heuer for the enthusiasts and the rest labeled tag heuer for the bulk of their current customers, which brings market share and pays the bills. i'm thinking maybe something like seiko has done. labeled seiko for the bread and butter and labeled grand seiko for the enthusiasts and reputation, etc. imho something like this is easily feasible and everyone wins.

: IMHO the Aquagraph is a fine piece that's on a
: level with the Omega Americas Cup and
: Breitling Super Ocean. The Aquagraph's
: biggest flaw is the TAG logo and the image
: that accompanies it.

not sure as i've never handled any of them firsthand. i'll take your word for it as it sounds like you have.:) as for the tag label, my own personal opinion, i agree with you. i don't care for the tag name or the image that comes with it in my mind. having said that if the watch is top notch the tag on the dial alone wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

: I think that what they do in the next year is
: critical in determining if they are going to
: be a great watch or just a great watch
: company that was.
i agree completely. i'd like to see the eventual dropping of the tag name and more use of the el primero movements. this is tag heuers big chance to break away from the perceived image in the enthusiasts minds. although we shouldn't forget that it is a business and the two most important things in a business are market share/brand awareness and profits. somehow tag heuer will have to edge away without losing both profits and market share. this will be tough to do. time will tell, but i'm glad that tag heuer is trying to inch away from the tag side a bit.:) hopefully, and i'm guessing they(tag heuer) know already, that this is a unique opportunity to pull away and ahead. let's hope they don't let this chance slip by.:)

: Best
: Mike

best,
j.h.