Tag Heuer Watches & Lewis Hamilton

MONACO-MANIA SWEEPS BASELWORLD!

Celebrations include live link with TAG Heuer Brand Ambassador Lewis Hamilton, avant-premiere screening of Steve McQueen and Lewis Hamilton: The Duel (Part 1) and launch of the MONACO Twenty-Four Concept Chronograph

On March 26th, BaselWorld became "MonacoWorld" when 350 journalists, TV personalities and leading figures of the watchmaking industry packed into the spectacular TAG Heuer Booth at the fair to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Steve McQueen's mythic Monaco.

The dazzling booth - winner of a Silver Award at this year's Exhibitor Magazine's Exhibit Design Award and a special mention in the March issue of Wallpaper* - was decked out in the iconic timepiece's colours and legends, including specially commissioned portraits of McQueen by acclaimed German painter Jörg Döring.

Highlights of the glamorous, celebrity-packed celebration included a live video link with F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, in Australia for the Grand Prix season opener. Sporting his "good-luck" Monaco, The TAG Heuer Ambassador discussed his goals for the 2009 season, which include a second consecutive World Champion title and a repeat win at the Monaco Grand Prix. He also spoke at length of his cinematic race with Steve McQueen in Steve McQueen and Lewis Hamilton: The Duel (Part 1), a virtual duel between Lewis Hamilton and Steve McQueen on the legendary track of Le Mans.

"It was so bizarre because, of course, Steve wasn't there, but his spirit was so incredibly present," said Hamilton. "The best part for me was the challenge of rising to the occasion and completely throwing myself into this imaginary duel."

Guests were treated to an avant-premiere of the supercharged special-effects film - but only the first half!

The victor - Lewis Hamilton the Virtuoso or Steve McQueen the Legend - won't be revealed until later. In the meantime, the public can guess who wins in a special online contest on tagheuer.com. Each winner drawn will receive a Monaco Gulf Limited Edition.

The other star of the show was the MONACO Twenty-Four Concept Chronograph, the latest groundbreaking concept watch based on the mythic Monaco. The high-tech prototype bears the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil - the same colours TAG Heuer Ambassador Steve McQueen wore in his 1970 film classic, Le Mans. Special polymer arms capable of absorbing up to 24,000 G of shock suspend the watch's movement inside the case, meaning that the MONACO Twenty Four ConceptChronograph can fall from a height of 20 metres and not suffer the slightest damage - compared to a height of only 1 metre for a conventional watch. Called the ADA - the Advanced Dynamic Absorber - this technological innovation represents a significant leap forward in watchmaking.

"Protected by the ADA, "said TAG Heuer CEO and President Jean-Christophe Babin, "this little marvel will beat with 1/10 of a second precision under any conditions - even on Lewis Hamilton's wrist when he's driving 300kmh."

The avant-garde aesthetics and technology of this new Monaco icon thrilled the privileged guests in attendance, as did the innovative film commemorating its illustrious past and present, and the magnificent, award-winning TAG Heuer Booth in which it was unveiled. Together, booth, film and watch gave a compelling glimpse of where the Monaco Myth is headed next.

The young British driver, Lewis Hamilton, joined the McLaren Mercedes Vodafone team this year, alongside Fernando Alonso and will make his debut at the Formula 1 World Championship. Lewis Hamilton began karting at the age of 8 and was very soon spotted by Ron Dennis who saw in him a rising Formula 1 star. In 2002, he moved up to racing cars, winning the English Formula Renault championship the following year. In 2004, he moved on to the F3 Euroseries, where he notched up 15 victories, 10 of the fastest times and 13 pole positions and where, a year later, he won the title. His rise continued in 2006 as he won the GP2 championship with the ART Grand Prix team. This young prodigy's career, made up of eagerly accepted challenges, will flourish this year in Formula 1 as he joins the two-time world champion, Fernando Alonso, as part of the McLaren Mercedes Vodafone team.

TAG Heuer is proud to count Lewis Hamilton among its ranks - never a man to refuse a challenge - and wishes him great success in the formidable world of Formula 1.