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Richard S. Cunanan

Here’s To The Ladies Who Link

Out with the old, in with the new.

The new TAG Heuer Link Lady for women is a blend of style, substance, and new material.

The Link has graced the wrists of TAG Heuer fans for many a year, and this new series is aimed at some wrists that are pretty graceful already. The new smooth S-shaped elements of the Link bracelet carry a case of steel or of ceramic, and they themselves can be made of these new materials. Innovation, in all things innovation. As we turn the corner of 2016, we see that TAG Heuer has never stopped reinventing itself, while at the same time they hold on to what is important — what makes them truly TAG Heuer.

The S-shaped links of the bracelet are what make the piece what it is. Rounded on top, bottom and sides, in order to provide an exceptionally smooth companion.

Now, with a 32mm diameter, the Link Lady comes around in steel or in black ceramic. The case has completely absorbed the horns, and the strap is fully integrated into the case. The contour of the S is polished to a shine, and the upper surface of each link is fully brushed. Case shape… well, that’s open to interpretation, actually. The subtle absorption of the lugs means that each of the subtle corners of the case is really barely a corner at all. You might say that it has both completely embraced and completely absolved its purpose. Be that as it may, the Link Lady makes for one smooth interaction.

And making it in ceramic — has there ever been a more perfect watch material than ceramic? Smooth, cool, and born from the Earth itself. Coming out of the humblest beginnings, yet taking its place alongside the noblest materials of old, the Lady Link ceramic cases are formed from earth and forged in fire. Nothing could be more light, more smooth, more malleable. Link watches have never before been made entirely from ceramic. As happens so often, the women are leading the way.

The Link watch from TAG Heuer has been around for some decades now. In fact, it’s coming up on its 30th anniversary. That journey began in 1987, when, as you may recall, TAG Heuer first introduced a revisionist approach to its timepieces. They debuted a series of precision sports watches and chronographs, which they referred to as S/el. This stood for Sport and Elegance, and it also emphasized the focus on the inspiration for the new timepieces — under the letter S.

Born from a Bracelet

Believe it or not, the Link watch gets its title — and indeed, got its start — from that section of the watch which usually doesn’t get a second thought: the strap. The S/el line was so named because of the S-shaped piece of steel that was the essential component of the watch bracelet. The S-Link straps were so ergonomically designed for comfort as to embody an entirely new way of connecting with your wristwatch. These interlocking S-pieces were the signature of the watch — not the case, not the dial, not even the movement, but the bracelet. The strap. TAG Heuer was showing once, and as it turned out for all time, that there was no aspect of watch design that was unimportant, no detail that was beneath consideration. In doing so, and in taking their cue from the previously unheralded watch component that was the bracelet, they showed that TAG Heuer was truly at the leading edge of watch creation. The old adage burned anew: that inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places.

“The Lady Link ceramic cases are formed from earth and forged in fire. Nothing could be more light, more smooth, more malleable.”

When Fate hands you the ball, you run with it. Soon TAG Heuer had carried the S/el (now known as the Link) aggressively enough to demonstrate that this was their baby and they were going to make it work. The new bracelet was comfortable in a way that, literally, had never been felt before.

It’s a funny thing about a watch strap: it’s one of those components that almost immediately gets overlooked. Having looked at so many watches over the course of this job, I feel confident in saying that for me as well as most people, the strap is almost a non-factor when you are first considering a timepiece. But TAG Heuer looks at the whole package, and every component in it. They look at the case, the size of it, the material, the finish. They measure the weight. They turn to the internal mechanisms, considering the functions, the features, the various possibilities that have or have not been given life in the particular watch they are examining.

TAG Heuer considers things like power reserve and ease of readability; they muse about the arrangement of the displays, getting a first impression as to whether the layout really serves at a glance or if the watch takes some steering to fully understand. They do their due diligence.

And so the Link bracelet continues to be a strong component of the TAG Heuer arsenal. We see now that as they release a series of pieces for the woman’s wrist, that TAG Heuer has not forgotten the lessons of the original Link: that details matter.

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