TAG Heuer Zooms Into Canada With A New Boutique

TAG Heuer opened its first Canadian boutique at Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto last night, and announced it is the new official timepiece of Air Canada. TAG Heuer hasn’t had a Canadian-focused special edition since the wildly successful “Montreal” watch, launched during the Montreal Olympic games in 1972, and as a tribute to the 1976 summer Olympic games, but NA brand president Benjamin Beaufils says stay tuned: Canada-only editions are in the pipeline.

“Canada has always been an important market for TAG Heuer, says Beaufils. “We’ve had organic growth in the region, and staying connected to our Canadian customer remains a priority, which is why we’ve tapped young Canadian tennis stars Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime to represent the spirit of our brand.” Beaufils announced earlier in the day that TAG Heuer will soon be formally announcing a partnership with Air Canada, the country’s largest airline. But don’t look for any Air Canada themed watches. The partnership will involve keeping time in-flight, in Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges. 

Although TAG Heuer has been distributed in Canada for 35 years, the Toronto Yorkdale store is its first mono-brand boutique in Canada and its ninth in North America, including stand-alones in New York, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas. A TAG Heuer IndyCar was on display at the Toronto opening event, perhaps as a reminder that legendary Canadian racing driver Gilles Villeneuve frequently wore a Heuer watch on and off the track. Yorkdale Shopping Centre has been a magnet for upscale watch brands in recent years, with Panerai, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Breitling, Bulgari, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Piaget and Montblanc all opening boutiques. TAG Heuer watches range from $1,000 for Formula 1 models to high complications or jewelry watches that can reach up to $75,000. The main price point is $1,500-$3,000.