Hardware FixRecommendedDevice not working? Your driver may be the problemCheck updates for common hardware issues.Fix DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsWindows FixRecommendedWindows errors stealing your time? Find the fix fastScan stability, cleanup and performance issues.Fix Now×
Skip to content
WatchRanker
Search
For vendors
Blog

Why TAG Heuer’s CH80 Returned as Heuer-03—and Inside the Chevenez Manufacture

TAG Heuer’s CH80 was postponed in 2014 and re-emerged as Heuer-03. Here’s what the 2016 report says changed, why the project paused, and what Chevenez made.
Estimate5–6 min Catalogued SpecialistWatchRanker Team

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

TAG Heuer’s CH80 was postponed in 2014, not abandoned for good. In a September 2016 report, Monochrome described Heuer-03 as a production-oriented evolution of the CH80 project, with the 2017 Autavia planned as its first application. The reported reason for the delay was practical: TAG Heuer was contending with difficult market conditions, production-capacity constraints and a large stock of Calibre 1887 movements.

The story also explains why Chevenez matters. The Swiss facility opened in 2013 to make movements, and later TAG Heuer material describes it producing the Heuer 02. But the names and generations matter: Heuer-03, Heuer 02 and today’s TH20-00 should not be treated as interchangeable calibers.

How CH80 became Heuer-03

The project changed names and status over several years. Monochrome’s 2016 account connects the movement later called Heuer-03 to TAG Heuer’s Calibre 1969 and CH80, while the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS) documented the Chevenez facility and Calibre 1969’s original specifications.

Date What happened
2012 TAG Heuer began construction of its fourth manufacture in Chevenez, according to the FHS.
5 November 2013 The FHS reported the Chevenez facility’s inauguration. It described the 2,600 m² site as dedicated to producing Calibre 1887 and the new Calibre 1969.
Late 2013 TAG Heuer announced Calibre 1969, an integrated automatic chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch. The FHS reported a 70-hour power reserve and 4 Hz frequency.
Baselworld 2014 TAG Heuer showed a Carrera powered by the renamed CH80, with a stated 80-hour reserve, according to Monochrome.
June 2014 The Carrera and movement were postponed about three months after their presentation, Monochrome reported.
September 2016 Monochrome reported that Heuer-03 was based on CH80 and that a 2017 Autavia was planned as its first application.

For the original 1969 figures and Chevenez opening, see the FHS report from 5 November 2013. The project’s postponement, revival and planned Autavia use are covered in Monochrome’s 20 September 2016 report.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Why the movement was postponed

Monochrome’s 2016 article attributes the pause to a combination of market challenges, capacity pressures and inventory. Its account says TAG Heuer already had Calibre 1887 in production and held a large stock of those movements, which had to be worked through before introducing another caliber. This is the explanation reported by Monochrome at the time, rather than a comprehensive corporate postmortem.

The article also says TAG Heuer developed the Carrera Heuer 01 using a partially skeletonized version of the 1887. According to Monochrome, that helped Chevenez return to larger production volumes. The company could then bring the next movement project forward in a form better suited to industrial production.

What changed from CH80 to Heuer-03?

Monochrome characterized Heuer-03 as a modified CH80 rather than an unrelated, clean-sheet movement. In its 2016 visit report, the publication said the two shared the gear train, automatic system, date, three-counter 3-6-9 layout and column-wheel/vertical-clutch chronograph architecture. It reported 4 Hz and 33 jewels, and estimated the movements were about 95% similar.

The changes it described were mainly in bridge geometry and finishing. Monochrome also reported that Heuer-03 was slightly thicker, allowing more robust wheels intended to improve reliability, and that its design supported more efficient industrialization. Movement modules could be made and stocked separately, according to the article.

What’s actually slowing this PC down?

Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Those are descriptions and observations from a 2016 report, not manufacturer-confirmed specifications for later TAG Heuer calibers. In particular, Monochrome said the Heuer-03’s power reserve had not yet been validated during the visit; it estimated 70–80 hours. COSC certification was also unconfirmed at that point. The original CH80 target had been an 80-hour reserve and COSC certification, but those targets should not be mistaken for confirmed Heuer-03 specifications.

Chevenez: from movement manufacture to production site

The FHS reported that TAG Heuer began building Chevenez in 2012 and inaugurated the 2,600 m² facility on 5 November 2013. Its stated role was to produce Calibre 1887 and Calibre 1969. Monochrome’s 2016 visit portrayed it as an industrial movement-making site: CNC machines produced plates, bridges, wheels and pinions, followed by cleaning and finishing, jewel setting and assembly. The reporter said most components were machined in-house, while naming balance wheels and anti-shock parts as examples of externally sourced components.

Rank #2
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Golf Edition
  • TAG HEUER SMARTWATCH - Includes waterproof TAG Heuer Smart Watch Connected Calibre E4 42 mm Golf Edition, white strap, and black/green interchangeable rubber straps with titanium grade 2 buckles, USB-C cable, main socket, charging dock, and 3 Tag Heuer Golf balls.
  • WHERE LUXURY MEETS SPORTS & FITNESS - Tag Heuer fitness watch features include heart rate, wellness, fitness, steps, calling, SMS, emails, compass, microphone, barometer readings, and more. Pre-installed apps & features include TAG Heuer Sports (Running, Cycling, Fitness, Swimming, other sports), TAG Heuer Wellness, TAG Heuer Golf, NFT Viewer.
  • MAXIMIZED FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE - Tag Heuer Watches men or women is crafted in ultra-light grade 2 titanium and integrating ergonomic black steel pushers, the sandblasted, black DLC-finished case is built to endure.
  • A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY GOLFER - TAG Heuer Golf Watch has a stunning 2D high resolution display showing hazards and distances of more than 40,000 golf courses worldwide.It's the perfect caddie on the wrist; one has just to glance at the watch to know the distance for the next shot while seeing the club recommendation.
  • TAG HEURER WATCH POWER & CONNECTIVITY - Running on an impressive Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100+ chipset with a Sapphire Crystal AMOLED display 1.28". With smart watch features that connect with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, NS GNSS.

The 2016 account placed Chevenez within a wider manufacturing network: La Chaux-de-Fonds handled design, development, assembly and testing, while Cornol made cases and Chevenez produced movements. Those descriptions refer to the arrangement observed and reported then, not necessarily every aspect of TAG Heuer’s current operations.

What TAG Heuer later said about the process

In a 2022 company-published account, TAG Heuer described Chevenez making Heuer 02 movements in-house. The brand said brass plates were machined to a stated tolerance of ±5 microns and described component finishing, jewel setting, microscope inspection and quality-control work. TAG Heuer also said about 10% of movements received complete testing at an extensive level. These are the company’s published process claims, not independently reported measurements.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

TAG Heuer’s later movement lineage is related context, not proof that the names refer to one unchanged caliber. The brand’s 2023 article says Heuer 02 launched in 2016, was developed in-house and produced in Chevenez, and was later evolved into TH20-00. Its 2022 catalogue instead dates the Heuer 02 release to 2017. The sources therefore differ on the launch year; neither account makes Heuer-03, Heuer 02 and TH20-00 universal alternate names for every watch using those movements.

TAG Heuer’s 2023 article quotes Movement Director Carole Forestier-Kasapi about Heuer 02: “The Heuer 02 movement is an extremely well-made calibre, it’s flawless. Our mission was to take it to the future as well as possible.“ The remark refers to Heuer 02, not specifically to the CH80/Heuer-03 episode. See the brand’s 2023 Heuer 02 history and its 2022 account of the Chevenez facility.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What the Autavia connection does—and does not—tell you

Monochrome reported in 2016 that a 2017 Autavia would be the first planned watch to use Heuer-03, and that the Autavia held the final version of the project that began as CH80. This is a historical product connection, not a blanket specification for Autavia watches sold later. Caliber can vary by model and reference, so check the exact reference and its stated movement before applying the Heuer-03 name to a particular watch.

The most useful distinction is between a project’s lineage and a watch’s actual caliber. CH80 began as Calibre 1969, appeared under the CH80 name in a 2014 Carrera, then was postponed. Heuer-03 was reported in 2016 as a revised, production-ready continuation intended for the Autavia. Later Heuer 02 and TH20-00 developments belong to a broader in-house chronograph story, but the available accounts do not make them interchangeable labels for every stage or model.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More lots from the Journal

  1. Lot1How to Best Sell Your Watch: Choose the Right Channel for Your GoalBlogEstimate 7–9 min
  2. Lot2Spring-Bars and NATOs: A Practical Guide to Watch Straps, Buckles and BarsBlogEstimate 6–8 min
  3. Lot3A Philosophical Guide to Building the Perfect Watch CollectionBlogEstimate 6–8 min
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.