Time Races On with TAG Heuer Named Official Timekeeper and Scorer of Indy Racing League and Legendary Indy 500 Race.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2004

TAG Heuer, the fourth leading luxury watch brand worldwide, has been named the Official Timekeeper and Scorer of the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis 500-mile race. The announcement was made at a press briefing today by Tony George, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indy Racing League and Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of TAG Heuer.

"Our partnership with the Indy Racing League and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway marks a new milestone in our 144-year history, as we are offered the opportunity to work with the IRL team in advancing their 1/10,000th of a second time measurement technology to new levels in unique and compelling applications," said Mr. Babin. "This association with IRL/Indy 500 validates TAG Heuer's ability to provide the most accurate time measurement to sporting venues, where precision timing is critical to the outcome of the event."

"Appointing TAG Heuer as our official Timekeeper and Scorer was a natural choice for us," added Mr. George. "No one can guarantee the ultimate accuracy and reliability in the fastest motorsport on earth better than TAG Heuer, which for more than a century has demonstrated its superior ability to master time, as well as an unsurpassed expertise in the design and development of the most accurate timekeeping systems and prestigious timepieces. We believe that TAG Heuer's exclusive technology and experience will be a greater addition to the unique thrill that our competitions provide."

Having pioneered 1/1,000th of a second measurement in 1966, TAG Heuer now has more than 38 years of ultimate precision experience, including the timekeeping for more than 190 Formula 1 races in the past 13 years. To commemorate its partnership with IRL, TAG Heuer will introduce a new special edition TAG Heuer Indy 500 wrist chronograph, which will be available at TAG Heuer authorized retailers in April 2004.

TAG Heuer, the world leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, will now become the official Timekeeper and Scorer of all the races of the Indy Racing League, including the renowned Indy 500 Race, the world's most prestigious open wheel race run since 1911 on the Indianapolis Brickyard Speedway. This long-term agreement between TAG Heuer and IRL/Indy 500 raises the bar for accuracy in sports timekeeping. IRL and Indy 500 races are both the fastest and most competitive motor races in the world, with average speeds surpassing 200 miles per hour and time differences in qualifying and racing of less than 1/1000th of a second. The IRL races are the only events that are monitored at 1/10,000th of a second, a precision that is 10 times more accurate than other world-class races such as Formula 1.

Since patenting the oscillating pinion in 1886, still a major component of today's high-end mechanical Chronographs, TAG Heuer has been the undisputed leader in timepieces offering the ultimate in accuracy and reliability. Its reputation was solidified by such additional breakthroughs as the patenting of the Micrograph in 1916, the first 1/100th of a second Timekeeping system, and the Microtimer in 1966, the first 1/1000th of a second Timekeeping system. This ability to master time has allowed TAG Heuer to play an important role in some of the most prestigious sporting events of the past century, including a number of Olympic Games, the Scuderia Ferrari, and the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and McLaren F1 team.

These partnerships with the world's most demanding and prestigious sporting events have helped TAG Heuer's watchmakers in developing the most advanced timepieces, which combine style, functionality, accuracy, and reliability. Today, TAG Heuer is the fourth largest luxury watch brand worldwide and the third leading brand in the US. The company is also the undisputed leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs. The Microtimer - launched in 2003 as the first-ever wrist chronograph and timekeeping system accurate to 1/1,000th of a second -- reflects TAG Heuer's capacity to draw watchmaking inspiration from avant-garde timekeeping without compromising on aesthetics. The Microtimer shape won the prestigious Geneva Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie in the Design category.

TAG Heuer, the benchmark in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is the fourth-largest luxury brand in the world watch market. This Swiss watchmaking legend draws from its active involvement in the world of sports to create the most accurate measuring instruments and sports-inspired timepieces ever made. TAG Heuer has always relentlessly pursued innovation and excellence - the summit of performance, the summit of prestige - from the Olympic Games in the 1920s to the best in modern Formula 1 with Team West-McLaren Mercedes and from America's Cup and the Moet Cup with Oracle-BMW Racing to the peerless golf of Tiger Woods, the PGA's world No.1 golfer.

TAG Heuer is present in IRL and Indy 500 since 2002 as partner of Sarah Fisher, the young open wheel cars driving star and IRL MPDA winner 2002 and 2003. TAG Heuer is a fully owned Company of LVMH Group (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton), the world leader in Luxury Goods.