Eric Vergnes

In an effort to move from a pure traditional watch brand to a full-on lifestyle brand, the 151-year-old Swiss manufacturer, TAG Heuer, is taking some bold risks. As the world’s fourth largest luxury watch brand and number one worldwide in chronograph pieces, it is also launching its second generation of luxury phones, called “Link”, the first luxury smart phone developed on an android platform. Its expansion plan in the Middle East is no less ambitious. In July the firm opened its 10th boutique in the Middle East, in the Beirut Souks, with the Atamian family as their exclusive agent. Beirut will be one of the first markets in the region to be exposed to the new “1887”, which is an update of the iconic Carrera watch, with a twist. Though originally launched in 1964, the firm is now a chronograph manufacturer, so movements are made for the first time via