Still searching for the perfect gift for the adrenaline aficionado in your life? TAG Heuer’s innovative timepieces have been synonymous with sporting prowess since 1887, when its founder, Édouard Heuer, patented the oscillating pinion – an innovation which allowed a chronograph timer to be started and stopped instantly with a push-button. Heuer’s ‘perfected chronograph’, as he called it, revolutionised the accuracy of timekeeping forever. Such was the house’s reputation for precision that in 1920 the International Olympic Committee asked Heuer to preside over its official timekeeping duties. The Mikrograph Pocket Chronometer that was duly created for the occasion became the first stopwatch accurate to one-hundredth of a second, and was used at the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games. Since then, the company has been associated with other high-octane pursuits including motorsports, championship tennis and extreme water sports such as freediving. 

Here, we select the TAG Heuer watches worth investing in this Christmas. Because what could be more appealing to a true fan than being able to wear a piece of sporting history on your wrist?

Left, TAG Heuer Aquaracer 27mm, £3,500; right, TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hands 29mm, £2,700

TAG Heuer Aquaracer 27mm

All women’s sport watches were not created equal. Refined as well as robust, the 27mm ladies’ Aquaracer is a proven performance watch, but superb styling means it pulls double-duty as an elegant dress watch, too. Its cool, brushed stainless steel case isn’t just durable, it’s the perfect foil for a bright, 18k gold-plated bezel (perfect if you want to tap into this year’s trend for mixed metals) plus a sprinkling of 35 icy white diamonds. There are 11 further diamonds at the hour markers (the three-hour marker is home to a sleek date window), reflecting the gleam of a smooth, mother-of-pearl dial.

£3,500; tagheuer.com

TAG Heuer Carrera Three Hands 29mm

Minimalists will adore the elegant lines and balanced proportions of the Carrera, which has remained one of TAG Heuer’s most recognisable designs for over half a century. This year, driven by a desire to create an even more streamlined and uncluttered look, the brand gently updated its Carrera watches, including this women’s automatic model, with bolder hands, refined lugs, and a new ‘H’ shaped bracelet which sits comfortably on the wrist. A shimmering mother-of-pearl dial and diamond hour markers mean this all-day timepiece transitions perfectly into an evening watch, too, so you easily can wear it with a suit or a slip dress – it looks irresistibly chic either way. 

£2,700, tagheuer.com

Left, TAG Heuer Connected Smartwatch, £1,950; right, TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 43mm, £2,500

TAG Heuer Connected Smartwatch

A smart watch? From a heritage timekeeper? Why not, when it’s as luxurious as the Connected, which blends TAG Heuer’s distinctly grown-up styling with the latest tech features, all available via the TAG Heuer Sport app. This provides detailed performance information on a wide range of activities including running, swimming, cycling and fitness (tennis pro Naomi Osaka uses it to track her workouts), while a Wellness function analyses the wearer’s biometric data to help them stay at the top of their game.

From £1,495; tagheuer.com

TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 43mm

If any watch embodies TAG Heuer’s familiar maxim, ‘Don’t Crack Under Pressure’, this is it.  Re-released earlier this year, the Aquaracer was created to withstand nature’s harshest challenges, including diving (it’s water resistant up to 300 metres), making it the perfect choice for adrenaline junkies. A slip-resistant ceramic insert means the fluted bezel of this tough tool-watch is easier to turn in all weathers, while more legible hands, which now glow with two different shades of luminous paint, make it simpler to tell time, even in low visibility. City slickers needn’t feel left out, either: a slimmer case and polished lugs mean the new timepiece has a more sophisticated appearance than its forebears and looks equally at home in the urban jungle as it does on the high seas. 

£2,500; tagheuer.com 

Kim Parker is a London-based writer, specialising in the luxury industry