A tag heuer serial number is made up of two or three letters and four numbers and is unique to each watch. Therefore, assessing whether the model you have your eyes on follows this pattern is the first way to check the watch's authenticity by serial number.

Enough data shows that Rolex is the #1 watchmaker in Switzerland and the world, while TAG Heuer is a distant #12 Swiss and #50 in world rankings. Despite this gap, TAG Heuer is a world-class watchmaker that you can't write off as a luxury brand.

Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the founder, is the honorary chairman. TAG Heuer maintains a watchmaking workshop in Cornol, Switzerland, and a watchmaking factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds.