Thélios inks eyewear partnership deal with TAG Heuer

Another LVMH brand has been added to the portfolio of Thélios, the eyewear producer owned by the world’s number one luxury group. Swiss watch-maker TAG Heuer, which LVMH bought in 1999 and specialises in professional sport watches, has decided to re-enter the eyewear market, a sector it exited eight years ago.

 
Thélios has inked a long-term partnership deal to develop, produce and distribute TAG Heuer’s optical glasses and sunglasses, using the same internalisation approach adopted to manage the eyewear collections of LVMH’s other labels. TAG Heuer’s first new collection will be unveiled in Miami on January 29 during LVMH Watch Week, and also via a special event scheduled in Milan on February 1.
 
The two partners’ aim is to focus again on the avant-garde spirit and high-tech performance that characterised TAG Heuer’s previous eyewear collections. The watchmaker entered the eyewear market in 2002, signing a license deal with Logo, a long-established producer based in Morez, France, which also used to manufacture the collections of another LVMH brand, Fred. The deal was terminated when Logo went bankrupt in 2016.

“We are extremely proud of featuring again in the eyewear world with revolutionary designs derived from avant-garde technology and cutting-edge materials. We are reconnecting with a part of our heritage that dates back to 2002,” said Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer, in a press release, adding that “our new eyewear collection in collaboration with Thélios is not the mere addition of an accessories line. Our ambition is to set new standards in the eyewear category and completely disrupt it. TAG Heuer wants to be recognised in future also as an eyewear brand.”
 
Alessandro Zanardo, CEO of Thélios, welcomed TAG Heuer’s renewed presence in the market. “TAG Heuer’s return is one of the most eagerly awaited in the industry. The brand is synonymous with excellence, high-end design and extreme precision, values that resonate with Thélios’s own,” said Zanardo, adding that “by leveraging TAG Heuer’s undeniable expertise in eyeglasses and sunglasses, our collaboration will enable this product category to reach a new milestone.”
 
With TAG Heuer’s inclusion in its portfolio, Thélios is now overseeing the development, production and distribution of the eyewear collections of 11 LVMH labels: Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Stella McCartney, Kenzo, Berluti, Fred and Bulgari, the latter from January 1 2024. Thélios has also recently acquired legendary French eyewear brand Vuarnet and US brand Barton Perreira.