Over the weekend which the 24 Hours of Le Mans was held, TAG Heuer and Dempsey Racing signed a long term partnership amidst echoes of the past – over 40 years ago, Steve McQueen had starred in the race classic Le Mans wearing a Monaco chronograph – TAG Heuer and Hollywood have met on the asphalt once again.

TAG Heuer’s association with motorsports should be familiar to most people, given its past partnerships with teams such as Scuderia Ferrari and Audi Sport. Its support for Dempsey Racing this year sees the latter partnering with Proton Competition to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with team drivers Patrick Dempsey, Joe Foster and Patrick Long. As its name suggests, the 24 Hours of Le Mans lasts an entire day, and is one of the world’s most prestigious endurance motor races. Stéphane Linder, CEO of TAG Heuer, opined that the partnership would write an exciting new page in TAG Heuer’s history, and compared Patrick Dempsey to McQueen, citing how they are both risk-takers.

Apart from being a team driver, Patrick Dempsey also owns Dempsey Racing and stars in the American medical television drama series Grey’s Anatomy. His team will be promoted in TAG Heuer’s new advertising campaign, and the team’s racing suits and cars will now bear TAG Heuer’s iconic shield. Speaking about the partnership, Dempsey shared about how it has opened up “great new perspectives” for him, and how the excitement “comes with a bit pressure to succeed”. Dempsey also admitted to feeling humbled that he’s part of a living legacy that goes back to Jo Siffert and Alain Prost. 

In response, Jean-Claude Biver, Head of Watchmaking Division at Louis Vuitton Moët Henessy (LVMH), said that pressure would be manageable. “You have to believe, keep moving ahead, and put your heart into it. If you are willing to give your all, the world is yours.”