TAG Heuer to launch mobile phone

PARIS (Reuters) - Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, part of French luxury goods group LVMH (LVMH.PA), said on Monday it had licensed its name to French customized design manufacturer Modelabs (MDLB.PA) for a series of luxury mobile phones.

"The launch of the first TAG Heuer mobile telephone is foreseen for the second half of 2008," the companies said in a joint statement.

Luxury goods companies, which realized long ago their brands could be extended to more than clothes and bags, have been rushing to embrace the mobile this year.

Prada and Armani have both recently launched phones made by, respectively, LG Electronics (066570.KS) and Samsung Electronics (005930.KS).

TAG CEO Christophe Babin said in the statement the launch of its eyewear line in 2002 convinced it of the wider potential of the brand, popularized in its adverts by Formula 1 drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, actor Brad Pitt and golfer Tiger Woods.

"The success of this line, already market leader in luxury eyewear, confirmed for us the potential of TAG Heuer as a brand for contemporary, technological and timeless products...such as luxury mobile phones," he said.

(Reporting by Nick Antonovics)