Celebrating the 80th Monaco Grand Prix: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton
In honour of this year’s 80th edition of the Monaco Grand Prix, TAG Heuer released the Monaco Skeleton chronograph. Notably, this marks the first time that a skeletonized dial has featured in the Monaco collection. The original model quickly became one of the brand’s most iconic watches after its release in 1969. Now, with the Original Blue, Racing Red, and Turquoise, the novelty is appearing in the form of three models. All of them feature a different colour scheme and each was inspired by the brand’s close connection to sports car races.
The case
Since its introduction by Jack Heuer in 1969, the Monaco’s iconic square case has graced the wrists of many famous racing drivers, such as Joe Siffert’s or Steve McQueen’s in the motor racing movie Le Mans from 1971. The new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton also features this memorable case design. Its case spans 39 mm in diameter and has a thickness of 14.7 mm.
Combination matters: titanium and sapphire
Sandblasted titanium grade 2, which has become a trademark of the brand, makes this timepiece’s case and crown corrosion resistant and lightweight. Whereas both the Original Blue and Racing Red share this appearance, the Turquoise’scase and crown have a different aesthetic, consisting of black DLC titanium. Moreover, bevelled and domed sapphire crystal protects the skeletonised dial, while the engraved oscillating mass is displayed through the caseback. Meanwhile, engravings of the brand’s name, the water resistance of 100 metres, ‘Monaco’ and ‘Swiss made since 1860’ encircle the screwed caseback.
The dial
All three models play host to the same skeletonized dial and functions. However, the colours vary as there is a different source of inspiration for every model. While the Original Blue takes inspiration from the blue and white colour scheme of the original Monaco, the Turquoise presents itself as a modern reinterpretation of its design origins with turquoise elements that allude to Monaco’s coastline. The Racing Red taps into TAG Heuer’s history from a slightly different point of view. Its red accents are a homage to the racing tracks and the red sparks that are created from the sheer speed.
Prominent lines
The sandblasted dial of the Monaco Chronograph Skeleton is characterised by its prominent linear design in blue for the Original Blue and black for the Racing Red and Turquoise. A square in blue (Original Blue) or black (Racing Red, Turquoise) frames the minute ring of the same colour. Matching metal lines on the upper and bottom half seem to radiate towards the frame. A rhodium label with “Monaco” and the TAG Heuer logo hovers above the centre of the dial.
24/7 legibility
The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton provides its wearer with the hours, minutes, seconds date, and a chronograph with three counters. Super-LumiNova is used to highlight the carved indexes, facetted hands and, for the first time on a Monaco, the date window in low-light conditions. While the Original Blue’s hour and minute hands are rhodium plated, the Racing Red and Turquoise’s are gold-plated and black. Similarly, the first two models have white-lacquered indexes, and the latter has ones in turquoise. Blue Super-LumiNova coats the hands and indexes of all the models with one nuanced exception: the hands on the Turquoise are covered with a light-blue luminescent. All three models have a red lacquered central hand and a date window at 6 o’clock that glows blue in the dark.
Timing is key
What makes the Monaco stand out is its chronograph function. Each one of the new models has three counters. There are two opaline counters in blue (Original Blue), black (Racing Red), or black and turquoise (Turquoise). While the one at 9 o’clock indicates up to 12 hours, the one at 3 o’clock counts up to 30 minutes with a red lacquered hand. By 6 o’clock, a permanent indicator presents 1/4 seconds with a rhodium plated (Original Blue) or black lacquered (Racing Red, Turquoise) hand.
The movement
Over the past few decades since its debut, the Monaco timepieces have been driven by a variety of calibres – from the calibre 11 in 1969 to calibre 360 in 2003. The Heuer 02 automatic movement powers the Monaco Chronograph Skeleton models. A conventional column wheel activates the chronograph. Serving as colourful details, the column wheel and the oscillating mass engravings are coloured in blue (Original Blue), red (Racing Red), and turquoise (Turquoise).This chronograph has a solid power reserve of 80 hours, accompanied by a frequency of 4 Hz.
Strap, price, and availability
All models come with a bi-material strap which is made of a combination of rubber and calf skin leather. While the Original Blue comes with a blue strap, the Racing Red and Turquoise models boast a black strap. Double safety pushbuttons on the sandblasted titanium grade 2 folding clasp offer additional stability. The price slightly varies from model to model. The Original Blue and Racing Red are available for 10,850 euros. The Turquoise costs 11,400 euros.
A touch of vintage and nostalgia: it's no wonder that many popular watch models from the past are celebrating their comeback. Tissot, too, is reviving a model from the early 70s with the brightly coloured Sideral. Visually, the parallels to the original are unmistakable, but the Sideral also presents itself with some innovations – including three different colour…
The Captain Cook is perhaps one of the most popular models in Rado's portfolio. First launched in 1962, the Captain Cook represented the era of great expeditions, explorers and adventures, and at the same time served the emerging trend of diving watches. Now, with the new Captain Cook, Rado presents a model that not only…
After having announced its comeback of official sponsor of Formula 1 recently, TAG Heuer is now expanding its Formula 1 collection with five new chronographs. These watches pay homage to the brand's motorsport heritage and feature design elements inspired by Formula 1. Among them is a special edition created in collaboration with Oracle Red Bull…
The Breitling Superocean Heritage '57 Outerknown is the third watch to emerge from the horology house's collaboration with sustainable clothing brand Outerknown. The bronze-colored dial and Outerknown NATO bracelet aim to evoke the chilled lifestyle of the surfing scene in Southern California and Hawaii in the 1950s and 60s. The new Breitling Superocean Heritage '57…
For Hublot, the possibilities when it comes to materials seem limitless. Founded in 1980, the watch manufacturer is known for its creativity in this department, from tirelessly tinkering with new gold alloys to refining other innovative composite materials. Now the Swiss manufacture has done it again and launched a new case material, at least within…
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Limited Edition 1858 is a brand new model from the Le Locle- and Villeret-based horology house. Despite its Swiss heritage, the timepiece takes its inspiration from the colours of the Gobi desert. With only 1858 pieces available, the complicated watch's functions include turning northern and southern hemisphere globes, as well as…
Frederique Constant is presenting the Slimline Moonphase Date Manufacture seconde/seconde/ Limited Edition, the result of a collaboration with the French artist seconde/seconde/. Originally, the manufacture wanted to emphasise the craftsmanship that goes into its watches. With this task in hand, seconde/seconde/ set to work. Romaric André artistically customises vintage watches. The commentator, comedian and watch…
Swiss Jura-based manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre is settling into its new Bavarian home as it opens a boutique at Munich's most prestigious address, on the glamorous Maximilianstrasse 24. The world-renowned shopping street in Germany, which comprises one of Munich's four royal avenues, counts the likes of Chanel, Hermès, Omega and Ralph Lauren amongst its affluent residents, while…
With the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Ultra, the Roman brand breaks the world record for the thinnest mechanical watch. The piece measures only 1.80 mm in height and thus knocks the previous world champion, the Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept, off its throne. To reduce the case height even further, Bulgari's watchmakers break with tradition and not…
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato is a the brand's integrated bracelet sportswatch whose design dates back to 1975. The smaller 38mm version was previously only available with a copper dial. This has now changed, as the watch is now available with either a sage green or a midnight blue dial. Case The case of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato…
Last year, Breitling launched a special edition celebrating the German island of Sylt. Now the brand is presenting the successor. The Breitling SuperOcean Heritage Sylt Edition II combines an ice-blue dial with a dark bezel and is thus very much in the spirit of summer. On the case back, Breitling places a special engraving that…
Due to the ongoing health crisis, Watches & Wonders 2021 is shifting from being an in-person fair to an online event. It will still take place from April 7 to April 13, but will now be a solely online, interactive experience. The decision to move online was taken by the Watches and Wonders Geneva Exhibitor…
Rolex is presenting a new version of the Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master II Ref. 126710 BLNR with blue and black cerachrom insert and a bidirectional rotating bezel in Oystersteel, called ‚Batman’ within the Rolex community. In 2013, the brand already introduced a GMT-Master II with a single-piece, two-colour blue and black ceramic bezel. This watch, in Oystersteel and fitted with a…