Shortly before the legendary Grand Prix weekend in Monaco, the newly crowned Formula 1 sponsor TAG Heuer is launching three racy new models in the cult collection of the same name. Fittingly, the race will start for the first time under the name Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco.
The ticking Monaco story began in 1969 with one of the first automatic chronographs from TAG Heuer. Its square case in combination with equally square sub-dials and the unusual crown position at 9 o’clock resulted in a radical design for the time. Nevertheless – or precisely because of this – it quickly conquered the wrists of racing fans and lovers of unconventional designs.
Above all, however, it also impressed with its sophisticated watch technology. The Monaco from 1969 was the world’s first wrist chronograph with a modular automatic movement with a micro-rotor – the Calibre 11 – and a water-resistant square-shaped case.
In 1971, Steve McQueen wore a Monaco in the legendary film Le Mans. The triumphal march of this watch then quickly gathered pace and brought forth a variety of configurations – including models with automatic and manual winding as well as dials in blue, grey and black. However, its rise was halted in the late 1970s by its sister models, the Autavia and Carrera. Production was discontinued – temporarily.
By then, it had long since earned its cult status and has not relinquished it to this day. In 1997, the reference CS2110 picked up where the Monaco had left off at the end of the 1970s: as an icon that knows how to inspire the watch world. Since then, it has continued to write watchmaking history and regularly enriches the TAG Heuer portfolio with exciting new configurations. TAG Heuer is now presenting three Monaco timepieces, each of which is a highlight in its own right. But one model in particular stands out. And not just because of its six-figure retail price.
Titanium is particularly important in this new Monaco chronograph. Thanks to its use, the timepiece weighs just 86 grams. The experts and scientists at the TAG Heuer Lab were not satisfied with standard and opted for the particularly robust TH Titanium. It is used in the 41-millimetre case, which is water-resistant to three bar.
The material is usually used in the aerospace industry, for turbine elements and in the automotive industry. It is created using a thermal process that transforms the metal at an atomic level. This creates an irregular pattern that changes when exposed to light, giving each Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph a unique look.
Another material ensures an avant-garde look and comfortable readability: sapphire crystal for the dial, bezel and case back. The view from above reveals a clear view of the black opalised chronograph counters with hands in lime green. The drag hand is just as bright and contrasting, and the bright colour of the corresponding pusher also provides contrast. The skeletonised hands for the hours and minutes in black gold, on the other hand, attract attention with white Superluminova and white lacquered tips.
The sapphire crystal case back also provides an unobstructed view of the mechanical inner workings of this new Monaco. With its titanium components and 33 grams, the Calibre TH81-00 is also a lightweight – but not in technical terms.
Created in partnership with the renowned movement developer and manufacturer Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, the fast-oscillating heart (36,000 vibrations per hour) of the automatic split-seconds chronograph offers a power reserve of 65 hours (chronograph off) or 55 hours (chronograph on).
The complex split-second hand functionality – also known as a rattrapante – goes beyond that of a regular chronograph and allows two time intervals to be measured simultaneously. The corresponding second second hand is synchronised with the “normal” hand and thus dragged along. To stop the time, this synchronisation can be interrupted by the user and the trailing hand then remains in place. This enables the precise measurement of lap times – for example in Formula 1 racing.
Naturally, TAG Heuer has given the Calibre TH81-00 an appropriate finish. This begins with the finely brushed oscillating weight, extends to the likewise brushed balance bridge with polished edges and culminates aesthetically in the hand-engraved finish flag. If you can afford the €145,000 price tag, you can securely fasten the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph to your wrist with a hand-stitched black calfskin strap.
This new Monaco is particularly faithful to its famous ancestors from the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time, the timepiece is a reminder that TAG Heuer was the first watch brand to sponsor a Formula 1 team, Scuderia Ferrari, in 1971 and was the official timekeeper of the premier class of motorsport from 1992 to 2003.
With the modernised design codes of the past, but also with its mechanical drive, this watch thus creates a stylish link to the stopwatches from Heuer, as the company was called until 1985. At that time, the company merged with the Luxembourg company Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG), giving rise to the name TAG Heuer.
Until the 1970s, Heuer stopwatches were a familiar sight on the necks of many timekeepers at motorsport events. They stood for clear readability and precision, even when fractions of a second mattered. The colour palette of the new Monaco Chronograph Stopwatch Limited, limited to 970 pieces – black, white and red – corresponds to the original colours from this era. The black circular centre of the dial with the vintage logo is surrounded by a white, opalescent passe-partout. The minute ring and the central chronograph second hand in bright red are eye-catching.
Grade 2 titanium with a black DLC coating forms the protective frame, which is water-resistant to ten bar, is quite moderate at 39 millimetres and also retains the original proportions of the Monaco Number 1. The Calibre 11 can be inspected through its spahir crystal case back. The mechanical homage to the historical model offers the functions hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph (1/4 second, 30-minute counter) as well as date and a power reserve of 40 hours.
The Monaco Chronograph Stopwatch Limited is worn on a black, openworked calfskin, reminiscent of the racing gloves of yesteryear. The price is €9,650.
Last but not least, this timepiece developed in partnership with the oil company Gulf Oil also commemorates the pioneers of modern motorsport in the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, the limited edition of 971 pieces is an unmistakable reference to the film Le Mans, in which the fictional racing driver Michael Delaney manoeuvres his Monaco around the racetrack in a Porsche 917K.
The actor Steve McQueen was picky and didn’t just have any watch put on his wrist. He made his own choice – a very good one, as it turned out. The cinema film was an important building block for the Monaco on its way to becoming a time-telling and measuring legend. This also applies to the Gulf racing suit and the Porsche 917K with its blue and orange colours – typical of motorised endurance racing at the time.
The new Monaco Chronograph x Gulf reflects all of this with its dynamic design. Of course, it also draws inspiration from the first of its kind from 1969, as can be seen from the crown positioned on the left and the Calibre 11, which can be viewed through the sapphire crystal case back of the 39-millimetre titanium grade 2 case, which is water-resistant to ten bar.
Its precision is reliably transferred to the dial made of finely grained silver with the characteristic vertical Gulf stripes and the Gulf logo in cosy coexistence with the vintage TAG Heuer emblem.
Even with the white textile strap with orange-coloured stitching, TAG Heuer could not leave racing behind. It is made from fireproof Nomex. The material was produced by a small US company that made the original racing suits for the film Le Mans. More heritage is hardly conceivable. Alternatively, this ticking piece of motorsport history can be worn on a blue strap made of openwork calfskin. The Monaco Chronograph x Gulf costs €9,400.
