W&W 2025: TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph | F1
On 2 October 2024, what had long been the subject of speculation was finally confirmed: LVMH and Formula 1 officially announced a new partnership. In a year that sees Formula 1 celebrating its 75th anniversary, LVMH gains the opportunity to bring its portfolio of 75 brands into the pinnacle of motorsport – and to grant one of them a particularly visible role: TAG Heuer.
With its return to Formula 1, TAG Heuer is rekindling a partnership that is significant in more ways than one. As early as 1969, Heuer became the first luxury watchmaker to sponsor a Formula 1 driver – Jo Siffert – whose logo also appeared on a racing car. In 1971, Heuer developed the Le Mans Centigraph for Scuderia Ferrari – a highly precise timing instrument of its era. And following the brand’s acquisition by the TAG Group, TAG Heuer went on to serve as the official timekeeper of Formula 1 from 1992 to 2003.
Now, the brand returns to this legacy – and celebrates its renewed role as official timekeeper of Formula 1 with a very special model: the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph | F1. Here’s everything you need to know about the watch, limited to just ten pieces.
The Significance of the Monaco for TAG Heuer
A widely held belief among watch enthusiasts is that a timepiece is always more than the mere sum of its parts – that the ensemble of components is, in fact, capable of telling a story. It is about more than just time: a watch can speak of craftsmanship, exceptional materials, or cultural reference points with which it is intrinsically associated. As the TAG Heuer model most deeply rooted in the world of motorsport, the Monaco stands out as one of those rare timepieces that embody this idea.
Launched in 1969 – the very same year TAG Heuer entered into its first partnership with Formula 1 – the Monaco became the world’s first waterproof, square-cased automatic chronograph wristwatch, and evolved into one of the brand’s most important models. Between the silver screen and the racetrack – whether through Steve McQueen, who wore the watch in the 1971 film Le Mans, or other notable personalities such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Stanley Kubrick – the Monaco and its iconic square case established their status as a timekeeping icon, continuing to shape TAG Heuer’s brand identity to this day.
With the brand’s renewed partnership with Formula 1, the Monaco is once again set to experience a new dawn – one that is likely to be explored through numerous variations and special editions. It begins with the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, limited to just ten pieces, combining a white ceramic case with a striking red dial.
The Case
The case of the Monaco, where protection, mechanical integration and functional control converge, has always culminated in its iconic square shape. With the new Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, the brand lends this form a bright, contemporary appearance by presenting it in radiant white ceramic. Unlike moulded ceramic cases, every individual component here has been precision-machined.
The Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, at the time the lightest TAG Heuer chronograph ever produced, was first unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2024 – sending a clear message that the brand intends not only to maintain its iconic line, but to advance it technically as well. This ambition becomes evident in the complex operation of the split-seconds chronograph, which requires both sides of the case to be engaged. On the right-hand side, at 2 and 4 o’clock, two chronograph pushers are positioned. The pusher at 2 o’clock starts the white chronograph hand and stops both chronograph hands. The pusher at 4 o’clock then resets both hands. The red rattrapante hand, meanwhile, is controlled by a dedicated pusher on the opposite side at 9 o’clock. This is framed by two pusher guards located at the 8 and 10 o’clock positions.
TAG Heuer ensures the case reaches its full aesthetic potential by hand-finishing every visible edge, curve and surface. The case diameter measures 41 mm, while the thickness stands at 15.2 mm. The watch is also water-resistant to 30 metres. The design is rounded off by a polished crown at 3 o’clock, adorned with a red-and-green TAG Heuer logo.
The Dial
The dial, by contrast, takes a distinctly more vivid direction. One of its most defining design elements is the use of signal red – a colour that symbolises the very essence of Formula 1: a blend of dynamism and energy. At the same time, it draws the viewer’s gaze directly towards the visible centre of the dial. There, framed by white ceramic bridges, sit the openworked hour and minute hands, above which rise the white lacquered chronograph hand and the red lacquered rattrapante hand.
These are accompanied by the chronograph minute and hour counters at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions. Their textured surfaces emulate asphalt and are accented by white and yellow starting lines, as well as Formula 1’s official typeface – all intended to evoke the visual language of motorsport. The counters are further enriched by a quote from British commentator David Croft: “LIGHTS OUT & AWAY WE GO.”
Finally, the dial is completed by a small seconds display at 6 o’clock, featuring a hand crafted from black gold. Opposite it, at 12 o’clock, sits a TAG Heuer shield – individually hand-lacquered on each of the ten pieces. Yet this is not the only logo to be found on the dial: just below the small seconds sits a discreet F1 emblem, subtly rounding off the racing-inspired aesthetic.
The Movement
Beneath the dial lies the TH81-00 calibre, crafted by movement manufacturer Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, which made its debut alongside the first Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph released the previous year. At its heart is a split-seconds mechanism – also known as a rattrapante or double chronograph – which enables the measurement of two separate time intervals simultaneously, such as the lap times of two Formula 1 cars. Beating at a frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour), the movement offers a power reserve of up to 65 hours (or approximately 55 hours when the chronograph is in use) and is constructed from lightweight materials such as titanium.
Particularly striking are the movement’s decorative finishes, which can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback. With bridges styled like chequered flags and a red-and-white rotor inspired by Formula 1 kerbs, the same motorsport-inspired design language that defines the dial continues seamlessly into the movement. The watch also introduces a completely new approach to the caseback for TAG Heuer. Unlike conventional designs, which feature only a sapphire crystal viewing window, this caseback is crafted entirely from sapphire. The thick sapphire crystal is secured to the case by four screws.
Price & Availability
Only ten individually numbered pieces of this timepiece will be produced. The new TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph | F1 is scheduled for delivery from the fourth quarter of 2025 – with a recommended retail price of CHF 155,000.
In a world where every second is meticulously counted, Hermès presents the Hermès Cut Le Temps Suspendu, a watch that challenges the conventional understanding of time. Originally introduced in 2011, the "Time suspended" complication has been a playful emblem of Hermès, inviting wearers to appreciate the present moment by pausing the relentless march of time.…
The Navitimer from Breitling is turning 70! Originally conceived as a tool watch with which pilots could still perform flight calculations using a completely analogue system, it has advanced over the years and, since its time on the wrists of jazz great Miles Davis, filmmaker enfant terrible Serge Gainsbourg or racing legends Jim Clark and…
A veil of grey clouds covers the snow-clad Matterhorn, one of the icons of the Alps. The summit only makes a timid appearance on this day, but it creates a no less imposing backdrop for an anniversary celebration. With a view of the Matterhorn to accompany it, the Swiss watch brand Alpina is honouring its…
At the start of this year, Ulysse Nardin saw a change in its management. In February, the brand appointed Matthieu Haverlan as its new Managing Director. Having previously established a career with Hamilton and Jaeger-LeCoultre and been part of Ulysse Nardin as Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Growth Officer for more than seven years, Haverlan…
They are probably the only watches that you can buy at a car dealer, and only at a car dealer – the recently launched Porsche Design Chronograph 911 GT2 RS and Chronograph911 Turbo S Exclusive Series. The reason is the new ‘Porsche Design for Porsche’ concept which means, that only buyers of the new 911 super sportscars GT2…
Ever since the Wright brothers revolutionised aviation in 1903, watch manufactures have competed to produce the best, most precise, and most functional tool watches for the skies. Given the superlatives with which some manufactures gild themselves today, it is easy to lose track of who actually played what role and when. After all, there are…
To any fan of watchmaking, a trade show like Watches & Wonders is the same as what a visit to the toy store is to a child: way too much of everything the heart desires, and touches our very soul. For the vast majority of visitors, the novelties from Patek Philippe are always what is…
In a return to what the sumptuous luxury Swiss watch and jewellery maison does best, Piaget has once again merged art and horology with the release of the Andy Warhol Clou de Paris watch. While the manufacture is also respected for its remarkable ultra-thin watches and in-house production, Piaget is known above all for its artistic heritage.…
Exactly 80 years ago, Willy Breitling received a patent for a chronograph with a circular slide rule. It was the birth of the now age-old Chronomat that two years later, in 1942, was first presented to the public with Reference 769. The name Chronomat is derived from the words chronograph and mathematics. This is because,…
If A. Lange & Söhne is revered as Germany’s most formidable watch manufacture, the Lange 1 is, undoubtedly, its pièce de résistance. With A. Lange & Söhne having been founded in 1845 by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, a small town in Germany that would become known as a centre for watchmaking, East Germany nationalised…
Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet is one of those models whose true character only comes to light at second or third glance. This also explains why, upon its launch in 2019, the collection didn't exactly get off to a smooth start. Far too many jumped the gun, without giving the newcomer the chance to introduce…
In 1957 the Soviet Union launches the Sputnik-Satellite, the fashion icon Christian Dior dies, Ai Weiwei was born, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney meet for the first time at a church-festival and later founded the Beatles. In the same memorable year, OMEGA released three new watches from their professional collection, which still today are…
In the middle of the last century, a hype around chronograph watches emerged. Over the course of time, the wrist stop-watches have received nicknames like BiCompax or TriCompax, whereas these descriptions did not stand for the number of sub-dials, but for the number of functions. However: If there was a third sub-dial placed on the…