BY JOVAN K
50 years ago, Heuer introduced the Monza watch to celebrate Niki Lauda’s historic 1976 Formula 1 World Championship title with Scuderia Ferrari. To celebrate this, TAG Heuer is marking the milestone ahead of the Italian Grand Prix with the new limited-edition Monza Flyback Chronograph (Ref. CR5092.FC8372). The new Monza marries the forged carbon construction introduced in the 2023 collection with the iconic, high-contrast black-and-red color scheme that put the original 1976 watch on the map.
The foundation of the watch sits on a 42mm x 15.2mm cushion-shaped case crafted entirely from lightweight forged carbon. Because of how carbon composite is compressed under intense heat and pressure, every single watch gets its own distinct, marbled grey-and-black pattern.
The fixed bezel and crown are also forged carbon, while the two chronograph pushers are black DLC-coated steel. Up top, a domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment keeps glare at bay, and the whole setup packs a solid 100 meters (330 feet) of water resistance.
Unlike the open-worked skeleton dial seen on the 2023 edition, this 50th-anniversary model returns to its roots with a matte black dial layout. An asymmetrical subdial setup places the 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 6 o’clock, and an angled date window tucked in at 9 o’clock.
Bright red lacquered hands pop against the dark background, while white pencil hands and blocky rectangular indices are coated with Super-LumiNova. Along the outer black flange, TAG Heuer brought back the classic dual tachymeter and pulsometer scales, giving you the tools to measure both speed and heart rate straight from your wrist.
Turn the piece over, and you get a Grade 2 titanium case back finished in a stealthy black DLC coating, featuring an exhibition sapphire glass and individual numbering (001/500). The in-house TH20-12, COSC-certified automatic movement operating at 28,800 vph (4Hz) with and 80-hour power reserve.
It comes with a column wheel and vertical clutch, but its standout feature is the flyback function and a skeletonized rotor along with red accents framing the movement perimeter. Instead of the traditional stop-reset-start sequence, pressing the flyback pusher lets you reset and instantly restart the chronograph with a single click, an essential tool for timing rapid, consecutive lap times trackside.
Rounding out the motorsport vibe is a classic black perforated calfskin rally strap detailed with contrasting red stitching. It fastens with a sandblasted Grade 2 titanium folding clasp finished in black DLC with double safety push-buttons.
The TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronograph is limited to 500 numbered pieces worldwide, and comes in at USD 13,400 USD/CHF 12,600/EUR 13,350. While it’s certainly far removed from the budget-friendly position the original brass-cased Monza held back in 1976, TAG Heuer nailed the balance here giving collectors a high-tech carbon flyback chrono that respects its heritage without feeling like a lazy retro rehash.
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