BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Next in our lineup of watches, which we strangely didn’t get to hands-on with in advance at Watches & Wonders for some reason, is TAG Heuer with their new Monaco Chronograph dark blue model. I must admit I was being deliberately obtuse in that last sentence. I do understand that these big brands have product roadmaps, and with the introduction of the Monaco Split Seconds (which we didn’t get hands-on with either), it would be best not to confuse things too much.
The watch is, of course, named the Monaco because of the prestigious history of the tiny country located on the Mediterranean Sea. The area is known principally for the Grand Prix which has been held there annually since 1929 and is one of the most prestigious events in the racing calendar. However, lots of sporting things take place in Monaco aside from Formula One racing, such as Formula E, the Monte Carlo rally, and the Monaco Marathon, which is the only marathon in the world to cross three different countries, beginning in France, going through Monaco and concluding in Italy.
This new piece from TAG Heuer pays tribute to the illustrious heritage of this tiny corner of the world and the part that TAG Heuer has played in motor racing events held there. The iconically-shaped square case is made of DLC-treated titanium with a sandblasted finish and measures 39mm in diameter, the case’s water resistance is 100m. Linked to the case is an embossed rubber and calfskin leather strap, which does seem a little bit of an odd combination of materials, given calfskin’s aversion to water.
The classic TAG Heuer Monaco dial remains here, although it’s been cut away in some places to give it a more technical look. The dial’s blue and yellow accents also stand out well against the backdrop, and plenty of lume means it will be just as legible in the dark.
Inside the piece and on view through the sapphire caseback is the self-winding calibre TH20-00, which is itself based on the Calibre Heuer 02. The history of this movement stems back to 1969 as the Heuer 02 movement is based on the designs from that time. It’s received a few changes, though, such as more modern finishing which includes yellow finishing for some of the text and also the column wheel. This movement has a 4Hz beat rate and a long 80-hour power reserve.
This new piece from TAG Heuer looks good, and thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be a limited edition piece either. Although it’s priced quite high at $11,250, online buyers will be treated to a complimentary leather travel pouch, which is nice.
