BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
TAG Heuer’s Monaco may not be its most famous model or its most popular, I’d wager the Formula 1 and Carrera stand above it there. But, the Monaco is probably their most interesting range of watches. I say range because they’re known for doing some crazy limited-edition pieces. The Monaco looks like a product of the mid-20th century, and its charm comes from the fact that it’s just that: a watch from way back when but made for today’s audience. Sure, TAG Heuer’s design is much more “corporate” and it sometimes feels like the soul of the modern watch industry is gone, but when we take off the rose-tinted spectacles we find the Monaco standing as tall and proud as ever.
The classic driver’s watch has been given a sleek new edge in this Night Driver watch. Night diver watches are scuba diving watches with black cases and fully luminous dials, where the lume is the backdrop to the watch and hands and markers contrast it. In most scenarios I’d imagine that’s quite handy underwater unless your goal is not to be detected.
The Monaco Night Driver is TAG Heuer’s play on this formula to make something truly special, and this is just that. The 39mm DLC-coated titanium case is very cool with its black detailing and black strap.
That dark coating is matched to the hands, which sit atop a matte grey dial with white detailing including white square subdials. The classic Monaco formula has been followed here with square subdials inside a round dial inside a square watch. The real draw of this piece, though is the lume. The hands (including the chronograph seconds hand) glow in the dark, as do the pips by the hour markers, pretty standard stuff. The extra lume comes in the form of the subdials, of which the white backdrop also glows. Finally, all the space between the round dial and the square case is also lume and so glows in the dark in spectacular fashion. I appreciate it when brands get clever with their designs instead of putting out yet another limited edition or another dial colour with little regard for anything else.
Inside is the self-winding Heuer 02 movement. We’ve covered this movement before so will be brief. It’s TAG Heuer’s current workhorse chronograph calibre, with a column wheel and vertical clutch taking it above the average movement on sale these days. It also has great finishing, a contrasting black rotor with light blue details and a meaty 80-hour power reserve.
These are limited to just 600 and are available worldwide now in TAG Heuer boutiques and via their website for a price of CHF 9,300.
