On The Watch: Vintage Racing Chronographs A.K.A. the Monaco Bros

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If you read my last article, “Watches That Will Make Any Collector Fall to His Knees,” you’d know that I am a hardcore online vintage watch watcher. So what exactly is an “online vintage watch watcher?” An “online vintage watch watcher” is an individual who spends 99% of his or her time scouring through watch listings on various watch-trading sites, but never seems to purchase anything. Yep, so that basically describes me every night of the week. Anyway, I decided that I would go on a quest to find the most perfect, flawless, iconic vintage chronographs out there and this is what I found.



What am I about to show you are two very important watches: a super-watch-duo, the Batman and Robin of vintage watches, or whatever else you’d rather call them. Okay, let’s just cut to the chase. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.




The first contestant is the cream of the crop when it comes to the world’s ultimate racing watches. The reference 7159 Tudor Monte Carlo is like a brother to the original Daytona, except with a dial that is ten times rarer. Shocking, but true: the 7159 Monte Carlo is harder to come by than, let’s say, a 6239 Daytona. The Monte Carlo I happened to find online is on Chrono24 and the seller, SwissWatchExpo, is asking $15,900. The watch is all-original, including the multi-colored grey/orange dial that lacks any imperfections. The watch has undergone a complete overhaul and includes the original box and papers. It’s not a bad price, but I’d definitely want to negotiate a better price with the seller.


Tudor Monte Carlo 7159


Next up is another Monaco native. The world-famous 1133 Monaco by Heuer is the watch that can be seen on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 film, Le Mans. I don’t think this watch need much of an explanation or, better yet, an introduction.  It’s the whole package with this baby. You get the box, the papers, and even the original racing strap. For roughly $20,000 even (including tax), you could wear a piece of motorsport history on your wrist all day long.




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Fun Fact: Did you know that Heuer never designed the Monaco as a racing watch? It was originally intended to be a watch for the “modern man,” such as an architect, designer, or an artist. Heuer gained it’s racing rep all because of Mr. McQueen and his Monaco!






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Luke Rottman – Contributing Writer


Whether it was seeing Rolex commercials while watching tennis on TV or learning that his music idols (Eric Clapton and John Mayer) regularly were spotted sporting a vintage Patek or Rolex. It was at the age of ten when Luke’s fascination with watches began. Luke first started off buying and selling small-brand vintage watches that were in the sub-$1000 price range. He later worked his way up to buying and selling high-end vintage watches from world renowned brands, specializing mostly in pre-1980 Rolex watches. After years of all this trading, Luke used his vast knowledge and experience dealing in the vintage watch market to create a website focused on sharing his love of watches with others. In January 2014, Luke successfully launched The Watchadviser. Luke Rottman has also written for various other international watch publications.