This week, TAG Heuer, longtime auto-racing supporter and timer, announced its new partnership with the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, becoming its official timekeeper and sponsor of both the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum. The Monaco event, which was scheduled for this month but was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, has long been viewed as one of the premier Formula 1 racing events. To commemorate the moment and to channel its historical prestige, the Swiss watchmaker is unveiling the new Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition, a special version of its famous Monaco watch. This new model is the first Monaco to be released by TAG Heuer since 2019, when the brand unveiled five new timepieces over the course of the year, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its unique design.
The limited-edition watch bears all the familiar hallmarks of the classic Monaco style, though it’s differentiated from others foremost by its red-and-white colorway, with its various commemorative accents, a contrast to the classical model’s all-blue dial. The watch has the 39-mm square case common to the Monaco, with right-side-integrated pushers and crown; historical caliber 11 models often use a left-mounted crown instead.
Underneath the fitted square sapphire crystal, we find a red-accented Monaco dial with an outer red square background surrounding an inner silvered white circle. On the outer edges of the face we find applied hour markers accented with applied red dots and broken up by a subtle black printed minute ring, as well as the outline of small, vintage formula 1 car on its top right. Closer to the center of the dial are two sunken red subdials for the 12-hour and 30-minute chronograph counters, while a non-sunken, subtle register appears just above a 6 o’clock date window to count the running seconds. The modern TAG Heuer logo and a simple “Monaco” script occupy the top of the dial, while sweeping over the face are two elongated, lume-filled sword hands and a red lance-shaped pointer for the chronograph seconds.
Inside the new commemorative model is the Caliber Heuer 02, a reliable automatic mechanism produced in-house by the brand and one that supplies power to many of its modern three-register chronographs. The movement is capable of an 80-hour power reserve and features a black skeletonized rotor with red engraved accents. The caliber is visible via a sapphire caseback with “Monaco Grand Prix Historique” overlaying it in red, black, and gray print, while other watch details are engraved around the circular window, including its edition number.
The new Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique will be limited to 1,000 editions, priced at CHF 6,700 (or about $6,800), and will be available starting in August 2020. To learn more about the new limited edition, you can visit the TAG Heuer website here.
I’ve never cared for the blue Monaco. But for some reason I REALLY like this red version. Good job TAG Heuer!
Tag Heuer always full surprises, proud to be associated with your brand. Staunch customer.
Tag Heuer always full surprises, proud to be associated with your brand. Staunch customer.
Let me know where and when the Monaco will be for sale.