SpotlightRacing Heart: TAG Heuer Introduce Three Skeletonised Monaco Chronograph Watches
TAG Heuer bare their iconic squared Monaco watch down to its skeleton, with three fantastic open-worked iterations that prove the watch—and the brand—has motor racing in its bones
May We Recommend
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Monaco Grand Prix, concluded as among the toughest circuits in the world, TAG Heuer released three special versions of their iconic Monaco Chronograph square watch, which offers up a view of its racing heart. This is the first time the brand have released open-worked Monaco Chronograph timepieces as part of their repertoire, as opposed to their partially-skeletonised limited editions in the past. Among these new entrants is a stunning blue sandblasted dial with racing red highlights—to pay homage to the brand’s Monaco’s 1969 model, as made famous by Steve McQueen—and two with black sandblasted dials.
The Monaco Chronograph Through The Ages
Among the most iconic watches ever, this offering from the house of TAG Heuer first made an appearance in 1969, when Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the brand’s founder—probably the best known and loved leader in the brand’s history, and a racing and watch enthusiast himself—unveiled the square-shaped case with a blue dial and chronograph functions. More importantly, this historic timepiece featured the Calibre 11, the first automatic chronograph movement to be made mainstream, making the watch a legend in its own right.
The success of this first Monaco has prompted the release of multiple versions since, including the revamped ‘Dark Lord’ iteration in 1979, with a matt black case and dial. In 1998, the brand added the Monaco to their Vintage series, and later upgraded the movement to the Calibre 360 in 2003—a version that could measure time accurately up to 1/100th of a second, further cementing TAG Heuer’s position in the world of motorsport.
The Monaco Chronograph Tribute Edition
The first of the new skeletonised Monaco Chronograph watches features a 39mm case in grade-2 sandblasted titanium, with the 1969-blue sandblasted dial. The bevelling on the domed and squared sapphire crystal glass protecting the dial only serves to enhance the overall look of the watch. The crown and pushers are in a similar finish, adding to the watch’s clean aesthetic. The screwed down similarly-finished titanium caseback has a rounded sapphire-crystal window allowing a view of the Heuer 02 automatic calibre housed within.
The blue sandblasted dial features rhodium-plated, facetted indexes and hands, coated with Super-LumiNova, and the red lacquered central chronograph seconds hands. The square-shaped, blue, opaline minute counter at three o’clock, and the blue hour recorder at nine feature lacquered red hands, as a throwback to the vintage model. The permanent seconds at six o’clock features a rhodium-plated hand, enhancing the look of the watch, while also reducing clutter on the obviously busy open-worked dial. Mounted on a strap that is embossed, in blue, calfskin and rubber, and featuring a sandblasted grade-2 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons, this blue TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph is a picture of race-ready elegance.
Racing Colours Of The Monaco Chronograph
The Monaco Chronograph with the black sandblasted dial against a grade-2 titanium case features black gold-plated and faceted timekeeping hands filled with blue Super-LumiNova, with a contrasting red central seconds hand. The minute counter at three o’clock and the 12-hour recorder at nine are in black opaline, with lacquered red hands. The red is reminiscent of racing sparks made by tyres on the track. The permanent seconds hand at six o’clock on this model is in a lacquered black. The strap on this one is in black.
The French Riviera Monaco Chronograph
Breaking away from traditional blue, racing red, and shades of grey, is the third skeletonised version of the Monaco Chronograph, with a black DLC-treated grade-2 titanium case, and a black sandblasted dial with turquoise blue highlights, which evoke the blue of Monaco’s coastline and the French Riviera. Incidentally, this turquoise can also be viewed on the engravings of the oscillating mass, as well as on the column wheel, which activates the chronograph. The movement offers a whopping 80-hour power reserve.
Bordering the beautifully squared chronograph counters, which feature contrasting racing red hands, is this stunning turquoise with the minute track engraved on it. Machined indexes lacquered with turquoise, and filled with blue Super-LumiNova, and black, gold-plated faceted hour and minute hands complete the look of this funky new Monaco Chronograph. All three timepieces feature the date window at six o’clock, with a delightfully-skeletonised date ring.
Easily among the brand’s most recognisable watches, the latest updates in TAG Heuer’s Monaco Chronograph pay homage not just to the first Monaco timepiece, but also stay true to the DNA of the Monaco chronograph. More importantly, these new watches definitely push the Swiss-made timepiece out of the ‘vintage’ closet and into the future with their edgy skeletonised aesthetic.
