TAG Heuer Monaco 1969–1979 Limited Edition
In May 2019, TAG Heuer kicked off the 50th anniversary celebrations for the Monaco timepiece at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix, the legendary event that gave the watch its name in 1969. TAG Heuer unveiled the first of five new collector’s timepieces inspired by the original Monaco. Five creations of the timepiece will be successively revealed throughout 2019.
The Monaco’s daring and iconic design has made it instantly recognisable. Every aspect of the Monaco timepiece design was radical, and went where no other watch had gone before in terms of design and technology. Not only was the TAG Heuer Monaco the first ever water-resistant square watch, it was also the first to feature an automatic-winding chronograph movement.
Since its debut, the Monaco watch and the Monaco Grand Prix, for which TAG Heuer has been the Official Watch since 2011, have had a strong connection – the most glamorous Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season gave its name to the TAG Heuer Monaco collection in 1969. No other place and location would therefore have been more suitable for celebrating the iconic timepiece’s 50th anniversary.
When the Heuer Monaco (TAG was not part of the company name at the time) was introduced at simultaneous press conferences in New York and Geneva on 3 March 1969, journalists and watch aficionados around the world were amazed. Every aspect of the watch’s design was radical, and went where no other watch had gone before in terms of design and technology. The Monaco’s daring and iconic design made it instantly recognisable, with its never-before-seen water-resistant square case.
This was the perfect complement to the advanced technology being presented by the Swiss watchmaker at the time. Developed and commercialised by Heuer, the Calibre 11 was the world’s first automatic-winding chronograph movement.
Highlighting the breakthrough and yet timeless design of the original Monaco, TAG Heuer created five new models inspired by the trends, colours and styles that characterised each decade of the Monaco’s half-century history. Emblematic geometric shapes and colours from the 1970s, combined with a timeless Côtes de Genève pattern are some of the features that distinguish the first model to celebrate the Monaco’s 50th anniversary.
Presented on a brown leather strap with holes lined in light brown, this stainless-steel timepiece has been produced in an edition limited to only 169 pieces. The green dial features brown and yellow touches and a Côtes de Genève finishing. The hands are coated with SuperLuminova®. Only a quick glance at the subdials and the position of the crown is needed to recognise this unconventional timepiece’s Monaco lineage.
The caseback of this 1970s-inspired timepiece is engraved with the original “Monaco Heuer” logo as well as “1969-1979 Special Edition” and “One of 169”. Beating inside the case is the renowned Calibre 11, a modern version of the automatic-winding chronograph movement that made its debut inside the original Monaco in 1969.
Technical details
Model: TAG Heuer Monaco 1969–1979 Limited Edition
Reference CAW211V.FC6466
Movement
TAG Heuer Automatic Calibre 11, diameter 30 mm, 59 jewels, balance oscillating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 40-hour power reserve
Functions
Chronograph with seconds and minutes; date, hours, minutes and small seconds at 3 o’clock
Case
Diameter 39 mm, case in stainless steel, fixed bezel in stainless steel, sapphire crystal, polished steel crown at 9 o’clock and push buttons at 2 and 4 o’clock, water resistant to 100 metres (10 bar), steel caseback with “1969- 1979 Special Edition” and “One of 169” engravings
Dial
Green dial with Côtes de Genève finishing, sunray black gold plated small counters, polished, facetted indexes, brown and yellow touches on hands and indexes
Strap
Brown calfskin leather strap, polished folding clasp in stainless steel
Edition
Limited to 169 watches
Special Packaging
Like the watch itself, the watch box is also inspired by the original. Each of the special-edition models comes in a box with colours that match the watch and the decade it represents. The 1970s-inspired model is packaged in a dark blue box decorated with the Heuer logo and a horizontal chequer-pattern stripe. The watch is placed on a yellow cushion and surrounded by a green interior – the same colour found on the dial.
