MONACO V4

As part of its 2011 “Mastering Speed” commemoration of its most famous source of  inspiration — a century and a half of professional motorsports — TAG Heuer is now  officially partnered with the Monaco Grand Prix, the world’s most glamorous race  organized by Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM).  To mark the occasion, TAG Heuer proudly unveils three exceptional chronographs  inspired by the essence of motor racing: the Monaco V4 Next Generation, the  Monaco V4 Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic, and the exclusive Monaco  Mikrograph, a unique, “one-off” timepiece that will be donated to the Only Watch  charity auction in Monaco in September.  

MONACO, THE RACING WORLD’S MOST ICONIC CHRONOGRAPHS  First seen on Steve McQueen’s wrist in the 1970 race film Le Mans, the square-  faced Monaco Chronograph has become a legend. Now three new editions drive the  icon even further into the avant-garde of Swiss watchmaking design and  manufacture:  

Monaco V4 Next Generation  

Unveiled as a concept watch at BaselWorld 2004, the double-patented MONACO V4  is the world's first watch with high-yield mechanical belt drives and a linear rewinding  system. With these two stunning additions, the stylish Rose Gold Ruthenium and  Ceramic edition and the high-tech Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic Edition, the  Monaco V4 Next Generation sets new standards in belt-driven watchmaking.  

Monaco V4 Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic  

From October 2011: the Monaco V4 Next Generation welcomes it’s most high-tech  version to date: the Monaco V4 Titanium, Ruthenium and Ceramic. With its super lightness, extraordinary tensile strength, corrosion resistance and  ability to withstand extreme temperatures, titanium has become an essential building  material in many high-tech industries, including luxury car manufacture, aviation,  aeronautics and medicine. High processing costs and demanding know-how keep its  usage limited to top-end industries.  

TAG Heuer is a pioneer in its use in watchmaking, having mastered its manufacturing  challenges. The brand’s Research & Development team has now developed a  process enabling the use of Titanium Grade 5, a special alloy used in aircrafts,  turbines and surgical implants, in the case construction of its most avant-garde  timepiece to date, the Monaco V4 Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic.  

A stunning tribute to the Swiss brand’s 150 years of pioneering innovation, the  Monaco V4 Next Generation Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic is available in an  exclusive edition of 200 pieces. The case is more imposing (41mm instead of 39mm)  and made of Titanium-Grade 5, with fine-brushed silicon nitride “ceramic” inserts. The  inserts visually lighten the squared shape of the watch, and the newly angled planes  of the beveled crystal give the watch a more fluid and contemporary profile. Other titanium components are the hand-applied faceted indexes on the dial, the  minute and hour hands, the small second hand at 4 o’clock, the thermo-lacquered  crown at 3 o’clock, and the strap’s folding buckle. The strap itself is in ultra-soft,  large-scale alligator, with anthracite hand stitching and a rubberized leather lining.  

The V4 movement’s avant-garde architecture, visible through the timepiece’s anti-  reflective sapphire crystal front and back, remains unchanged (tungsten ingot linear  mass, two pairs of barrels in series, set in parallel and linked by belts), but the  finishes have been completely revisited, with a high-resistance black ruthenium  coating on the back plate and the Côtes de Genève decorated bridges. The beautiful  black juxtaposes superbly with the white “V4” and “TAG Heuer” engravings on the  dial, and with the patented transmission and rewind white belts, now in high-contrast,  high-tech white polymers exclusively developed for the new timepiece.  

For a very special watch, a very special watch box.  

Internationally acclaimed South African artist Paul du Toit has personally committed  to create a unique piece of art to host the Monaco Mikrograph. The watch box art will  be conceptualized and painted by this celebrated artist.  Paul du Toit has gained stature in Europe following the award of a medal from the  city of Florence in the Biennale Internationale Dell'arte Contemporanea. Renowned  for using an impasto technique (thick industrial paste into which he scratched lines  and images), it is now intrinsic to his style of automatic scribbling.  

As a firmly entrenched artist, Paul du Toit is able to dedicate attention to community  project involvement. Philanthropy resonates deeply with him. Paul was involved  directly with Nelson Mandela in fundraising efforts for his 46664 campaign for 3  successive years. Ink handprints on canvas of Mr Mandela's boxing hand were  auctioned in Johannesburg and in London. In 2009, a mould of Mr Mandela's boxing  hand, which was cast in a one-off unique bronze, was auctioned in London for  $3.5m. In 2010, an imprint of both Mr. Mandela's hands were made into a relief  sculpture and auctioned in NYC. All the auctions were to benefit Mr. Mandela's 46664  campaign.  

Paul du Toit’s superb watch box for the TAG Heuer Monaco Mikrograph is sure to  add to the unique timepiece’s sale price at Only Watch auction.  The one-off Monaco Mikrograph and its special display box will tour the world from  August 30th to September 17th, with exhibitions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai,  Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan and Geneva. It will then be auctioned  at the Only Watch event in Monaco on September 22, 2011. Proceeds of its sale will  benefit Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.