MONACO Racing Calibre 12 Chronographe

TAG Heuer Monaco, 40 Years of Legend

After its scene-stealing debut on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans, the TAG Heuer Monaco, the square-cased icon of sporting glamour that captured the spirit of an era and changed forever the face of luxury Swiss watchmaking, remains as cool and cutting-edge as ever

The Monaco: Avant-Garde Style and Performance, Squared

Launched simultaneously in Geneva and New York on March 3rd, 1969, the Monaco caught the watchmaking world by storm. The provocative look of the timepiece, with its fire-red chronograph hand, metallic blue dial, domed crystal, and big, squared-off case represented a complete break with the conventional codes of watch design aesthetics. Equally radical was the engineering required to ensure the chronograph’s perfect waterresistance — a world first for a square-shaped timepiece. But what was ticking inside was even more revolutionary: the famous self-winding Chronomatic “Calibre 11”, the first self-winding automatic chronograph movement with microrotor, so precise it rivals to this day the exacting standards of professional chronometer instruments.

For Le Mans, Steve McQueen’s source of inspiration was his friend, Jo Siffert, the Swiss racecar legend who in 1969 became the first-ever driver sponsored by a watch brand, Heuer. The Heuer Monaco had just been launched and so impressed McQueen that he insisted on wearing it in the film. The Monaco became the preferred chronograph of the racing and fashion world — another world first. Its unique, uncompromising geometry started a trend toward “shaped” watches. Instantly recognizable, often copied, never equaled, the “McQueen Monaco” (Model 1133B) is one of the most highly prized pieces in the international vintage markets. Demand far exceeds supply — only a handful is known to still exist, all in the hands of well-informed collectors.

Ever since, the Monaco's emblematic square-shaped dial has been synonymous with TAG Heuer's innovative aesthetic. Reissued in 1998 in a limited edition of 5,000, it was entirely redesigned in 2003, refitted with a 7-row steel bracelet of square links echoing the daring aesthetics of the case. The watch became a must-have among racing purists and collectors, but it also surprised the industry by becoming the huge breakout fashion hit of the year, adored by haute couture and Hollywood.

The re-interpretations that followed were even more revolutionary.

Celebrating one of the most iconic objects of modern design

The MONACO Racing Chronograph Calibre 12 is inspired by Steve McQueen’s MONACO and the Porsche 917K he drove in Le Mans. The fiery red hands give it vintage allure and authentic racing appeal. Other standout features are a curved sapphire crystal face and caseback, through which can be seen the chronograph’s powerful Calibre 12 Automatic Chronograph movement. With an elegant black alligator strap or a black rubber bracelet, it is the legitimate heir of a true motor racing icon.