TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial – Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial – Grand Prix de Monaco Historique is a limited-edition version of the legendary chronograph. It features a sublime verdant green dial, contrasting black counters, the distinctive 39mm case and a fully integrated column-wheel chronograph movement, the Calibre Heuer 02 automatic.
The very name, ‘Monaco’ embodies glamour and success as well as evoking thoughts of cars screaming around bends, clipping apexes and nudging Armco. This brand name entered watchmaking parlance in 1969 and remains entwined with the luxurious principality and the star of the iconic film ‘Le Mans’, Steve McQueen.
Today, TAG Heuer is the Official Sponsor and Timekeeper of the Grand Prix de Monaco. In addition, it is also the Official Watch of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Official Watch Partner of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum. However, before I talk more about today’s Monaco, I think it is important to revisit the model’s past.
Back in the late 1960s, Breitling, Buren, Dubois-Dépraz and Heuer were in the midst of developing the world’s first self-winding chronograph movement. Jack Heuer, a consummate marketing professional, realised that he and Willy Breitling would both be launching new models equipped with the same movement at the same time. He wanted an obvious point of difference.
One day, he met a representative from Piquerez, a case supplier from the Jura. The company had developed a new water-resistant square case. Heuer decided back in the 1940s that it would only offer water-resistant watches, precluding it from making square watches beforehand. However, the Piquerez case wasn’t afraid to get its hair wet. Its design was patented and Heuer was able to sign an exclusive contract for the movement. Suddenly, Jack Heuer had a means of differentiating his watch from Breitling’s planned model.
The inaugural Monaco was released in 1969 and was equipped with the new self-winding chronograph movement, the Calibre 11. Its bi-compax dial was predominantly blue and featured prominent white counters and numerous smatterings of red detail. Over the years, the Monaco evolved with new dial variants offered and updated movements. In addition, the brand has released a number of limited or special editions endowed with new dial colours.
Personally speaking, and not wishing to upset Monaco purists, I think the model ascended to new heights in 2019. TAG Heuer, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Monaco, released several limited-edition models that year. Each model featured a dial inspired by a period in the life of the watch, ie 1969-1979, 1979-1989, 1989-1999, 1999-2009 and 2009-2019. These models featured a modern-day Calibre 11 and were limited to 169 pieces. Thereafter, TAG Heuer did not cease innovating but continued to create even more new models.
Last year (2000), the avant-garde Swiss brand released the TAG Heuer Monaco Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Limited Edition. Limited to 1000 pieces, this watch was endowed with the firm’s sublime Calibre Heuer 02 movement and sported a sumptuous red dial with contrasting silver tones.
Now, the prestigious brand has unveiled its latest octane-rich creation, the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial – Grand Prix de Monaco Historique. Limited to just 500 pieces, this model is once again fitted with the Calibre Heuer 02 movement but, on this occasion, the dial is dressed in on-trend green and includes black counters. Close examination of the gradient dial reveals its appearance transitions from light tones at the fulcrum of the dial to dark shades near its periphery.
Green is the order of the day. The hands and indexes are treated with white Super-LumiNova which emits a green hue in restricted light. The openworked oscillating weight features green text and even the column wheel is presented in a vivid verdant shade.
The Monaco has a rich history, however, based on my personal observations, it just keeps getting better and better.
The brand’s press release (April 2021)
TAG Heuer is adding a new limited-edition piece to its legendary TAG Heuer Monaco collection, the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial, marking this year’s Grand Prix de Monaco Historique of which TAG Heuer is the Official Sponsor. This limited edition of 500 pieces will enchant watch aficionados with its special colour, a deep green, a rare and modern interpretation of a maverick design.
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial is revealed in time for the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, of which TAG Heuer is the Official Sponsor and Timekeeper. TAG Heuer is also the Official Watch of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Official Watch Partner of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum, confirming the enduring bond between TAG Heuer and the Principalities’ motorsport events.
The biannual Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend is one of the highlights of the classic car racing calendar, and its passionate community of owners, drivers and spectators relish the spectacle of historic Grand Prix racing and the warm spirit around the legendary circuit.
More than 200 Grand Prix cars representing 50 different carmakers and 21 countries enter each event. Selected for their historic value and degree of originality, they compete in seven series spanning the periods from the 1930s to the 1970s.
To celebrate the 2021 edition of this illustrious race, TAG Heuer is unveiling a remarkable limited edition, the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial limited edition showcases a colour trending in watch dials right now, highly popular among watch collectors and aficionados, a rich emerald green.
This never-seen-before dial tint in our iconic model introduces a fresh take on the TAG Heuer Monaco and highlights the unmistakable design features of the iconic square-cased steel watch. The dial gradient colour, from light green in the centre to dark green at the edge, conveys a sensation of speed. The green colour is also reminiscent of the famous covered portion of the Monaco Grand Prix track, preceding the chicane by the port.
Subtly contrasting its vibrant sunray-brushed dial are two black sub-dials and rhodium-plated indexes and hands with white Super-LumiNova®.
With thoughtful consistency, the markings engraved on the oscillating mass and the column wheel of its in-house movement are also green and visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Distinctive and timeless, the watch is presented on a black alligator leather strap and is powered by the sophisticated Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement, which boasts an impressive power reserve of 80 hours.
This 39 mm TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial automatic chronograph is available in a limited edition of 500 pieces.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial will also be presented in a new packaging which was created to evoke the racing heritage of the TAG Heuer Monaco collection. It will be available in select boutiques worldwide and on www.tagheuer.com from 23 April 2021.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial is a chic and modern interpretation of a maverick timepiece, and a celebration of the deep ties between TAG Heuer, its disruptive design launched by Jack Heuer in 1969 and the prestigious races of Monaco. More than fifty years on, the unique DNA of the TAG Heuer Monaco continues to be expressed through bold and modern interpretations. With this new green dial limited edition, the TAG Heuer Monaco collection confirms its status as one of the most iconic and timeless watches of all time.
Further reading