TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 Watch Review
The TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 was one of the highlights on display at Watches & Wonders 2025. Sharing exhibition space with a couple of Formula 1 cars, the Swiss avant-garde brand left visitors to its stand in no doubt that TAG Heuer is back as the ‘Official Timekeeper of Formula 1’.
TAG Heuer and Formula 1
For many avid fans of motorsport, 24 Sundays throughout the year are dedicated to Formula 1. The kids are sent to grandparents, phones are switched off and beers and snacks are positioned close to hand. Indeed, this high-octane world serves as a welcome escape from the monotony of the weekday 9-5 existence.
Image – credit © laclefprod
As 20 cars thread their way through bends, clipping apexes with millimetric precision, square-eyed viewers can’t fail to notice the profusion of brand names and logos gracing trackside hoardings. For many years, the crown reigned supreme; however, in January 2025, it was usurped by the shield of TAG Heuer. Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Formula 1, TAG Heuer is now the ‘Official Timekeeper of Formula 1’.
Image – credit © laclefprod
It’s not the first time that the Swiss avant-garde brand has inhabited the adrenaline-rich world of Formula 1. Indeed, it has been a regular fixture in the paddock for decades with the shield emblazoned on the wind-cheating bodies of several race-winning cars, including those of Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.
Chronographs and stopwatches
While TAG Heuer offers a diverse selection of timepieces, it will forever be known for its capacity to measure elapsed periods of time. In 1887, Heuer patented an upgraded design for the ‘oscillating pinion’, enhancing the chronograph’s ability to instantly start and stop on demand. Thereafter, the Maison went on to create a multitude of chronographs, stopwatches and electronic timing devices. The Swiss marque has legitimacy in the field of sports timing, making it the ideal partner for Formula 1.
Eager to celebrate its ‘triumphant return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1’, TAG Heuer has just unveiled the ultimate chronograph, the so-called ‘split-seconds chronograph’. Sometimes, referred to as a ‘rattrapante’, this complication is widely regarded as a ‘high complication.’
Image – TAG Heuer exhibition stand at Watches & Wonders 2025
Split-seconds chronograph (rattrapante)
The split-seconds chronograph allows the wearer to measure two simultaneous events independently. With a regular chronograph, you can watch a race and time the eventual race winner as they cross the line. However, with a split-seconds chronograph, you can do more. As the victor crosses the line, press the split-seconds pusher located on the edge of the case and you can measure the additional time it takes for the runner-up to finish. Both times are clearly shown with the chronograph and split seconds hands. This complication is especially useful for timing multiple intermediate times while still recording the total elapsed period.
The split-seconds chronograph is highly complex. There are many forces at play within the movement, all of which must be managed. Moreover, until the split-second hand is actuated, it must move in tandem with the central chronograph seconds hand. The gap between both hands must be minuscule to avoid any confusing issues of parallax.
After using the split-seconds function, pressing the associated pusher causes the split-second hand to instantly catch up with the central chronograph seconds hand and, once again, appear as one lone hand.
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 – introduction
No doubt keen to fanfare its association with Formula 1, TAG Heuer has just unveiled a new split-seconds chronograph, this time housed in an avant-garde white ceramic case. Limited to just 10 pieces, this latest creation shares several elements in common with the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2024. For example, it features the same movement, the Calibre TH81-00. However, this latest model, dressed in a new suit of ceramic clothes, incorporates several F1-themed details, imbuing it with a unique aesthetic.
Image – Reference: CBW2181.FC8322 (red – black DLC fine brushed, sandblasted and polished titanium case)
Image – Reference: CBW2182.FC8339 (blue – fine brushed, sandblasted and polished titanium case)
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 – dial
The baton-style hour and minute hands are lined with Super-LumiNova and partially openworked. They are teamed with white indexes presented on a red-tinted layer of sapphire crystal that floats above two angular white ceramic bridges.
At the centre of the dial, two hands measure elapsed periods. The upper red hand measures splits while the central chronograph seconds hand, presented in white, sits below. Unlike last year’s Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, the chronograph registers on this latest release have been enriched with additional colours. The red Arabic numerals are intended to evoke thoughts of adrenaline, while the smatterings of white and yellow are inspired by the ‘starting grid positions’.
TAG Heuer has also been playful with the choice of captions gracing the base of each counter. ‘RATTRAPANTE’ and ‘CHRONOGRAPH’ have been supplanted by ‘LIGHTS OUT’ and ‘& AWAY WE GO’. Also, the monochromatic depiction of the brand’s logo found on last year’s release is now presented in glorious Technicolour.
While the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 is suffused with colours and flourishes of design, the Swiss marque has not sacrificed readability on the altar of style.
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 – case
Returning to Watches & Wonders 2024, the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph was presented in two titanium case options, one coated in black DLC and a second version in naked metal. As previously stated, this latest iteration of the Split-Seconds Chronograph is presented in a white ceramic sandblasted case, encompassing both fine-brushed and polished surfaces.
Ceramic is scratch-resistant, not liable to fade and is notably light; all attributes that make this watch suitable for daily wear. This is not the moulded variety of ceramic found on cheaper watches, but a machined case that is subsequently finished by hand. The pushpieces and crown are also formed of ceramic, with the latter item sporting a multi-coloured TAG logo on its vertical flank. At the heart of the split-seconds pusher residing at 9 o’clock sits a red lacquered titanium tube, seemingly pulsing with life.
Furthermore, TAG Heuer has equipped this model with expansive panes of bevelled and domed sapphire crystal that drink in light, bathing the indications with notable brilliance, augmenting readability.
Lastly, the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 is presented on a white calfskin strap featuring ‘textile embossing’ and enlivened with embullient red hand-stitched detail.
TAG Heuer Calibre TH81-00
As previously mentioned, the Calibre TH81-00 is endowed with an ultra complex split-seconds chronograph mechanism. However, while this is the headline act, there are several additional qualities worth mentioning.
The movement features two column wheels (one for the chronograph and the second for the split-seconds), a detail that will resonate with purists. Moreover, the Calibre TH81-00 features an über-desirable variable-inertia balance, conferring an array of benefits, including superior precision.
Unlike the common 4 Hz movements that dominate the marketplace, the Calibre TH81-00 has a frequency of 36,000 vph (5 Hz), which offers superior shock-resistance and precision. A potential drawback of high-frequency movements is that they tend to quaff energy; however, with its 65 hour power-reserve (chrono off), no such criticisms can be levelled at the Calibre TH81-00.
Finally, TAG Heuer has also enriched the appearance of this movement with multiple finishes, including a prominent bridge embellished with a chequered flag motif and a kerb-themed red and white decoration on the rotor.
TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1 – closing remarks
The excellence of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1, once again, showcases the Swiss firm’s prowess for making precision timing instruments. Its specification is rich in technical refinements and includes the use of several expensive materials. Moreover, the creation of each watch is understandably protracted, drawing on the talents of the most capable artisans and watchmakers who share an unwavering commitment to product excellence. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why this model is limited to just 10 pieces and comes with a price tag of CHF 155,000 (RRP as of 16.4.2025).
At this juncture, having heard the price of the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1, you may question the relevance of such a watch. However, as devotees of motorsport will attest, several innovations originally conceived for the track have since trickled down and have now improved road safety for all. The world of Formula 1 may be esoteric with only 20 drivers vying for supremacy each weekend, but its appeal is universal and provides a fitting means of boosting brand awareness for the iconic shield.
Further reading
https://www.tagheuer.com/gb/en/
Technical specifications
- Model: TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph F1
- Reference: CBW2190.FC8356
- Case: white ceramic (sandblasted, fine-brushed and polished), diameter 41 mm, height 15.2 mm, water resistance 3 ATM (30 metres), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, split seconds function
- Movement: Calibre TH81-00, automatic, frequency 36,000 vph (5 Hz), power reserve 65 hours (chrono off) / 55 hours (chrono on)
- Strap: white calfskin strap with textile embossing and red hand stitching. Grade-5 titanium butterfly folding clasp and safety push-buttons with fine adjustment and grade-5 titanium pin buckle
- Price: CHF 155,000 (RRP as of 16.4.2025).