TAG Heuer Revives 1970s Fan-Favorite Monaco Dark Lord

Swiss Watchmaker TAG Heuer has announced a new Monaco chronograph, alongside Euphoria actor Jacob Elordi as its latest brand ambassador.

Europhia star Elordi joins the Swiss watchmaker to represent the Monaco collection, the instantly recognisable square chronograph that earned its motorsport reputation on the wrist of Steve McQueen in his 1971 passion project, Le Mans.

I’ve always been drawn to things that are both classic and timeless. So partnering with TAG Heuer was perfect for me. I’ve always admired Hollywood’s iconic leading men, so to wear the Monaco – a watch made famous by Steve McQueen – is something special.

Jacob Elordi

This new 39mm special edition takes its inspiration from the 1970s collector favorite, the Heuer Monaco Dark Lord, with its grade 2 titanium treated to a black DLC coating and paired with red chronograph hands and gold-plated hands and indices.

Jacob Elordi was first seen wearing a Monaco when he presented at the Academy Awards earlier this year, opting for a reverse panda model.

This new Monaco special edition is available now via TAG Heuer, priced $8,200 USD, while the brand has also recently started accepting cryptocurrency as payment.

TAG Heuer drops green dial Monaco to mark grand prix historique

The TAG Heuer Monaco (originally Heuer Monaco) is a series of automatic chronograph wristwatches originally introduced by Heuer in 1969 in honour of the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monaco was revolutionary for being the first automatic as well as the first square cased chronograph. Hollywood film star Steve McQueen used the watch to accessorize his character in the 1971 iconic film ‘Le Mans’. 

A design classic beloved by connoisseurs, the instantly recognizable Monaco is cooler and more cutting-edge than ever.

In the decades after his death the use of film stills has made the watch synonymous with McQueen. Although it was discontinued in the mid-1970s, the Monaco was reissued with a new design in 1998 and was reintroduced again with an entirely new mechanisms in 2003 in response to McQueen’s increasing popularity.

The watch typically features a pair of pushbuttons at the 2 and 4 o’clock position. The dials for the minute and hour counters are at 9 and 3 o’clock respectively. There is a hand-applied date window at 6 o’clock. The watch also features chamfered square and oblong hours markers (dials with ‘waffle’ type cross-hatched markers are later reproductions).

In the original version of the Monaco, the crown is located at the 9 o’clock position on a square casing. The shape was revolutionary at the time for a chronograph watch. The unique, square-faced icon of TAG Heuer’s avant-garde heritage and savoir-faire. The Monaco’s provocative look represented a complete break with conventional watch design. Equally radical was its perfect water-resistance — a world first for a square case. More revolutionary still is its heart, the Chronomatic Calibre 11, the first automatic chronograph movement with microrotor.

Early versions came with two different colour schemes. The first (represented by the letter B at the end of the reference code) had a metallic blue dial with white registers. The other (represented by the letter G) had a metallic grey dial and registers. The G model is less popular with collectors. In the years the Swiss watch maker created several beautiful versions.

Now TAG Heuer has taken pole position in the current trend for green dials with a new limited edition release of its classic Monaco to mark this year’s Grand Prix de Monaco Historique race. TAG Heuer is no stranger to this trend, releasing green versions of the Carrera, Aquaracer, and Formula 1 over the past year. To celebrate the 2021 running of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, held in Monaco from April 23 to April 25, 2021, the Swiss watchmaker is bringing a stylish new green look to one of the most recognizable watches on the planet: the Monaco.

There’s no question that the world’s watchmakers have decided that Green is the ‘new Black’ when it comes to watch dials. A couple of years ago Blue was the new Black, and there’s a push by some to make Red the newest of new Blacks, but for 2021 Green is where it’s at. Actually technically, the new 2021 TAG Heuer Monaco Green dial LE combines both Green and Black. If the richness of the sunray dial’s emerald tone wasn’t enough already, TAG Heuer has added further depth with black sub dials and a gradient effect that sees the dial get darker towards its outside edge. We think that this is one of the most beautiful dials that TAG Heuer has ever made.

The 39mm square stainless steel case of the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial follows the slightly modernized lines of the rest of the Heuer 02-powered Monaco series, with its 3 o’clock crown and sapphire display caseback. The Monaco case formula remains intact here, with the short angled lugs, slightly curving rectilinear case sides, and the Monaco line’s signature wide sloping pushers. Like other models in the series, this familiar case provides a reasonably sporty 100 meters of water resistance.

Flip the watch over, and you’re treated to a view of the in-house Calibre 02 automatic chronograph movement through the sapphire display case back. The green theme continues on the automatic movement, with its column wheel and text on the winding rotor picked out in a matching verdant shade, all of which is visible through the watch’s sapphire crystal caseback.

The Calibre 02 is 2018’s follow-up to the Calibre 01, launched in 2015. Performance of the Calibre 02 remains unchanged from the standard models, with a hearty 80-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. The movement has a tri-compax layout (with sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9), a date at 6 o’clock, and a maximum measure of 12 hours. The date window is discreet and quite well integrated into the sub-dial at 6. In keeping with the dial livery, the movement rotor is also DLC plated in green, as is the chronograph column wheel. A nice touch and continuation of the green theme from the dial. 

In a sea of limited edition dials and engraved casebacks, a special touch on the movement is a welcome addition and gives the Monaco Green Dial a subtle unique charm. TAG Heuer pairs the watch with a classic black alligator leather strap on a signed deployant clasp.

The biannual Grand Prix de Monaco Historique gets underway today with more than 200 classic Grand Prix cars racing through the streets of Monaco over the next three days. TAG Heuer, with its historic association with motorsports, sponsors the event as well as the being the official watch of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the official watch partner of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum. TAG Heuer’s Monaco has been associated with motorsport since it appeared on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 film, ‘Le Mans’.

The new limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial offers one of the most striking and handsome takes on the current right-hand crown Monaco series.

Just 500 pieces of the 39mm stainless steel Monaco Green Dial Limited Edition are being made and are available now via select TAG Heuer stores, priced $6,650 USD. Come into the beautiful and timeless world of TAG Heuer.

TAG Heuer and Porsche celebrate friendship with special edition timepiece

Swiss luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer and German sportscar manufacturer Porsche have officially sealed their longstanding friendship with an exceptional partnership inspired by their shared passion for competition and designing luxury products. The special edition TAG Heuer Porsche Carrera Chronograph celebrates this link-up between two iconic brands.

In 1963 Jack Heuer, the great grandson of the founder, created the first Heuer Carrera chronograph, designed specially for racecar drivers. A few years later Jack Heuer forged an agreement with racing driver Jo Siffert, who put the brand’s logo on his suit and the Porsche he drove, in exchange for which he sold Heuer Monaco watches, named in tribute to the Monaco Grand Prix. Thanks to Steve McQueen, who wore a racing suit bearing the two logos, the two brands came together again in the 1971 movie ‘Le Mans’. They continued their close relationship in the 1980s and 90s with the TAG-Turbo engine, as well as competitions including the Porsche Carrera Cup and Supercup. In 2019, when Porsche created its own Formula E team, it naturally partnered with TAG Heuer.

Now a new partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche formally celebrates these years of friendship, says Frédéric Arnault, CEO of the watchmaker: “TAG Heuer and Porsche have common history and values, of course, but more importantly, we share an attitude. Like Porsche, we are disruptors at heart, always in pursuit of high performance. With this alliance, TAG Heuer and Porsche finally come together officially after decades of close encounters and will create unmatched experiences and products for customers and fans that are passionate about both our brands and what we stand for.”

The TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is well worth the wait. Associated with Porsche’s most powerful engines, the Carrera name was a natural choice for this exceptional timepiece, inspired by the famous Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico. The design is a perfectly balanced alliance of the essence of each brand’s identity. The Porsche colors of red, black and gray and unmistakable font are joined by Arabic numerals that evoke the numbers on the dashboard of exquisite Porsche sportscars. The asphalt effect of the black dial, embodying a passion for the road.

The 44mm stainless steel case of the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is shared with the standard Carrera Sport Chronograph line, with the same short angular lugs, undercut case architecture, and unique modernist take on piston pushers. This futuristic take on a classic Heuer shape is accentuated by vivid red Porsche branding replacing the tachymeter text on the ceramic bezel. Although this takes up quite a bit of visual real estate, the integration of the logo into the usual layout of the design rather than placing a Porsche emblem somewhere on the dial feels considered and streamlined in initial images. The Carrera Porsche Chronograph also adds a pop of red to the screwdown crown in place of the usual black stripe. Like the standard model, this case offers a solid 100 meters of water resistance.

What immediately sets the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph apart from its stablemates is its dial texture. While this isn’t the first time in recent years the brand has tried to emulate asphalt in its dial finishes (that honor goes to the Formula 1 Indy 500, 2020 Special Edition), the effect is markedly different here. Rather than the deep black of a freshly repaved racing circuit, the stony gray and rougher-grained finish here aims to capture the feel of a winding back road. It strikes a different emotional chord in this way, but the effect in images appears to be perhaps a bit too glossy to capture the weathered feel of a public road. The look is nonetheless striking, and the Carrera Porsche Chronograph adds several unique elements on top of this. This is the first in the current Carrera Sport Chronograph series to feature Arabic numerals rather than indices, and the smooth modern applied numerals here are inspired by the gauges of the current Porsche 911. The dial also adds accents in Porsche’s signature Guards Red to the subdials, outer seconds track, and the central chronograph seconds hand for a sporty punch. Interestingly, this is also the first time the current Carrera Sport Chronograph design has featured a black date wheel at 6 o’clock, giving the date display a more cohesive feel.

For lovers of speed and precision, the timepiece is powered by the in-house Calibre Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement. The Heuer 02 has become the brand’s flagship chronograph movement in recent years, with an impressive array of features, including a column wheel and vertical clutch chronograph actuation system and a hefty 80-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph neat rate. The Carrera Porsche Chronograph adds a unique black-plated rotor design to mimic Porsche steering wheels.

TAG Heuer offers the Carrera Porsche Chronograph with a pair of strap options. First up is its angular, modernist take on the H-link stainless steel bracelet with a push-button clasp. The second option is unique to this model, an embossed black calf-leather strap with a center seam and hand-sewn contrast stitching inspired by Porsche interiors.

In 2021 TAG Heuer and Porsche are teaming up for a series of events, notably the Porsche Carrera Cup and Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup competitions. On the green, TAG Heuer will join Porsche as a partner of the Porsche Golf Cup and the Porsche European Open. And on the court, their shared passion for tennis will bring them together for the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, featuring the game’s most talented women. These collaborations mark the strong bonds between the two brands nourished over decades of friendship, an ideal embodiment of Jack Heuer’s motto: “Time doesn’t stop. Why should we?”

With the introduction of the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph, the historic and lasting relationship between these two sporting brands becomes even deeper. While the TAG Heuer Carrera Porsche Chronograph is a special-edition model, production numbers are not limited.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Carrera Chronograph is available at TAG Heuer boutiques and selected stores worldwide. Come into the beautiful and timeless world of TAG Heuer.

TAG Heuer Carrera Limited Edition: celebrating 160 years of history

To honour this special anniversary, the Swiss luxury watchmaker is introducing the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition – with a design from the 1960s powered by a 21st-century watchmaking innovation.

160 years young: TAG Heuer kicks off a millestone anniversary with the re-edition of a Heuer Carrera Highlight.

In 1860, TAG Heuer – known as Heuer at the time – was founded by Edouard Heuer in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Over the past 160 years, much has changed but the brand’s commitment to innovating and developing cutting-edge watchmaking creations has remained constant. One collection that is set to receive special attention this year is the TAG Heuer Carrera line, which features the brand’s most elegant chronographs: iconic timepieces since their introduction almost 60 years ago, and which have carried the brand’s racing heritage and daring spirit through the decades.

A Carrera ref. 2447D, which shares the same silver dial but includes a decimal scale.

The Carrera watch has a long and storied past. It was in 1962, then-CEO Jack Heuer learned about the incredible Carrera Panamericana road races. The word ‘carrera’ (translated in Spanish to road, race, course – think: Porsche Carrera) intrigued him as much as the races. He opted in on creating a chronograph watch of that name – unveiled to the world the following year, 1963. Then, it was in 1964 that the monochrome silver-dial model, often referred to as 2447S, made its debut.

To kick off a year of tributes and celebrations, TAG Heuer is revealing a TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition, of which only 1860 pieces will be produced.

The new version is fashioned after that legendary watch. Crafted in polished stainless steel, it is larger than the original 36mm (standard size in the 1960’s), though, and measures 39mm in diameter. Also the seconds subsidiary dial is at 6:00 on this version vs. 9:00 on the original. It also no longer houses the Valjoux 72 movement that the vintage version houses. As mentioned, it is fully up to date. It is presented on a black alligator strap, and has a transparent sapphire case back for viewing the lacquer engraving and redesigned oscillating weight. The new movement offers 80 hours of power reserve, is thinner and more streamlined, and beats at 4Hz for higher precision.

Just 1,860 pieces (representing the year of Heuer’s founding) will be made, each with case back engravings: ‘One of 1860’ and ‘Limited Edition’. While the watch won’t be available until June of this year, we got the chance for a sneak preview.

The Tag Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver Limited Edition chronograph watch is crafted in polished stainless steel, with silver applied markers against a monochrome silver-colored dial with two chronograph counters and s small subsidiary seconds hand. It also features a central chronograph seconds hand. The Heuer 02 automatic movement that power it is entirely Swiss-made and consists of 168 components.

While the watch won’t be available until June of this year, we got the chance for a sneak preview.

 

Technical Specs of the TAG Heuer Carrera Silber 160 Years Limited Edition watch:

The case 

Diameter 39 mm, stainless-steel polished case and fixed bezel, domed sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment, polished stainless-steel crown at 3 o’clock and push buttons at 2 and 4 o’clock, water-resistant to 100 metres (10 bar), steel caseback with ‘One of 1860’ engraving.

 

The dial

Silver sunray brushed dial, silver flange with 60-second/minute scale, silver chronograph counters, white permanent second indicator, rhodium-plated polished, facetted hour and minute hands with beige SuperLuminova®, black lacquered central hand.

The functions: Chronograph with minutes and hours, permanent second indicator; hours, minutes; central chronograph seconds hand.

 

The movement

TAG Heuer Automatic Calibre Heuer 02 Manufacture movement, automatic chronograph, diameter 31 mm, 33 jewels, balance oscillating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 80-hour power reserve, oscillating mass with 160th anniversary engraving. The Heuer 02 automatic movement is entirely Swiss-made and consists of 168 components.

The strap: A black alligator strap and polished stainless-steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons.

It will be available worldwide to customers from June 2020. Come into the beauiful world of TAG Heuer.

 

 

 

TAG HEUER: the Porsche 99X Electric enters its maiden Formula E season

With the international premiere of the Porsche 99X Electric, Porsche has reached another milestone on the way to the works entry in the 2019/2020 season of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The digital community was actively involved in the unveiling of the car as part of the live video game ‘Formula E Unlocked’ on twitch.tv/Porsche.

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will race its first season in the 2019/2020 ABB FIA Formula E Championship with a total of 12 partners. TAG Heuer, the Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches, is the Title and Timing Partner of the Porsche Formula E Team, which will compete in Season 6 of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship under the name ‘TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team’.

Come into the beautiful worlds of Porsche and TAG Heuer.

 

 

 

 

TAG Heuer Monaco celebrates its 50th anniversary

In 1969, Heuer launched the Monaco – a sensational watch designed for its unique design and its forward-looking technology became famous. Fifty years later, TAG Heuer celebrates this legendary model with new versions of the iconic original timepiece and by hosting various events throughout the world and with a book dedicated to the model.

Be iconic. Like the race and city it’s named for, the Monaco is the epitome of elegance and prestige with a vintage flair. The world’s first automatic chronograph – and the first water resistant timepiece with a square case -became legendary after Steve McQueen sported it in the classic 1970 Hollywood racing film ‘Le Mans’. It’s the ultime watch for those living life in the fast lane. Lights, camera, ACTION !

Half a century later this legendary model through events in Europe, the US and Asia will be celebrated throughout 2019. At each of these events a model in a limited edition will be introduced to celebrate the iconic timepiece. A new book entitled ‘Paradoxical Superstar’, documents the historical and technical highlights of this impressive icon and will be available from May 2019 at TAG Heuer boutiques and online. Come into the beautiful and timeless world of Tag Heuer.