TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph "Stopwatch" Calibre 11 Titanium automatic black dial leather strap 39 mm

Heuer, timing is in its DNA

Long before becoming a name associated with Monaco, Carrera, and Formula 1, Heuer had established a unique reputation in the world of sports timing. From the early 20th century, the Swiss Maison developed timepieces for automobiles, sports, aviation, and industry.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Heuer timers were proudly displayed on the dashboards of race cars, alongside steering wheels and gauges, and even around the necks of timekeepers. These mechanical stopwatches were robust, easy to read and accurate, with a functional design featuring contrasting hands, clear scales and precise markings. TAG Heuer has transposed this visual grammar into a wristwatch with the Monaco “Stopwatch” edition, designed as a link between pure timekeeping and iconic watch design.

The Monaco: an icon born to change the rules

When Heuer unveiled the Monaco in 1969, the watch industry experienced a real aesthetic and technical shock. The watch, with its square water-resistant case – a world first – was powered by a revolutionary new caliber: the Calibre 11, one of the very first automatic chronograph movements.

But it was in 1971, with the film Le Mans, that the Monaco truly entered the realm of legend. Steve McQueen, wearing the watch on his wrist, played a fictional driver in a Porsche 917K Gulf, helping to create one of the most powerful images in the history of motorsport and cinema.

The Monaco then became much more than a watch: a symbol of freedom, speed, and avant-garde style. Produced until the end of the 1970s, it made a comeback in the 1990s under the TAG Heuer banner and is now an absolute icon, regularly reinterpreted without ever betraying its DNA.

A design directly inspired by racing lap counters

The design of this Monaco “Stopwatch” draws its essence from the heritage of professional chronographs developed by Heuer in the 1960s. A radical functional design, designed for readability and precision. It is this DNA that is brilliantly transposed into this edition.

The dial features a highly legible two-layer construction, which echoes the construction of a “Stopwatch”:

• a silver opaline background with a grained texture,
• a black circular ring, recalling the inner bezel of an on-board measuring instrument,
• a red peripheral track, echoing the rhythmic markings of mechanical counters and enhancing minute-by-minute readability.

Added to this are two black counters at 3 o'clock (chronograph minutes) and 9 o'clock (small seconds), with contrasting white hands for immediate readability. The main hands are faceted, blackened and filled with blue Super-LumiNova®. The red central chronograph hand creates a dynamic focal point at the heart of the dial, perfectly echoing the world of racing. The applied hour markers are also blackened to add depth. They echo the layout of the hour markers on the first Monaco dials.

Printed in white on the circular black background, the vintage Heuer logo anchors this creation in its heritage: that of precision instruments that measured time not to contemplate it, but to master it on the track.

The overall effect is balanced, dynamic, resolutely legible, and immediately identifiable as coming from the world of professional measuring instruments.

Calibre 11: a legendary heart for a unique edition

This edition would not be a Monaco without its legendary engine. So we find the Calibre 11, the first automatic chronograph movement with a micro-rotor launched in 1969, which already powered the very first Monaco. It still stands out with its unique configuration: crown on the left, chronograph pushers on the right.

The current Calibre 11, modernized but faithful to the original architecture, beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. It is visible through a screw-down sapphire case back, revealing its components and automatic winding mechanism.

DLC titanium and perforated leather: the aesthetics of a racing driver

The 39 mm case of this edition is made of grade 2 titanium, entirely covered with a black DLC coating. This extremely hard finish offers both exceptional scratch resistance and a matte, stealthy aesthetic, perfectly in line with the “racing tool” inspiration. The case retains the angular shapes characteristic of the Monaco, while gaining lightness thanks to the titanium.

The watch is fitted with a perforated black calfskin strap, a direct nod to racing gloves, with a DLC titanium folding clasp. The result is understated, sleek and uncompromising.

Collector's box and strategic positioning

Presented in a black and red box inspired by the world of racing and timekeeping, this edition is strictly limited to 970 pieces worldwide. A number designed to reinforce the exclusive character of this unique interpretation of the Monaco.

It also fits into a strong strategic context for TAG Heuer: 2025 marks the first edition of the “Formula 1 TAG Heuer Grand Prix de Monaco,” highlighting the brand's central role in modern Formula 1. In this context, the Monaco “Stopwatch” embodies more than ever TAG Heuer's identity as the official, legitimate, and visionary timekeeper of motorsport.