In case you missed it (which is highly unlikely), TAG Heuer spent all of last year celebrating the anniversary of its iconic Carrera watch. It did so in style, and by releasing several updated versions of it. At this year’s big annual unveiling showcase – Watches & Wonders – while the Swiss watchmaker did add even more to the Carrera collection, the standout piece belonged to its other major icon: the Monaco.
More specifically, the square-cased Monaco gets some serious Haute Horlogerie elevation, with a rattrapante-baring Split-Seconds Chronograph.
The piece is a big watch flex (and comes with a price tag to match) from the brand as it looks to continue its trajectory into an elevated watchmaking space.
The new Monaco comes in either a red or a blue motif and is made from a mix of sapphire and grade 5 titanium. The sapphire, employed most strikingly on the bezel and dial, gives the design a sense of openness and transparency. And the titanium, which comprises not just the case but the entire movement, brings the weight way down. Dubbed the TH81-00 caliber and developed in conjunction with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, it’s one of the lightest mechanical chronograph movements TAG Heuer has ever made.
We mentioned the price tag, well, the eyebrow-raising cost of $138,000 (with full customization options bumping it up to $169,000) means it needs some serious consideration, but that’s kind of the point. This isn’t for casual fans. It’s Haute Horlogerie d’Avant-Garde. The big swing. The pinnacle watchmaking expression of TAG Heuer’s watchmaking expertise at the biggest watch show of the year. Luckily, it just so happens to look really damn cool, too.