As you might expect, TAG Heuer is introducing a new version of its Monaco chronograph to celebrate this weekend's yacht party that goes by the name of the Monaco Grand Prix (he writes jealously). As our archives kindly reminded me, it's basically a variation of last year's skeletonized Monaco, just a little more subdued, if that's possible for the original avant-garde chronograph.
The new Monaco has a dark blue, skeletonized dial and a black DLC-coated grade-2 titanium case that measures 39mm wide and 47mm lug-to-lug. This time around, yellow accents provide a little color. The dial is a sandblasted blue but with lots of skeletonization to give a look at the Heuer caliber 02 chronograph underneath. It's paired with a sporty blue calfskin and leather strap.
The Heuer caliber 02 is also visible through the sapphire caseback. It's a column wheel, vertical clutch chronograph with solid specs, beating at 4 Hz and with an 80-hour power reserve. The industrial finishing isn't much to look at, but it's always fun to see a column wheel, basically the on-off switch for the chronograph mechanism, in action. That said, it feels like more of a value proposition in a $6,500 Carrera Glassbox than in a $12,000 Monaco. But, the Monaco has come to represent something different in the TAG Heuer catalog. I'm partial to the classic Carrera side of the brand, but I suppose there's room for avant-garde too, considering it is in the name, after all.
This is essentially a color update to last year's introduction of the skeletonized Monaco. As Malaika said then, the Monaco was never an easy watch to pull off – big, rectangular, and with more sharp angles than the Sydney Opera House. Skeletonization makes an even bigger statement. One objective critique is that I might expect grade 5 titanium at this price, but perhaps because of the DLC coating this doesn't actually matter much. The skeleton Monaco feels like a very Monaco watch and certainly not something for my Midwest sensibilities as we round the final corner into Memorial Day weekend. Not that it offends the sensibilities or anything – just that it's a watch that seems for a very specific time and place, namely Monaco and especially during Grand Prix weekend.
But, as I've surely written before (or someone has on this site) the Monaco was always a bit of a forward-thinking watch, the kind of thing for Stanley Kubrick or other such visionaries that might be ahead of their time. I'm glad TAG continues to lean into this idea with the Monaco because not every watch needs to be a conservative and boring Carrera for little old me who sometimes clutches his pearls at the very idea of skeletonization. If you're in the States – have a good holiday weekend!
The Basics
Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Monaco
Reference Number: Ref. CBL2188.FT6261
Width: 39mm (47.4mm lug-to-lug)
Thickness: 15.2mm
Case Material: DLC-coated titanium
Dial Color: Sandblasted blue and skeletonized
Indexes: White carved indices Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Embossed blue calfskin and rubber strap; titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
The Movement
Caliber: Heuer 02 (ref. TH 20-00)
Diameter: 32mm
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 4 Hz
Jewels: 33
Pricing & Availability
Price: CHF 11,000 (~$12,000)
Availability: May 2024
Limited Edition: No
