Few watch brands are more synonymous with motorsports than TAG Heuer, with iconic racing chronograph models such as the Carrera, Autavia, and Monaco, which rose to prominence in the ‘60s and ‘70s during the sport’s heyday. Now, in anticipation of this weekend’s 80th Monaco Grand Prix, the Swiss firm has unveiled skeletonized versions of the watch that took its name from the race.
In 1969, Jack Heuer set out to make a racing chronograph that blended form and function, with a striking square case, a unique design ethos, and the industry’s first-ever automatic chronograph movement. The Monaco was born and became an instant hit — and was even immortalized on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans. Throughout the years, the Monaco has been revamped and updated, but few innovations are as unique as the ones we’ve gotten today.
Available in three beautiful colorways, these new Monaco references are not the first open-faced versions of the legendary timepiece if you count the one-off forged carbon version auctioned off back in 2021. However, this is the first time the general public actually has a chance to buy one themselves. Housing a Caliber HEUER 02 Automatic movements that’s also visible through the caseback, the 39mm case is made from grade 2 titanium that’s been sandblasted for aesthetic. If you’re looking for something that echoes McQueen’s iconic piece from Le Mans, you should go with the blue dial version. However, we anticipate the black dial variant with turquoise accents and a black DLC-coated case being the hit of the party. There’s also a regular black dial version with red accents and a non-coated case. The hands and indices are treated with Super-LumiNova.
Adorned for the first time with a bi-material strap made from a combination of embossed leather and rubber (and in colors that match the dials), the new Monaco Skeleton Chronographs are available now from TAG Heuer, starting at $10,750.
