In 1975, Scuderia, Ferrari’s Formula One team, saw its first victory in eleven years when driver Niki Lauda won the Drivers’ Championship and Constructors’ Championship. To celebrate, Ferrari’s watchmaking sponsor, Heuer, debuted its Monza collection the following year, named after the legendary Monza Circuit in Italy. The Monza featured Heuer’s first black-coated case, which would go on to become hugely popular among the brand’s racing chronographs that decade and throughout the ‘80s.
Never quite as popular as Heuer’s other models, such as the Carrera or Monaco, the Monza has still held a place in the hearts of racing watch enthusiasts worldwide for its unique layout (originally a left-sided crown and a subdial at the 10 o’clock spot) and growing triviality. However, this week, during LVMH Watch Week in Singapore, TAG Heuer unveiled a revival of the Monza that’s decidedly modern.
This version, powered by the in-house Heuer Caliber 02 movement, is a flyback chronograph with a dial you can see through. Featuring a skeletonized dial and carbon material on its 42mm case, the new timepiece is striking at first glance and distances itself from the more vintage-inspired offerings of recent TAG Heuer chronographs. However, it also stays true to the experimental nature of the original Monza.
Both a work of art and a functional timekeeping tool, the TAG Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometer sells for $13,850.
