In the 1970’s when the original Monaco was released, it was a big hit, this year’s revision is no exception. The new and improved Silver Monaco is the latest chronograph released by Tag Heuer featuring Calibre 11 movement and the iconic left-sided crown design. The history of this design goes back to 1969 when the original 1133B Monaco was released; it was driven by Heuer’s Chronomatic Calibre 11 movement. It was a little ahead of its time, but thanks to Steve McQueen and renewed interest in the 1990’s release, the Monaco was brought back in 1997 and today is the most iconic design in the Tag Heuer line.
In 2009 the first Calibre 11 Monaco was released on the Blue 40th Anniversary, a tribute to the original 1133B. The case shape was made a little different while the design of the dial and the hands remained minimally changed. The Calibre 11 movement, used in this release of the Monaco was first developed for the Autavia re-launch in 2003. Last year the gray edition of the Monaco was released but this year the 39mm case in light blue PVD coating was the initial release. The PVD coating was eliminated prior to production release and it now is replaced with a stainless steel finish. The 2011 version has luminescent coated dots done in orange at each hour.
The watch is striking; the silver dial and the dark charcoal sub-dials give the watch a lot of character. The hour and minute hands have black tips with an inset or luminescence done in the same orange color as the hour dots. The new case has thicker lugs giving it a more substantial presence. The sapphire crystal replaces the original plexi, giving the case a thicker profile and a lot of class. The movement is ETA 2892/2 base with a Dubois Depraz chronograph. It has a decorated rotor and a bold Tag Heuer logo. The timepiece is due to be released in the third quarter of 2011.
In 1969 Tag Heuer shook up the watch world with the first square case chronograph when they released the Monaco. To this day, the lines of this model are astonishingly beautiful. It has remained an icon in the Tag Heuer watches line to this day. The original had to have the crown repositioned on the left side due to packaging issues; today it is there because it is a part of the design aesthetic. This new edition is bound to become as popular as the 1133B Monaco was when it first appeared on the scene, except now we are ready for it.