After its scene-stealing debut on Steve McQueen’s wrist in Le Mans, the TAG
Heuer Monaco, the square-cased icon of sporting glamour that captured the
spirit of an era and changed forever the face of luxury Swiss watchmaking,
remains as cool and cutting-edge as ever.

Launched simultaneously in Geneva and New York on March 3, 1969, the Monaco caught the watchmaking world by storm. The provocative look of the timepiece, with its fire-red chronograph hand, metallic blue dial, domed crystal, and big, squared-off case represented a complete break from the conventional codes of watch design aesthetics. Equally radical was the engineering required to ensure the chronograph’s perfect water-resistance, a world first for a square-shaped timepiece. But what was ticking inside was even more revolutionary: the famous self-winding Chronomatic ‘Calibre 11’, the first self-winding automatic chronograph movement with microrotor, so precise that it rivals to this day the exacting standards of professional chronometer instruments.

To celebrate the Monaco’s 40th anniversary this year, TAG Heuer has come up with a new collection of Classic Chronograph fitted with a TAG Heuer ‘Calibre 12’ automatic movement, heritage of the original ‘Calibre 11’.