The MakIng of an Icon
On the 50th anniversary Of the MOnacO, taG heuer revisits the tiMepiece that tOOk the wOrld by stOrM
“t o me, the Monaco is a door to the taG heuer brand,” says catherine eberlé-devaux, taG heuer heritage director. “it’s a piece that catches your eye and invites you in. Many collectors start with the Monaco and are then drawn into our world, eventually finding another collection to focus on, but always cherishing the piece that started it all.”
for sure, “the piece that started it all” is a most fitting description of the taG heuer Monaco. unconventional and cutting edge, it perfectly embodies the vision and pioneering spirit of the brand. now, in 2019, to mark the Monaco’s 50th anniversary, taG heuer holds events all across the globe, with limitededition models of the watch launched at each celebratory occasion. as the proverbial cherry on top, a tell-all book about the Monaco— “paradoxical superstar”—is also launched.
but before we go on, perhaps this occasion warrants a look back at when the Monaco was first launched and before it became the superstar it is today...
Dialing Back Half a Century
The heuer Monaco—it wouldn’t become taG heuer yet for another 15 years or so—came to life back in 1969. The watch was introduced in new york and Geneva—simultaneously—on March 3 of that year. at that time, the Monaco was what you would call a radical design: its metallic blue dial, the red and light blue hands, the square case and the placement of the crown on the left-hand side left people unimpressed.
even Jack heuer himself, then the ceO of heuer, was initially unconvinced, but the Monaco carried with it two cutting-edge innovations: the first water-resistant square case and the calibre 11, the first automatic-winding chronograph movement. such a mechanical masterpiece needed a design that would instantly grab attention.
“we wanted to create an outstanding and innovative product, something avant-garde,” Jack heuer said. “when i saw the square case,
i immediately knew it was something special. until then, square cases were only used for dress watches because it was not possible to make them water-resistant. we went forward with this unconventional design and negotiated the exclusive use of this revolutionary case for the Monaco wrist chronograph.”
despite being hard to produce and its lackluster initial reception, the Monaco stayed. it was, after all, just the start.
Races and Cinemas
as any serious watch aficionado or taG heuer fan can tell you, the Monaco got its name from the famed Monaco formula 1 Grand prix. This, of course, is no coincidence. Jack heuer believed that motor racing was the perfect way to promote his watches. More importantly, however, was his directive to link his company’s watches—and dashboard timers, too, by the way—to the names or places of major races. The Monaco is the perfect example of how this concept can work.
it certainly helped that the Monaco had its moment on the big screen when it appeared on the wrist steve McQueen in “le Mans,” the 1971 movie about the 24 hours of le Mans race. This era also saw the rise of the dark lord, which is the nickname for a variant of the Monaco in a black anodized case, following the popularity of the color. extremely rare and rather fragile, the watch is still highly soughtafter by collectors.
The TAG Era and Beyond
following the transformation of heuer into taG heuer, the Monaco got a facelift in the form of a relaunch model inspired by the original. unlike the original, however, it was an instant hit. and it only goes up from there.
in the decades that followed, the taG heuer Monaco became a prominent part of the world of haute horlogerie. later versions would introduce new complications, new designs and new materials—yet you can always tell that it is a Monaco watch, in no small part from the revolutionary spirit that is inherent in every single timepiece in the collection.
all the various nuances of the Monaco’s journey has now been compiled into the aforementioned book: “paradoxical superstar.” This tome is filled with archival excerpts, neverbefore-seen pictures along with sketches of designs and movements. There’s also a chapter chronicling the Monaco’s journey from 1969 to today written by noted british journalist nicholas foulkes, another chapter about all the technical innovations that has shaped the Monaco by watch expert Gisbert brunner and one chapter dedicated to the relationship between the Monaco and steve McQueen by famous american writer Michael clerizo. and as a final flourish of this masterpiece, the foreword of “paradoxical superstar” is written by h.s.h. prince albert ii of Monaco.
The world of fine timepieces is full of stories worth telling. but few are as disruptive—and we use the word in the best possible sense—as it is aspirational as the one about taG heuer’s Monaco watches.
“Many collectors start with the Monaco and are then drawn into our world, eventually finding another collection to focus on, but always cherishing the piece that started it all”