It’s a recognisable look. The square case, the left-hand crown; the Monaco is one of TAG Heuer’s most enduring signature models. Back in 1966, when the Microtimer achieved 1/1,000th-second precision, it bolstered the brand’s commitment to high-frequency innovation. In 1969, that would lead to the launch of the original TAG Heuer Monaco.
The Monaco’s design was unorthodox and wasn’t immediately embraced by the public but game recognised game as the model was embraced by Sammy Davis Jr, Stanley Kubrick, and, of course, Steve McQueen.
TAG Heuer would pour a lot of resources into the chronograph, honing and refining the methods for capturing the seconds. 160 years of reinventing the wheel and today, TAG Heuer will reshape the square complication, resulting in the reimagined Monaco Chronograph and the new Monaco Evergraph.
TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph
It’s a new case design that drew from the original reference 1133 launched more than 50 years ago. You have improved ergonomics while keeping its sharp, angular edges.
Crafted in grade 5 titanium, the 39mm case extends with gently curved sides. A smaller round central section curves toward the edges and the dial has improved legibility with an interplay of shapes, applied elements, and contrasting subdials that display depth. The dial has a “bi-compax layout”, with subsidiary counters at 3 and 9 o’clock and a date window at 6 o’clock.
Presented in three colourways, you have the fan-favourite TAG Heuer Monaco blue, a refined sunray-brushed and lacquered dark green dial and a black variant that’s housed in a two-tone case of grade 5 titanium and 18K 5N rose gold. Each timepiece comes with a racing-inspired strap featuring a newly designed grade 5 titanium folding clasp.
But what of the inside? Well, there beats the new in-house Calibre TH20-11. Based on TAG Heuer’s automatic Caliber TH20-00, the movement became a must-have for many of the Maison’s chronographs. It’s a different story with the Monaco Evergraph.
TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph
The new TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph is powered by the Calibre TH80-00. Featuring a compliant chronograph mechanism built with flexible components. It’s a complete redesign of the chronograph complication, where the inverted construction puts the barrel, gear train, and TH-Carbonspring balance and escapement clearly on display from the dial side.
In place of the rigid levers and springs, you have a compliant chronograph mechanism that uses two flexible bistable components—one that starts and stops and the other to reset.
Refined over five years, these flexible bistable components enable fast, crisp transitions between positions. Whether it be on the first press of the pushers or the ten-thousandth, the chronograph delivers the same sensation and accuracy. (We tested out the Evergraph, and the sensation of depressing the pushers is very satisfactory.)
Taking cues from the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, a new, more ergonomic design was conceived for the Monaco Evergraph. Set in a 40mm grade 5 titanium case, a transparent dial has sweeping arches that hold the barrel and escapement in place, while symmetry is found in the subdials for running seconds and chronograph minutes.
Along with a left-hand crown, the pushers are now elongated. A tapered profile creates a visual sensation of thinness, while the facets along the case edges give the watch a sense of brutalism.
The Monaco Evergraph comes in two expressions: a titanium version with blue accents, and a black DLC-coated titanium version with red accents.
This article was first seen on Esquire Singapore.
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