Catherine Eberle Devaux (left), Heritage Director; Paul Boissonnet, Brand Director of TAG Heuer; and Nasr Al Majed, Al Majed Jewellery Business Development Director, during the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition held at DECC. pic: Baher Amin / The Peni
Luxury Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer unveiled the 50th anniversary edition of its icon timepiece, the Monaco, at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition.
TAG Heuer has kept the ‘Monaco’ in near constant production since 1969, adding an ever-increasing array of variants, evolutions and special editions to the modern lineup, but this unassumingly named Monaco Denim Blue the only one that really captures the moment where it all began.
For the uninitiated, the Monaco’s rise to stardom happened in a flash in the summer of 1971 with the release of the cult classic racing film “Le Mans”. Lead actor Steve McQueen piloted the legendary Porsche 917 prototype racer through the eponymous 24 Hours of Le Mans in one of the most realistic depictions of motorsport ever committed to film, but the square-cased Monaco that flashed on his wrist as he suited up attracted just as much attention as the cars.
This particular Monaco is as close to the original as one can get without shelling truly astronomical money for an early example, keeping every original design cue intact while boasting modern finish and build quality.
The legendary square case is still the same 39 millimetres as the original, with identical short lugs, rectangular pushers, and the trademark nine o’clock crown, but the brushing and polished edges of the 1969 original never looked this good. Likewise, the dial is full of classic hallmarks that harken back to the first-ever Monaco.
