TAG Heuer Flies the French Motorsport Colors with Limited Edition Monaco Chronograph in Racing Blue

A surefire way to know if a watch brand has a design that can withstand the test of time is instant recognizability. There’s no need to have the brand name positioned front and center because its unique styling and distinguishable silhouette are more than enough. From across the room, there’s no mistaking the TAG Heuer Monaco. Its square case, left-hand-drive crown and dual sub-register display immediately fires the synapses in our watch nerd brains. Throw in the Hollywood fame and a namesake that represents one of the most famous racing circuits in all of motorsports, then you have a watch that arguably cements its place on the Mount Rushmore of watches.

The TAG Heuer Monaco remains as a platform for the brand to explore their avant garde ways, as well as to lean into their rich heritage and connection to motorsport across the world. With the latter in mind, TAG Heuer has announced the Monaco Chronograph in Racing Blue inspired by French motorsport liveries.

French racing blue can trace its presence on the racing grid back to race cars such as the CD Panhard LM64 and the Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix Racer to present day with the Alpine Endurance Team. The saturated shade of azure is now incorporated into the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph through its signature rounded-corner sub-register display. As a part of automotive color theory, designers are tasked with bringing inanimate objects to life and simultaneously making them look fast in the process. That’s a noticeable design element with TAG Heuer’s latest track watch. The vibrant blues from the dash-like chronograph display paired with a silver sunray dial and a flash of a neon yellow from the faceted 12 o’clock hour marker and seconds hand bring forth a dial that looks to be in-motion, even when it’s at a standstill.

There’s an edginess to the Monaco Chronograph, and I mean that in a literal sense. The blocky nature of the Grade 2 titanium case follows through with the beveled sapphire crystal, faceted applied hour markers and angular chronograph pushers. Even the sub-register numerals are displayed so that they follow the straight line concept.

Akin to the Monaco Chronograph itself, the venerable Calibre 11 found within is rooted with motorsport heritage, and much like the race cars on the grid today, it has evolved with upgraded mechanics and contemporary components that equip the automatic movement with 50 jewels, 28,800 vph and 40 hours of power reserve. The Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue comes on a perforated leather strap in a sub-register matching French racing blue with an accompanying titanium folding clasp with dual-button deployant system.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue is a limited edition model with only 1,000 units available for purchase at TAG Heuer boutiques, select partner retailers and TAG Heuer’s e-commerce platform. The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue retails for $9,200. TAG Heuer