Introducing TAG Heuer Celebrates 55 Years Of Its Square Chrono With The New Monaco Split-Seconds

Of course, that means we are dealing with a new price segment for the legendary racing watch, but we will get to that in a moment. First, it is important to take a look at the stylistic and material changes made to this watch, many of which are apparent to the naked eye. At first blush, you notice a focus on an open-worked aesthetic that draws attention to the mechanics of this watch, and this is because this is the first mechanical split-seconds chronograph that the brand has ever made. To do so, it needed to develop an entirely new movement in partnership with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. And the entire show here (meaning the watch) is meant to draw your attention to the new TH81-00 caliber. That means a caseback made entirely of sapphire that gives the impression that the oscillating mass is freely floating. That mass is done in the TAG Heuer shield shape and is hand painted in either a red or blue gradient, depending on the colorway of the watch.

This brings us to the, shall we say, superficial elements of this technical marvel. It will come in two flavors – essentially red or blue. The red feels like the more contemporary of the two, providing a two-color combination of red and black with a red textile strap picking up on the red details on the dial. The watch features two sub-registers: the one on the left has the word Rattrapante written out in honor of the split-seconds movement. This is a new design choice from the brand that we recently saw on the new steel Skipper, where the namesake was printed on one of the sub-counters.

The case here is crafted from grade-5 titanium, resulting in an impossibly light package that delivers the goods. Notably, the dial is made from sapphire, and the dial arches are brushed and DLC-coated. There is a more retro-inspired blue variation to this design that harkens back to the Steve McQueen days without losing its modern look and feel. Key things to note on this one are the gradient blue finishes on the dial arches.

And lest we forget, these are sized at an extremely wearable 41mm. But they are also special and each will be numbered on the oscillating weight. As I mentioned before, all of this technical innovation does come at a price and this watch is currently listed at approximately CHF 165,000. This puts this watch in a league with the likes of Richard Mille (which not so coincidentally work with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier) but that seems to be entirely intentional. The new TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds is set to be released this coming June.

I had the chance to see this watch in secret earlier this year and viewed it in the absence of public perception and without knowing the price. The first thing that struck me was the design. Very often brands make tweaks and changes to iconic platforms within their collections and it just smacks of change for the sake of change. Here I saw a brand operating in the aftermath of the complete overhaul of the Carrera line – with the new Glassbox – understanding that opportunity awaits in many forms for TAG Heuer. The Carrera Glassbox remains one of my favorite new watches of the past two years and this Monaco feels like an ideological sibling to that watch, though it plays in a different, and decidedly square, sandbox.

Of course, I am aware there is a vast difference between a sub-$8k chronograph and an over-$150k chronograph, but to only look at it that way is to miss the bigger picture. From the lab-grown diamond Carreras to the use of sandblasted titanium in the Aquaracer Solargraph to now this, TAG Heuer is innovating in just about every category with all manner of different movement types (even developing a partnership with Kenissi). Here is a brand that understands that in-house is not the be-all-end-all, but rather that risk is essential to success. And with the flagship novelty for Watches & Wonders 2024, we are seeing a risk play with this high-price Monaco. I think the success of the Plasma has paved a very real path for this watch to shine.

And it's not just technical innovation, though working with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and developing an entirely new split-seconds chronograph is new onto itself. It's the fact that along that journey, TAG brought us an actual fresh take on the Monaco format. Just look at this thing, with its almost weightless appearance (to say nothing of the actual use of grade-5 titanium). The amazingly excessive use of sapphire on the dial and caseback makes for a full exhibition of the movement inside. I am partial to the red variant but also love the gradient work on the arches of the blue variant. What I love most is that it manages to speak to its history, to channel McQueen and Stanley Kubrick – famous Monaco wearers – while still charting a path forward. I personally cannot wait to see where we go from here, and stay tuned because this is far from the last you will hear from us (and me) on this watch.

Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph
Reference Number: CBW2181.FC8322 (red), CBW2182.FC8339 (blue)

Diameter: 41mm
Thickness: 15.2mm
Case Material: Grade-5 titanium
Dial Color: Open-work
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Yes
Strap/Bracelet: Red or blue textile strap

Caliber: TH81-00
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, split-seconds chronograph
Power Reserve: 65 hours (chrono off) 55 hours (chrono on)
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 5Hz
Chronometer Certified: No

Price: CHF 135,000
Availability: June, 2024
Limited Edition: No, but numbered