TAG Heuer Monaco Caliber 02
It seems like we’re being flooded with an ever expanding variety of Monaco options, as TAG Heuer continues to celebrity one of their most celebrated models 50th anniversary. But, this one is packed with more uniqueness by coming equipped with the in-house caliber 02 movement, plus a tri-compax dial.
Despite all these new releases in essence TAG Heuer has not significantly altered the essence of this iconic timepiece. What we have seen is a tasteful variety of color-schemes options that have been produced in relatively small limited edition batches. The simplicity, friendly price range and eventual scarcity are all favorable factors that enhance the value of these releases.
You can head on over to the official TAG Heuer website to enjoy this 50 year timeline of their “Monaco” releases. Or, remain on our blog and click thru our recent reviews of these decade spanning editions from “1980’s” , “1989-1999” and “2009-2019”.
The 39mm case is made of stainless-steel with a mixture of fine-brushed and polished finishing, all condensed in its iconic square shape with a matted bezel. Meanwhile on the flip-side this model has been given an exhibition case back, which allows to view the inner workings of its new caliber movement. Despite the change to a larger movement the casing has remained the same for this iteration.
It comes equipped with two steel alternate shaped push-buttons on the left-side of the case to operate the chronograph functions, with a polished setting-crown in-between them. Unlike many of its latest anniversary edition which feature the crown on the opposite side of the case.
All topped by a domed and beveled scratch-resistant sapphire crystal that assists with water-resistance on this watch being capable of reaching up to 100 meters (330 feet).
Time is exhibited on a radiant blue PVD sunray dial. Circling around its mid-center are round grey-toned hour index markers, followed by smaller minute index markers circling with the square dial perimeter. Outside of these markings are longer rectangular shaped hour markers, aligned with the dotted indexes.
Usually the Monaco features a bi-compax dial, but this edition has switched to a tri-compax. So, there are two white sub-dials: a 30-minute counter at the 3 o’clock position and a 12-hour counter at the 9 o’clock position; plus the “tri” element in the form of a subtle sub-seconds aligned at the 6 o’clock spot. These sub-dials have been given red hands, just as the central chronograph hand, adding an extra touch of color to its overall blue tone.
The central stainless-steel hands and the hour index markers have undergone a white luminescent coating, for an enhanced legibility. There is also a white date aperture located at the 6 o’clock position; while the upper-half of the dial showcases the vintage “MONACO HEUER” logo in white print.
TAG Heuer Monaco Caliber 02
The “TAG Heuer Monaco Caliber 12” (Ref#: CBL.2111.FC6453) is powered by an in-house self-winding mechanical movement, caliber 02 with 59 jewels and 28,800 Vph. This caliber is equipped with a fast date correction and stop-second. It is based on the the Sellita SW300 movement with chronograph functions courtesy of the Dubois-Depraz 2008 module. Power reserve on this watch can last up to 80 hours, when fully wound.
Mounted to the watch is a TAG Heuer blue perforated alligator leather strap with exposed matching stitching, secured to the wrist by a polished stainless-steel push button deployment clasp. For more up to date information visit the official TAG Heuer website here.
MSRP: $5,950.00 USD
