Introducing: Introducing the Heritage TAG Heuer Monza, A Throwback To One Of The First PVD-Coated Watches Ever Made
TAG Heuer showed it had no intention of forgetting its racing heritage when they launched an online competition to pick out the next Autavia. And on the first day of Baselworld, they confirmed we would be seeing a lot more vintage-inspired chronographs, with a re-edition of the famous Monza.
Launched in 1976, the watch was Jack Heuer’s gift to Ferrari’s Formula One team to celebrate their (then) partner’s surprising title-winning season. A win which Heuer felt deserved an exceptional design – and in the 70s a PVD-coated watch certainly hit the nail on the head.
The latest version of the Monza re-introduces key features from the original, such as the pulsometer and the tachymeter scale, the original font on the dial, and Heuer’s pre-TAG logo.
However, the new Monza is best described as a combination of the original Monza chronograph – returning to its iconic black and red colour scheme and adding vintage orange SuperLuminovaTM – and the 2000 Monza re-edition, with which it shares its movement, (flipped) twin-register layout at 3 and 9 o’clock, and cushion-shaped case.
One of the biggest changes introduced by TAG Heuer is the introduction of grade 5 titanium for the case instead of steel. The watch is therefore noticeably lighter than previous editions. The new Monza is also larger than the original by 3 mm. According to the brand, the decision to switch from a 39mm case to a 42mm is purely driven by modern standards in terms of size.
The watch is again powered by Calibre 17, an automatic chronograph movement with date that beats at 4 Hz (28,800 vph) for around 42 hours. The watch comes on a full-grain perforated calfskin strap, with a black titanium clasp.
Case and bezel in grade 5 titanium, brushed and polished, with black titanium carbide coating; Movement, TAG Heuer Automatic Caliber 17, 28,800 vph, 42 hour power reserve, chronograph function; Water resistance 10 bar/100m.
Check back for more information and pictures on the Heritage TAG Heuer Monza. To visit the TAG Heuer website, click here.
Follow us during Baselworld on HODINKEE Live, available on desktop, mobile, or in the free HODINKEE app for iOS.
