At Watches and Wonders 2024, TAG Heuer debuts the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, available in red and blue versions. Price: CHF 135,000
At Watches and Wonders 2024 (Geneva, April 9-15), TAG Heuer debuts the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, available in red and blue versions.
This split-seconds function, also known as “rattrapante” in French, is a sophisticated chronograph mechanism enabling the concurrent measurement of two separate time intervals concurrently, such as timing laps on the racetrack or tracking multiple sporting events.
The legacy of TAG Heuer’s split-seconds chronograph watches dates back over a century. As you can read in our feature article “The history of TAG Heuer”, the Swiss brand dedicated itself to the chronograph complication since the early 1900s.
The Mikrograph, introduced in 1916, marked a pivotal moment in TAG Heuer’s history, becoming the preferred timekeeping device at the 1920s and 1930s Olympic Games by recording 1/100th of a second. Following this stopwatch, TAG Heuer introduced the Microsplit, another chronograph accurate to 1/100th of a second, but featuring the added split-seconds function.
At the heart of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph is the newly launched TH81-00 mechanical split-seconds chronograph caliber. Crafted entirely in titanium and developed in collaboration with the manufacturer Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, it stands as one of the lightest automatic chronograph movements ever produced by TAG Heuer. Fast beating at a frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour), it offers a power reserve of 65 hours with the chrono off or 55 hours with the chrono on.
The newest inclusion in the Monaco collection presents itself in two interpretations: a dynamic and sporty red variant, drawing inspiration from the Maison's racing heritage, and a more classic blue version, paying homage to the original Monaco color scheme.
Measuring 41 mm in diameter and 15.2 mm in thickness, the case is meticulously crafted from Grade 5 titanium, featuring brushed, sandblasted, and polished finishes. The red version receives a black DLC (Diamond-Like-Carbon) treatment, distinguishing it from the blue variant. The entire watch weighs 85 grams.
Protected by a bevelled, domed sapphire crystal, the dial is also made of transparent sapphire crystal, allowing glimpses of the mechanisms while supporting the various functional and aesthetic elements.
The red Monaco’s dial arches are executed with fine brushing and black DLC-coating, a nod to the finishing of the watch’s lightweight titanium case.
The titanium-cased blue variant showcases gradient blue dial arches, dynamically transitioning from a light blue hue at the top to a richer royal blue at the bottom. This gradient effect is achieved through a delicate anodizing process requiring the application of varying voltages at different stages of the treatment.
The red or blue titanium rattrapante pusher at 9 o’clock matches the colour of the rattrapante hand and highlights its split-seconds function.
The small second subdial at 6 o’clock echoes the arches’ shape, while the words “Rattrapante” and “Chronograph” on the chronograph hours and minutes subdials, respectively at 9 and 3 o’clock, remark the watch’s technical feats.
White Super-LumiNova glowing blue in the dark is used for the applied indexes and the skeletonized hour and minute hands.
The caseback is crafted entirely from sapphire crystal, providing an unobstructed view of the intricate TH81-00 caliber within. The oscillating weight is fashioned in the iconic TAG Heuer shield shape and boasts a brushed finish, along with a hand-painted red or blue gradient, a TAG Heuer design signature reserved for its most exclusive timepieces.
The checkerboard pattern on the center bridge and the fine brushed balance wheel bridge with its polished bevels are all hand-made.
Each individually numbered on the oscillating weight, these timepieces are accompanied by a hand-stitched calfskin strap embossed with a fabric pattern, fastened by a titanium butterfly folding clasp with safety push-buttons and fine adjustment link. Water resistance is ensured up to a pressure of 3 ATM (approximately 30 metres / 100 feet.
Available from next June, the new TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, whether the red (ref. CBW2181.FC8322) or the blue version (ref. CBW2182.FC8339), has a suggested retail price of CHF 135,000. tagheuer.com
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