Monaco, la montre des pilotes et des passionnés de F1 signée Tag Heuer

January 2, 2026

Monaco, the watch for F1 drivers and enthusiasts branded Tag Heuer

BornFrom its appearance on the Monaco Grand Prix tracks and immortalized on Steve McQueen's wrist in "Le Mans", discover the history of this watch which has embodied the unbreakable bond for over half a century between mechanical precision and automotive legend.

A revolutionary design square for Monaco

When Jack Heuer secretly prepares the launch of Caliber 11, One of the first automatic chronographs on the market, he wanted a watch that would challenge conventions as much as the movement it housed. The encounter with the case manufacturer Piquerez (EPSA), which had just patented a fully waterproof square case, offered Heuer a unique opportunity: to unite cutting-edge technology and a tribute to the world's most legendary urban Grand Prix, that of Monaco.

Until then, the square shape was reserved for dress watches, which couldn't guarantee true water resistance, but Piquerez managed to design a compressed architecture making this format suitable for sports. Jack Heuer secured the exclusivity of this case, then in 1969 named his new watch "Monaco". a deliberate nod to the main circuit and a manifesto of a square chronograph, waterproof to 100 meters, tailored for pilots.

The first Monaco The standard model, reference 1133B, features a 39–40 mm case, sharp angles, a domed crystal, and a petrol blue dial with horizontal hour markers, while the left-hand offset crown indicates the automatic winding of the Calibre 11. In a watchmaking landscape dominated by round chronographs, this square, water-resistant, and boldly colored timepiece stands out. looks like a UFO sporty , immediately associated with the world of stands and paddocks.

McQueen's golden age in "Le Mans"

The Monaco's destiny changed dramatically in the early 1970s when it left the stands for the big screen. During the filming of Le Mans, Steve McQueen chose to wear the Monaco 1133B, inspired by the look of the drivers sponsored by Heuer, notably Jo Siffert, whose racing suit and style he adopted.

Heuer supplied the plateau with several examples of the 1133B at caDran bleu, automatic chronograph in steel, approximately 40–42 mm, to multiply the linings and close-ups on McQueen's wrist. The watch thus becomes inseparable from the film and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, to the point that one of the examples worn by the actor - reference 1133B, Calibre 11 movement, blue dial - will later be put up for sale as A major collector's item, with detailed provenance linked to the filming.

This global exhibition propels Monaco to the rank pop icon of automotive watchmaking More than just a chronograph, it became the symbol of a certain romanticism of racing, a blend of danger, speed, and style. In the 1970s, associated with McQueen, the Monaco Grand Prix, and Le Mans, the Monaco embodied the golden age of the pilot's chronograph: square, legible, and with a high resolution. cinematographic.

The first developments: the era of the 12 gauge

Very soon after its launch, Heuer evolved the mechanical heart of the Monaco to improve reliability and performance. The 12 gauge, Derived from the Calibre 11, it retains the automatic modular architecture while optimizing the frequency and certain components, in order to meet the requirements of intensive use in a sporting context.

The Monaco models of the 1970s were available in several variations: blue, gray, or smoked dials, slightly reworked case details, redesigned hands, or revisited hour markers, all while retaining the fundamental DNA of the square watch. Even though the quartz crisis ultimately relegated the Monaco to the sidelines at the end of the decade, these Calibre 11 and 12 references definitively possessed the aesthetic codes that would inform future reissues: a square shape, crown on the left, and a very distinctive look. chart on the wrist.

Today, these first generations equipped with 11 or 12 gauge shotguns are highly sought after, In particular, the pieces closest to the 1133B "McQueen," whose rarity and direct connection to the golden age of racing make them coveted trophies. Their historical importance, from both a horological and automotive perspective, partly explains their sustained value on the collectors' market.

Renaissance and the Tag Heuer years (1980-2000)

After the shock of quartz technology and the restructuring of the Swiss watch industry, the Monaco entered a long hiatus before being reborn under Tag Heuer. From the 1980s and 1990s onward, the brand gradually repositioned itself as a specialist in sports chronographs, capitalizing on its heritage. Carrera, Autavia… and soon Monaco.

It was in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the Monaco truly returned to the forefront, in the form of faithful reissues of the historic 1133B. These models reinterpret the original design while adopting contemporary standards, such as sapphire crystal, enhanced water resistance, and more refined finishes, making the Monaco a thoroughly modern heritage icon.

This revival is accompanied by a deliberate return to the world of F1 and motorsport, through partnerships, sponsorships, and a presence in the paddocks, replacing the Monaco on the wrists of drivers and enthusiasts. The watch thus becomes once again a pillar of the Tag Heuer catalogue, both heir to a mythical history and image vector for new generations of motorsport fans.

2000s: High technology, catching up and Monaco V4

The 2000s marked a new stage, where the Monaco also became a testing ground for technology. Tag Heuer developed more complex versions of its chronographs, including split-seconds configurations allowing the measurement of intermediate times, directly reflecting the needs of race timing.

Within this dynamic, the Monaco V4 occupies a unique place: presented as a concept car and then produced in a limited series, it adopts a revolutionary motion architecture inspired by the car engine. The gear train is replaced by four to five ultra-thin micro-toothed belts, while a linear mass sliding on a rail ensures winding, all housed in a case with Monaco-style lines and often made of high-tech materials such as titanium, carbon or advanced alloys.

This approach makes the V4 a true showcase of watchmaking R&D, capable of engaging with F1 technologies in the realm of materials and extreme mechanics. These limited editions, sometimes highly exclusive (particularly certain V4 Tourbillon versions or those in precious metals), now trade on the market at a high price point, regularly exceeding €20,000 and reaching tens of thousands of euros depending on the series.

Gulf of Monaco, Heuer 02 and contemporary editions

In the 21st century, Tag Heuer The Monaco series offers multiple interpretations to tell the legend of the race from different perspectives. (Published by...) "Monaco Gulf" They are becoming essential: they take up the blue and orange colours of the famous Ford GT40 Gulf cars that won at Le Mans, which the film "Le Mans" immortalized, and transpose them onto the dial, the hands and sometimes the strap.

References such as the Monaco Gulf CAW211R or the CBL2115 These watches combine a 39mm square case, a metallic blue dial, vertical Gulf stripes and a logo on the dial, with modern automatic movements and sapphire crystal case backs. Highly sought-after by collectors, these models are often traded for second-hand around €5,000 to €7,000 for complete copies, depending on the year, series and condition.

Meanwhile, Tag Heuer introduces the Monaco generation powered by the Heuer 02 caliber, a manufacture chronograph movement offering approximately 80 hours of power reserve and a vertical column/clutch architecture. These versions are available with blue dials. "McQueen", "panda" configurations with light-colored sub-counters on a dark background, or even more contemporary finishes, while retaining the iconic square case and the clearly positioned automobile.

The 50th anniversary editions of the MonacoLaunched in several themed series evoking different decades, these watches play on variations in color, dial textures, and background engravings, while retaining the strong codes of the original model. They reinforce the Monaco's status as an evolving icon: faithful to its silhouette, yet always ready to change its livery, like racing cars from one season to the next.