The TAG Heuer Monaco features an iconic square shape. A new version of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, featuring TH-Titanium, a new material developed in-house, has been released. This model features a distinctive camouflage-like TH-Titanium pattern. This is a watch that allows you to fully enjoy the TAG Heuer identity and the new material case.
The legendary Monaco collection
TAG Heuer has announced a new TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, incorporating a new form of titanium, a revolutionary material. Developed entirely in-house, this new form of titanium, named TH-Titanium, is characterized by its unique texture and one-of-a-kind visual identity.
Automatic movement (Cal. TH81-00). 36,000 vph. Power reserve: approximately 65 hours. TH-Titanium case (41mm x 41mm, 15.2mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price upon request.
Since its launch in 1969, the Monaco has been a part of TAG Heuer's iconic collection, completely overturning conventional wisdom in watchmaking. Characterized by a square case, a crown positioned on the left side, and a signature blue dial, the Monaco was the world's first waterproof, automatic square chronograph wristwatch, cementing its place as an icon in watchmaking history.
Its avant-garde aesthetic made it a favorite of creative visionaries such as Sammy Davis Jr., Stanley Kubrick, and Steve McQueen.
Split-seconds mechanism
TAG Heuer's history with split-second chronographs dates back more than a century: since the early 1900s, the brand has featured split-second mechanisms in a variety of its stopwatches, dashboard timers, and other instruments.
The launch of the Microsplit, a groundbreaking stopwatch capable of measuring two separate periods to within 1/100th of a second, in 1916 was a huge success, cementing TAG Heuer's place in high-performance timekeeping, from stopwatches used at the Olympic Games in the early 20th century to dashboard timers used in motorsports.
In the 1960s, Jean Campiche, timekeeper for the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team, used the Reference 11.402, which featured a split-second chronograph capable of measuring times to within 1/10 of a second, making this model a legendary timekeeping model.
The split-second chronograph wristwatch equipped with a quartz movement, released in 1989, gained immense popularity among racing legends such as Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, and Michael Schumacher.
In 2024, TAG Heuer revived this complication with the launch of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph, further expanding the TAG Heuer Monaco collection. Thus, over the decades, the Maison's relentless pursuit of precision has continued, with the development of new timepieces incorporating the split-seconds mechanism.
Newly developed TH-Titanium
The new TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph features a case milled from TH-Titanium, an innovative titanium material. Led by TAG Heuer's in-house research and development center, the TAG Heuer Lab in La Chaux-de-Fonds, it took more than four years to develop a proprietary heat treatment process that transformed the material into a unique and one-of-a-kind material with a distinctive character.
The unique heat treatment process was developed in the state-of-the-art TAG Heuer Lab, where scientists and engineers from different fields came together to create a unique experience.
A newly developed heat treatment process rearranges the atomic structure of the titanium alloy, revealing the underlying structure of the metal on the surface as an irregular pattern. Because this pattern is generated by the material itself, no two pieces are alike.
Sapphire crystal is used for the bezel and dial to highlight the texture and pattern of the case. This exquisite balance of transparency gives the watch a three-dimensional appearance, pleasing to the eye.
Motor racing connections
The sapphire crystal dial features black opaline chronograph counters contrasting with lime green split-seconds and counter hands, a colour also often used in motor racing, and is also used on the titanium split-seconds push-button, enhancing legibility and embodying the watch's deep connection to motor racing.
The contrasting brilliance of the dark-toned bridges and hand-polished chamfers highlights the mechanism.
Titanium Cal. TH81-00
The TAG Heuer Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph is designed to be as lightweight as possible, using titanium not only for the case but also for the movement, which weighs just 30g.
The split-seconds mechanism, which can measure two different times simultaneously, is an extremely sophisticated and complex mechanism, and the Cal. TH81-00, developed in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, offers precision and functionality far exceeding that of a regular chronograph.
The case back is made entirely of sapphire crystal, allowing a full view of the Caliber TH81-00. The TAG Heuer shield-shaped rotor gives the impression of floating within the movement, revealing the intricate details of the hand-applied checkered flag pattern.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph is presented on a hand-stitched black calfskin strap with a textile pattern and a titanium buckle, making the watch incredibly lightweight, weighing just 86g in total, including the strap and buckle.
