TAG Heuer Begins Its 50th Anniversary Monaco Celebration with the Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition

The original Heuer Monaco was an icon born out of a race to develop the first automatic chronograph. It later became even more widely known after being featured on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans, and has remained an icon ever since. To celebrate 50 years of the model’s existence, TAG Heuer is planning five anniversary models, each one paying tribute to a specific decade of the Monaco’s life.

First on that list is the TAG Heuer Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition, a watch that takes many a styling cue from the earth tone centric color palettes of the 1970s and fuses them with the more modern take on the Monaco design.

The TAG Heuer Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition

Source: HODINKEE

Specs

• Case Diameter: 39mm
• Case Material: Stainless Steel
• Water Resistance: 100 meters
• Movement: TAG Heuer Caliber 11 Automatic Chronograph Movement

In many ways, the 1969-1979 Limited Edition Monaco is just a current production run Caliber 11 Monaco with a new color scheme and strap. It features the same 39mm stainless steel case, the same Caliber 11 movement, and the same left-hand crown placement that the movement requires.

Where it begins to surprise is in the dial, which is a far more intricate design than it may at first appear. The green and brown tones of the dial are not simply painted, but are in fact executed in a vertical Côtes de Genève finishing, something more typically seen on watch movements, rather than dials. There are other colors, too, including yellow in the hour/minute track and red in the hour indices and chronograph hands.

Source: Monochrome

The strap on the 1969-1979 Limited Edition is a calf leather strap, executed in the traditional, perforated racing style that has become synonymous with the Monaco over the years. Its major departure is the color, which here is a rich, dusty brown calf. It is secured to the wrist via the standard Heuer Shield deployant clasp, as seen on most modern TAG Heuer vintage reissues.

The Damage
The TAG Heuer Monaco 1969-1979 Limited Edition will be available in a run of just 169 pieces, for a price of $6,550.

MORE FROM THIS SERIES