Introducing The TAG Heuer Monaco Titan Special Edition — The Vintage Monaco With A Modern Twist!

TAG Heuer is on a roll at the moment. The Swiss brand’s last two green-dialed beauties (a Carrera and a Monaco, both limited to 500pcs each) sold out super fast, and quite rightly too. TAG Heuer seems to come in for a lot of criticism in the watch collecting community; I’m not totally sure why or if it’s warranted, really. Nevertheless, the brand has some fantastic models, a really cool history, and the propensity to release some excellent watches. What’s not to like?

The TAG Heuer Monaco Titan(ium)

Today, we see TAG Heuer dropping another new watch, this time circling back round to the Monaco again. Will it be as much of a hit as the green-dialed one? Who knows, but I must say it’s equally as handsome. We see the classic Monaco blueprint with a bit of a modern twist. Intrigued? Read on, my intrepid friends!

The new TAG Heuer Monaco Titan Special Edition looks like the classic Monaco at first glance. It took me a moment to notice the most significant new change here, then I got it. The case looked different: gone was the traditional mix of brushed surfaces and polish accents. In its place, we see a matte, sandblasted texture. Was this the only change? It couldn’t be, right? Then the new model’s name hit me too: Titan. Titanium. That’s right, folks, the Monaco Titan gets a modern update in the form of a titanium case, a material rarely used in this collection. The case is made of Grade 2 titanium, renowned for being both exceptionally light and tough, refined by sandblasting for a matte finish which lends the watch that raw beauty. It’s incredibly effective!

The silver sunburst

The dial sticks to what it knows with a beautiful silver sunburst pattern, which perfectly complements the titanium case. Black printing is used for the minute track and “Monaco Heuer” branding. I like that TAG Heuer has dropped the “TAG” part of the name for the dial. It offers better visual balance and obviously pays homage to the logo used in 1969 when the Monaco was first launched. The two black sub-dials, bright red accents on the central hand, and the red index marker at 12 o’clock offer some much-needed contrast. The indexes and sub-dials are coated with Super-LumiNova to ensure optimum visibility in any conditions.

TAG Heuer has opted for the vintage-style horizontal applied hour markers. These are by far my favorite markers found on any of the Monaco series. Their whimsical oddness just works for me. In addition, I think they complement the square shape of the case better than the traditional style of hour marker, pointing inwards to the center of the dial. Either way, I think the dial rocks. Combined with the sandblasted titanium case, this is a neat combo — just the right balance of modern styling and vintage influence.

Powered by Calibre 11

Finally, the limited-edition TAG Heuer Monaco Titan is equipped with a modern version of the famous Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement, which first debuted in the original 1969 Monaco. This reinterpretation of the movement links back to the 1969 case with its engraved “Monaco Heuer” logo. Beyond that, however, it shares little in common with the original movement and, in fact, uses a nicely finished Sellita SW-300 as a base.

See you later, alligator!

One comment on the strap I feel I have to make: it’s an alligator-embossed rubber strap that TAG Heuer has used on a few of its Monaco releases now. I just don’t like it. In my mind, alligator leather and its pattern suits dressier watches. I would much rather see some sort of rally or sporty style strap here. I’m OK with it being a rubber strap (some of my favorite straps are rubber,) but for goodness’ sake, not that alligator embossing! So, what do you think of it? Do you like it, or would you rather see something different? Make sure to let me know in the comments below.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Titan Special Edition is offered in a special edition of 500 pieces. The watch will be presented in a new packaging which was created to evoke the racing heritage of the TAG Heuer Monaco collection and will be sold exclusively in TAG Heuer boutiques and on the brand’s website from later today.