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Since its 1969 debut, the Monaco has ranked among TAG Heuer’s most ambitious watch lines, serving as a standard-bearer for the maison’s motorsport pedigree and a platform for some of its most daring releases. Now, we’re presented with perhaps its most audacious release yet: the limited-edition TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12.
Arguably the most racing-inspired entry in a long, racing-inspired line (I mean, it looks like an engine), it’s built around an ingenious central mechanism that celebrates the beauty of a 12-cylinder and adapts it to tell the time via a series of rotating pistons.
Limited to 50 individually numbered pieces and priced at USD$87,000 (approximately AUD$123,500), your chances of encountering one in the wild are comparable to seeing a Ferrari 250 GTO. Nonetheless, this appears to be one of TAG Heuer’s most exciting releases of the year, continuing the impressive momentum the Swiss watchmaker has built up over the last few years.
TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 Key Specifications
- Movement: Calibre TH84-00
- Dial: Open-worked dial:rhodium-plated centre with vertical lines; 12 rhodium-plated rotating hour pistons with black lacquered engraved Arabic numerals; Black opaline minute ring with white printed minute track; red lacquered square indexes, and polished rhodium-plated ring; Grade 5 titanium with black DLC coated arches at every corner; Open-worked fine-brushed central hand for minutes, with red lacquered tip
- Case Diameter: 40 mm
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium, fine-brushed and polished case
- Bezel: Sapphire
- Crystal: Bevelled, domed sapphire
- Crown: Fine-brushed, polished grade 5 titanium
- Water Resistance: 30 metres
- Bracelet: Black rubber strap with textile embossing and red hand-stitching; Fine-brushed and polished grade-5 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
- Availability: From December
- Price: USD$87,000 (approx AUD$123,500)
Dial and Movement
Powering this celebration of automotive ambition is the automatic Calibre TH84-00, a movement developed and produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the official high-end watchmaking division and manufacture of Louis Vuitton.
The movement boasts 12 rotating pistons that encircle the openworked dial, each sandblasted and brushed with engraved Arabic numerals lacquered in black. At the centre of this lies a rhodium-plated core with vertical lines that are highly reminiscent of a car grille, and a rhodium-plated central bridge perimeter with polished bevels.
Each of the pistons is indicative of an hour, rotating at its designated time, while the lone hand at the centre of proceedings indicates minutes. Every time the minute hand completes a full rotation around the dial, one piston returns to its initial stance, obscuring its numeral from the wearer, while the next piston executes a precise 90-degree turn, unveiling its previously concealed numeral.
The collective effect is an innovative and (let’s be honest) really quite fun take on the jumping hour complication. It’s the kind of thing I’d like to see more of from TAG Heuer, specifically in a more widely available (and accessibly priced) release.
Titanium Case and Sapphire Crystal
As for the case enclosing this playful creation, it boasts the Monaco’s unmistakable square design, here crafted from grade 5 titanium, which nods to the endless pursuit of weight reduction within the world of motorsports.
The square case and circular shape of the movement create a compelling aesthetic effect, one only further enhanced by the openworked build. All of this is paired with a domed sapphire crystal and caseback, as well as a square sapphire bezel, designed to optimise visibility of the pistons from every angle.
Pricing and Availability
A black rubber strap with textile embossing and red hand-stitching acts as the finishing touch for this singularly sporty timepiece. As mentioned, the Monaco Speed 12 is limited to 50 individually numbered pieces and will set you back USD$87,000 (approximately AUD$123,500) when it becomes available from December.
It’s an exclusive watch, without a doubt, but its inventiveness, playfulness, and undeniable sense of style continue a bullish run at TAG Heuer, which has seen the maison deliver one cracking timepiece after another.
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