- TAG Heuer kicked off the 50th anniversary celebrations for the
Monaco timepiece at the Monaco
Formula 1 Grand Prix, the legendary event that gave the watch its
name in 1969.
- TAG Heuer unveiled the first of five new collector's
timepieces inspired by the original Monaco. Five creations of the timepiece will
be successively revealed throughout 2019.
- Guests were granted access to some of the most prestigious and
exciting events in Monaco,
including a Saturday evening party on the TAG Heuer Yacht, hosted
by Patrick Dempsey and Bella Hadid.
MONACO, May 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- All eyes were
on the Rock of Monaco for the
legendary Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend, and on the iconic TAG
Heuer timepiece celebrating its 50th anniversary in the
Principality.
In honour of this milestone, it was announced that throughout
the year, five creations will be successively revealed, inspired by
the different decades from 1969 to 2019, and paying tribute to
timeless design, enduring innovation and a style icon now more
contemporary than ever.
The Monaco's daring and iconic
design has made it instantly recognisable. Every aspect of the
Monaco timepiece design was
radical, and went where no other watch had gone before in terms of
design and technology. Not only was the TAG Heuer Monaco the first
ever water-resistant square watch, it was also the first to feature
an automatic-winding chronograph movement.
Since its debut, the Monaco
watch and the Monaco Grand Prix, for which TAG Heuer has been the
Official Watch since 2011, have had a strong connection – the most
glamorous Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season gave its name to the
TAG Heuer Monaco collection in 1969. No other place and location
would therefore have been more suitable for celebrating the iconic
timepiece's 50th anniversary.
Taking over Monaco during the
busiest weekend of the year, TAG Heuer unveiled the first
Monaco limited edition at the
beautiful Key Largo Villa, in the presence of Stéphane Bianchi, CEO
of the LVMH Watchmaking Division and CEO of TAG Heuer and Frédéric
Arnault, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer. They were joined by
the rising star of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Max
Verstappen, as well as Patrick
Dempsey, Bella Hadid,
Winnie Harlow, Kai Lenny and selected guests from all over the
world.
Over the course of the exclusive three-day event, guests were
granted access to some of the most prestigious and exciting events
in Monaco, from a private tour of
the Monaco Top Cars Collection
museum including a retrospective of the Monaco timepiece, to a debrief of the Grand
Prix qualifications with Christian
Horner, Team Principal of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Team. They also attended an exclusive party hosted on the TAG Heuer
Yacht on Saturday evening with an exclusive performance by famous
French DJ Bob Sinclair attended by Patrick
Dempsey, Bella Hadid,
Winnie Harlow, Jourdan Dunn, Kai
Lenny and Jean-Éric Vergne. The event culminated on Sunday
with VIP access to the coveted Formula 1 Grand Prix, for which TAG
Heuer is the Official Watch.
Looking back on 50 years of the TAG Heuer Monaco and Calibre
11
When the Heuer Monaco (TAG was not part of the company name at
the time) was introduced at simultaneous press conferences in
New York and Geneva on 3 March
1969, journalists and watch aficionados around the world
were amazed. Every aspect of the watch's design was radical, and
went where no other watch had gone before in terms of design and
technology. The Monaco's daring
and iconic design made it instantly recognisable, with its
never-before-seen water-resistant square case.
This was the perfect complement to the advanced technology being
presented by the Swiss watchmaker at the time. Developed and
commercialised by Heuer, the Calibre 11 was the world's first
automatic-winding chronograph movement.
The CEO of Heuer at the time, Jack
Heuer, believed that this groundbreaking innovation required
a design that would demand attention. The Monaco did exactly that.
A year after it was launched, the Monaco was seen on the wrist of brand
ambassador and racing driver Jo
Siffert, and in 1971 it shared the cinematic limelight with
Steve McQueen in the movie Le
Mans.
Already a collector's edition and a tribute to the
1970s
Highlighting the breakthrough and yet timeless design of the
original Monaco, TAG Heuer created
five new models inspired by the trends, colours and styles that
characterised each decade of the Monaco's half-century history. Emblematic
geometric shapes and colours from the 1970s, combined with a
timeless Côtes de Genève pattern are some of the features that
distinguish the first model to celebrate the Monaco's 50th anniversary.
Presented on a brown leather strap with holes lined in light
brown, this stainless-steel timepiece has been produced in an
edition limited to only 169 pieces. The green dial features brown
and yellow touches and a Côtes de Genève finishing. The hands are
coated with SuperLuminova®. Only a quick glance at the subdials and
the position of the crown is needed to recognise this
unconventional timepiece's Monaco
lineage.
The caseback of this 1970s-inspired timepiece is engraved with
the original "Monaco Heuer" logo as well as "1969-1979 Special
Edition" and "One of 169".
Beating inside the case is the renowned Calibre 11, a modern
version of the automatic-winding chronograph movement that made its
debut inside the original Monaco
in 1969.
The paradoxical superstar
Over the past two decades, the Monaco has been closely linked to haute
horlogerie with other versions that feature new complications,
designs and materials. As it evolves, the Monaco still has the revolutionary spirit that
made it both infamous and famous. The complete story behind this
icon is told in the new book Paradoxical Superstar, which
includes archive excerpts and sketches of the designs and
movements. British author and journalist Nicholas Foulkes, watch expert Gisbert Brunner and American writer Michael
Clerizo all contributed chapters that capture the heritage and
innovation that define the Monaco.
Underscoring the timepiece's bond with its namesake city, H. S. H.
Prince Albert II of Monaco wrote the book's foreword.
77th Monaco Grand Prix
No race or circuit of the Formula 1 calendar can truly match the
excellence, glamour and challenge of the Monaco Grand Prix. From
Casino Square to the world's most famous hairpin, through the
tunnel and past the luxurious yachts, Monte Carlo is a circuit of legendary corners
full of history.
Extremely challenging for both teams and drivers, the narrow
circuit through the glamorous streets of the Principality has been
fuelling dreams in motorsports for decades. The tight circuit that
offers almost no chance to overtake is extremely hard to master,
and for some drivers winning the Monaco Grand Prix is even more
prestigious than winning the World Championship.
In 2019 the Monaco Grand Prix will be doubly special as it
celebrates its 90th anniversary since its first edition on
14 April 1929. In its 90 years this
unique Grand Prix has established itself in the world of
motorsports and set the scene for some of the craziest Formula 1
Grand Prix moments in history. Unexpected developments and
strategies are the keywords of this prestigious mechanical
rendezvous. Crashes at Sainte-Dévote, grip changes in the tunnel on
rainy days, passing ever nearer the rail at the section with the
swimming pool. The 78 laps and 19 turns push the pilots to the
limits, all driven by one ambition: getting their name on the
record of the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, 26 May 2019.
MONACO 1969–1979 LIMITED
EDITION
Reference CAW211V.FC6466
FACTS AND
FIGURES
MOVEMENT
TAG Heuer Automatic Calibre 11, diameter
30 mm, 59 jewels, balance oscillating at a frequency of
28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 40-hour power reserve
FUNCTIONS
Chronograph with seconds and minutes; date,
hours, minutes and small seconds at 3 o'clock
CASE
Diameter 39 mm, case in stainless steel,
fixed bezel in stainless steel, sapphire crystal, polished steel
crown at 9 o'clock and push buttons at 2 and 4 o'clock,
water-resistant to 100 metres (10 bar), steel caseback with
"1969-1979 Special Edition" and "One of 169" engravings
DIAL
Green dial with Côtes de Genève finishing, sunray
black gold plated small counters, polished, facetted indexes, brown
and yellow touches on hands and indexes
STRAP
Brown calfskin leather strap, polished folding
clasp in stainless steel
Limited to 169 watches
SPECIAL PACKAGING
Like the watch itself, the watch box
is also inspired by the original. Each of the special-edition
models comes in a box with colours that match the watch and the
decade it represents. The 1970s-inspired model is packaged in a
dark blue box decorated with the Heuer logo and a horizontal
chequer-pattern stripe. The watch is placed on a yellow cushion and
surrounded by a green interior – the same colour found on the
dial.
About TAG Heuer
In 1860, at the age of 20, Edouard
Heuer founded his watchmaker's workshop in the Jura
Mountains of Switzerland. Creating
the Mikrograph in 1916, sponsoring Formula 1 teams in the 1970s or
launching the first luxury connected watch in 2015 are just a few
examples of the major technical innovations, ultimate accuracy and
passion for disruptive design that define our unique spirit.
Headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds, TAG Heuer operates in four
production sites – mastering the whole watchmaking process – and is
represented on all continents through 4,500 points of sale,
including 170 TAG Heuer boutiques that are now directly available
on www.tagheuer.com in selected countries. TAG
Heuer timepieces are designed for those who love challenges. Our
influence is enhanced by our unique communication based on three
pillars: sport, lifestyle and heritage, embodying our legacy and
DNA. Our partnerships and ambassadors illustrate our open-minded
and open-door culture, with the most prestigious and avant-garde
names teaming up with TAG Heuer: the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing
Team, the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the Formula E championship,
the biggest football leagues in Europe, the Americas and Asia, Manchester
United, trendsetter Cara Delevingne, and actors
Chris Hemsworth and Patrick Dempsey.
#DontCrackUnderPressure is much more than just a claim – it's
a state of mind. Find out more at www.tagheuer.com
Instagram: @tagheuer, Twitter: @TAGHeuer, Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TAGHeuer
Downloads
All press material can be obtained free of charge at
https://presscorner.tagheuer.com/directlogin
For more information go to www.image.net/TAGHeuerMonaco50th
For further information, please contact:
Sonja Hagmann, International PR
Manager
Tel. +41 32 919 81 52
Mobile: +41 79 898 54 73
E-mail: sonja.hagmann@tagheuer.com
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