Introducing: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue Limited Edition

July 27, 2023

Meet the new TAG Heuer Monaco "Racing Blue" Limited Edition. It takes the standard Monaco, powered by the automatic caliber 11, and slaps a new paint job on it inspired by France's national Racing Blue.?Continuing in a long lineage of special colorways for the Monaco, this latest offers a distinctive and punchy take on a classic race-inspired design that is complemented by a titanium case.? Before commercial sponsorships became common in motorsports in the 1960s, race cars were distinguished by their national colors. Each country had its own color scheme: British racing green, Italian red, German white, and then silver, and the United States white with blue lengthwise stripes. France had its racing blue, or Bleu de France, a deep and vivid blue (HEX #318CE7 for those interested). In France, the color has monarchic roots: the fleurs-de-lis depicted on the French Coat of Arms (until the French Revolution) was always set in azure.Now, the Bleu de France has found its way onto the TAG Heuer Monaco. Both the subdials and the perforated racing strap are rendered in azure and complemented by bright yellow-lime accents, most noticeable on the chronograph's seconds hand. The grade 2 titanium case measures 39mm in diameter (47.4mm lug-to-lug) and 14.3mm thick. The Monaco is powered by TAG Heuer's automatic caliber 11, which uses a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module.?This means it stays true to the original layout of the Monaco C?most notably, the crown was placed at 9 o'clock to telegraph to customers and owners that these things were automatic now C no need to wind your chronograph by hand every day.? The TAG Heuer Monaco Racing Blue Limited Edition has an MSRP of $9,200 and will be available from July 2023 at TAG Heuer boutiques, online, and other retail partners. It's a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, and each caseback will be engraved "one of 1000." What We Think The titanium case, paired with a sunburst silver dial and vivid azure, makes for a sleek and modern-looking Monaco. When introduced in the 1970s as another way for Heuer to put its new automatic caliber 11 into the world (the first automatic chronograph caliber to reach commercial production), the Monaco was the avant-garde alternative to the more staid Carrera. It was big and bold and square. With that background, it makes sense for TAG Heuer to continue to use the Monaco as its platform for trying new and innovative things. For example, I enjoyed seeing the brand put its first mechanical split-seconds chronograph in the Monaco for Only Watch this year. The new skeletonized Monaco, and, to a lesser extent, this titanium Racing Blue Limited Edition, are two more examples of TAG Heuer keeping the Monaco looking fresh and contemporary, holding true to the original ethos of the model.?The standard steel TAG Heuer Monaco powered by the caliber 11 has an MSRP of $7,800, while the titanium "Titan" is priced at $8,150 C and both can be found pre-owned for less than that. While I'm not going to argue that a limited edition Monaco with a new paint job warrants a price increase to $9,200, at least it looks good and stands out from the non-limited options in Tag Heuer's catalog.? The Basics Brand: TAG HeuerModel: MonacoReference Number: CAW218C.FC6548Diameter: 39mm (47.4mm lug-to-lug)Thickness: 14.3mmCase Material: Grade 2 titanium Dial Color: Silver sunray; blue opaline subdialsIndexes: Rhodium-plated applied indicesLume: Super-LumiNovaWater Resistance: 100 meters Strap/Bracelet: Blue perforated calfskin; titanium folding clasp The Movement Caliber: TAG Heuer caliber 11Functions: Chronograph and dateDiameter: 30 metersPower Reserve: 40 hoursWinding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 beats per hourJewels: 59Additional details: Based on Sellita SW-300 with Dubois-Depraz chronograph module Pricing & Availability Price: $9,200Availability: From July 2023Limited Edition: Yes, 1,000 piecesFor more, visit TAG Heuer. Shop this story The Hodinkee Shop is an authorized retailer of TAG Heuer watches. TAG Heuer is part of the LVMH group. Although LVMH Luxury Ventures is a minority investor in Hodinkee, we maintain complete editorial independence.