TAG Heuer Revisits the Monaco at Watches and Wonders 2026

At Watches and Wonders this year, TAG Heuer returns, as it often does, to the chronograph, and to the Monaco, which has always carried its history somewhat visibly. When it first appeared in 1969, the watch seemed almost wilfully out of step. Square, automatic, resistant to water, built around a movement that arrived before the industry had quite settled on what an automatic chronograph should look like. It has endured, not by softening, but by being revisited in increments. This year, the revisions are precise. The case is adjusted, the movements reconsidered, the dial brought into sharper order. GMT India looks closely at this evolution as it unfolds in Geneva.

Monaco Chronograph

The new case sits closer to the wrist. At 39mm, executed in Grade 5 titanium, it follows the lines of the original reference 1133 but resolves them with greater ease. The crystal reads as a truer square; the caseback is drawn inward, softening the contact against the skin. These are small adjustments, though they register immediately. 

The new in-house calibre TH20-11 carries the watch forward without altering its language. Features include: 80‑hour power reserve; bi‑compax layout with counters at 3 and 9; date aperture at 6; and crown positioned on the left. The architecture is familiar, though more assured in its execution. On the dial, contrasts are handled with restraint; subdials set against a measured ground, surfaces shifting between satin-brushed and lacquered finishes.

Three executions define the range. The signature Tag Heuer Monaco blue, drawn from the model worn by Steve McQueen in his 1971 film Le Mans, remains the most immediate. A darker green, rooted in British Racing Green, introduces a verdant register, its tone deepening under light. The third, in black, is paired with a two-tone case in Grade 5 titanium and 18K 5N rose gold, bringing a warmer, more formal edge. Each is fitted to a racing-inspired strap with a newly developed Grade 5 titanium folding clasp.

Monaco Evergraph

The Evergraph approaches the chronograph from first principles. Its Calibre TH80-00 replaces the conventional system of levers and springs with a compliant mechanism ― flexible, bistable components that govern start, stop, and reset. The action is precise, repeatable, unchanged across use. It is a technical solution that avoids spectacle, favouring consistency instead.

The movement is turned outward. Inverted, open-worked, its components arranged across the dial with a clarity that recalls structural drawing. The regulating organ, equipped with a TH-Carbonspring oscillator, operates at 5 Hz, supported by a 70-hour reserve, COSC certification, and a five-year warranty. The details are exacting, though never overstated.

The case, at 40mm in Grade 5 titanium, retains the Monaco’s geometry while refining its stance with tapered profiles and elongated pushers. The square sapphire back opens the movement fully to view. Two executions frame the watch: a titanium model with blue accents, tracing a direct line to the original Monaco, and a black DLC-coated titanium version with red accents, drawing more explicitly on the brand’s racing codes.

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