Monaco

The TAG Heuer Monaco is a family of square watches with unusually distinct personalities, tied together by a case that makes even familiar chronograph layouts look different. Since its 1969 debut, it has grown from an early automatic chronograph into a range spanning smaller cases, different movements, openworked dials and experimental mechanics.

The original automatic Monaco paired its chronograph pushers on the right with a winding crown on the left, a signature retained by modern Calibre 11 versions. The Monaco Calibre 12 puts the crown on the right; later Monaco Heuer 02 chronographs use TAG Heuer’s manufacture movement, with an 80-hour power reserve. Dial architecture helps distinguish them: two prominent counters preserve the early look, while the Heuer 02 also incorporates running seconds at six.

Size and execution matter just as much as the engine. The Monaco 37mm offers a smaller interpretation than the familiar modern 39mm chronographs. Monaco Gulf versions bring racing stripes, while the Monaco Skeleton exposes the movement through an openworked dial. The Monaco V4 takes a different mechanical route altogether, using belt-driven transmission and a linear winding mass.