Tag Heuer: Monaco 2009 – 2019 Limited Edition “50th Anniversary”

Following the four previous events celebrating the 50th anniversary of the iconic TAG Heuer Monaco throughout 2019, the Swiss watchmaker rounded off the festivities with the presentation of the fifth and final special edition at an immersive celebration in Shanghai’s Space Plus.

Upon entering, guests were immediately immersed in the Monaco universe and discovered “timeboxes” – custom time capsules that transported them to the four decades represented by the Monaco anniversary pieces – in the reception area. Following an opening video introducing the Monaco collection and a spectacular show of light and shadow, brand ambassadors Cara Delevingne and Li Yifeng unveiled the fifth limited-edition Monaco anniversary timepiece, which pays tribute to the second decade of the twenty-first century.

Sharp and uncomplicated, the limited-edition Monaco capturing the most recent decade of the timekeeping icon’s half-century past – 2009 to 2019 – represents the straightforward style and sleek design of luxurious everyday objects. Presented on a perforated black calfskin strap with black lining and grey stitching, this model has an unconventional sandblasted stainless-steel case and polished pushers. The charcoal-coloured sunray dial is adorned with black-gold-plated indexes with SuperLuminova. The rhodium-plated subdials also feature a gleaming sunray effect. For a dynamic, eye-catching enhancement, the subdial hands and central seconds hand are in bold red, as is the marker at the 12 o’clock position on the dial. The black-gold-plated hour and minute hands have a stripe of SuperLuminova to ensure legibility in any conditions.

As with the original, the pushers are on the right of the case while the polished crown is on the left – an unconventional feature that has distinguished the Monaco over the past 50 years.

The caseback of this 2010s-inspired wristwatch is engraved with the “Monaco Heuer” logo as well as “2009-2019 Special Edition” and “One of 169”. Sporting a design inspired by the original model, the stainless-steel caseback features a polished, vertical and circular brushed finishing. The case houses the renowned Calibre 11, a modern version of the automatic-winding chronograph movement that made its debut inside the original Monaco in 1969. This watch has been produced in an edition limited to 169 pieces. (Price €.5.950)