Sneak Peek: TAG Heuer Monaco Limited Edition 1969-1979
The 2019 TAG Heuer Monaco Limited Edition 1969-1979 in the unique 39mmx39mm brushed & polished stainless steel case (reference: CAW211V.FC6466) marked the release of the first of the five limited edition watches to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the now iconic watch.
The movement — Calibre 11 — used is an automatic chronograph movement with a date window at 6’o clock and comprises of 59 jewels & beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28’000 A/h) allowing for a decent 40 hour power reserve.
The dial shows the functions of hours, minutes and small seconds at 3’o clock, date and a chronograph with seconds and minutes on a green Côtes de Genève finished dial. The sub-dials are sun-ray black gold plated small counters that shimmer in sunlight. The hour & minute markers are polished & facetted and inlaid with luminescent material that contrasts well with the green dial. They also feature brown and yellow touches that make for better time readability. (For more info on the dial and this particular watch, please see our detailed hands-on review.
The steel case-back is closed with “1969-1979 Special Edition” and “One of 169” engravings.
It comes on a brown calfskin leather strap with polished folding clasp, again in stainless steel.
The water resistance is a good — 100m (10 ATM) — on this one.
Cost of these watches: 9’100 AUD.
Watch Ya Gonna Do About It?
In terms of use, we would say it may or may not be a daily wearer as it would change with people’s tastes and professions. A square watch of 39×39 is not everyone’s cup of tea, especially when it wears large and has a thick sapphire crystal casing (roughly 15mm overall thickness). But for lovers of the design, it’s definitely an exceedingly good looking sports watch and the sub-dials really add to the sporty charm. Given it’s big, it’s not a dress watch and perhaps even too loud for a formal occasion. It is obviously not going to fit perfectly under the cuff for that boardroom meeting. It can be worn over the weekend with jeans and t-shirt. It would however look amazing at a sports event or a race event, where coincidentally it’s inspired by anyway.
Given that the watch only came in a limited number of 169 pieces, it has made it a highly sought after item. And the price of 9’100 AUD has not been a deterrent. In-fact, we have been monitoring the prices of this watch on Chrono24, and this particular version of the watch has gone anywhere from approximately 12’000 AUD to 18’000 AUD. It’s been high in demand, with only one piece globally left that is listed on Chrono24 for 16’800.
Disclaimer: This is not our listing, we are not affiliated with Chrono24, and we are not promoting buying off the grey market as well. Being a part of this industry, we have been monitoring prices at a reputable source.
All said and done, we think this is one of the better looking Monacos released in a long time. In-fact, it’s one of the better looking non-circular watches released in a long time. The watch collection itself has got a great history to it, and is embedded in motor-sport racing. And did we mention, it’s known to adorn the wrists of none other than Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans.
If you want to read our detailed hands-on review of this watch, head here.
To find out more about TAG Heuer Monaco watches, head here
