The Heuer Monaco with its iconic square case was made famous by Steve McQueen, aka the King of Cool, when he wore it in his legendary 1971 racing movie Le Mans. TAG Heuer has re-issued a few different versions of the unique watch but the new Monaco Gulf Special Edition honoring the 50th anniversary of the Gulf Racing colors is the coolest we’ve seen yet.
A Race to Remember
The blue and orange Gulf Racing livery will forever be associated with McQueen as it was featured on the incredible Porsche 917 he raced in the movie, which just sold for $14 million. That makes it the world’s most expensive Porsche as well as one of the most famous race cars ever. The Monaco Gulf Special Edition’s dial features the same blue and orange racing stripes and Gulf logo as the car. With the new Gulf, TAG is expanding their collection of excellent watches.
The Design of the TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition
The distinctive color scheme is echoed by the blue perforated leather rally strap accented with orange stitching. Originally introduced by Heuer in honor of its long-standing partnership with the Monaco Grand Prix, the watch’s revolutionary design – the first Swiss made automatic chronograph watch that was both square and waterproof – stunned the world when it was launched simultaneously in Geneva and New York on March 3, 1969. It was powered by the famous Chronometric Caliber 11 which was the first automatic chronograph movement ever featured in a production wristwatch. The watch McQueen wore in Le Mans was a Monaco 1133B Calibre 11. Original Monaco’s are highly prized by collectors. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of the TAG Heuer watches in Kingsmen the Monaco Gulf brings about historical significance.
Colors Scheme
Cars wearing the iconic Gulf Oil colors won the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times, cementing their fame. Aside from the most expensive Porsche 917, the most famous Gulf Racing car is a Ford GT40. Reflecting TAG Heuer CEO and LVMH watch chief Jean-Claude Biver’s increasing efforts at e-commerce and exclusivity, the new special edition piece is now available for pre-sale through September 15 on TAGHeuer.com, retailing for $5,900. The watch will then be available for sale in the U.S. only in TAG Heuer boutiques, and will be officially presented at the WatchTime exhibition at Gotham Hall in New York City in October. After which it will be made available to wholesale trade in the U.S.
