SAVOIR FAIRE What’s in a name - The TAG Heuer Monza

5 min

The origin story of a timepiece that was born and bred on the racetrack.

A young team principal, fresh from winning a race in Monaco, stares at a watch display inside a duty-free store. He’s about to board his flight home, but one particular timepiece catches his eye. The TAG Heuer Monza. The team principal’s victory has earned him some prize money. If he doesn’t spend it, the money will be absorbed by his team. And so, to commemorate his win, the young man pulls out an envelope of cash and uses it to purchase a watch that captures almost everything that racing stands for. Pure, unadulterated speed, heritage, triumph. Over the next couple of decades, the young man has become one of the most successful team principals in racing history. Does the name Christian Horner ring a bell? And the watch was a rare, limited edition TAG Heuer Monza. In fact, all TAG Heuer Monzas are rare. Maybe that’s why every iteration has captured the imagination of racing pros and fans. Every iteration has gained a cult status. They’ve all been symbols of elite speed. But what makes the TAG Heuer Monza so iconic? Let’s find out.

  • Niki Lauda, Formula 1 driver, 70s

TAG Heuer Monza, 1976 (150.501)

The 1976 edition - An origin story

The original Heuer Monza was released in 1976. The timepiece celebrated a partnership that had taken racing to the next level. Using new technologies and revolutionary timekeeping systems, Heuer changed motorsport forever. Heuer helped Ferrari overcome a decade-long drought to take the drivers’ and constructors’ world championships in 1975. The Heuer Monza was a symbol of the indelible mark these two icons had left on the racetrack. 

 

The timepiece captured a popular trend during the mid-1970s – black-coated cases that combined the style of instruments on the dashboard of a race car with the tactical style of military gear. The watch was given a black-chromium coating on a base metal case. It also had a matte black dial with black registers, a dramatic shift from the metallic silver and gray-blue dials of the earlier Carreras.

The early 2000’s edition - The evolution of the TAG Heuer Monza

Revived in the early 2000s as part of the classic TAG Heuer collection, the timepiece remained a favorite amongst collectors. The design was a callback to some of Heuer’s elegant chronographs from the 1930s.

Accelerate to 2011 and the watchmaker revisited the aesthetic codes of the 1970s with another version of the TAG Heuer Monza. Cushion-shaped bezel, blue hands on a white dial, luminescent old rhodium on the oversized numerals and hand markers. A proper purist’s watch.

  • TAG Heuer Monza, 2006 (CR514A.FC8145)

The 2016 edition - A tribute to the original

Fast forward to 2016. To mark its 40th anniversary, TAG Heuer released a timepiece that was a very close cousin of the 1976 Heuer Monza. The case was black. The crown and pushers were in contrasting stainless steel. The watch had a twin-register chronograph, powered by TAG Heuer’s Calibre 17 movement. And the outer scale featured a pulsometer and a tachymeter, the best friends of racing drivers in the 1970s. A true tribute to the original.

  • TAG Heuer Monza, 2016 (CR2080.FC6375)

The 2023 edition - Meet the TAG Heuer Monza Calibre Heuer 02 COSC Flyback

Forged from ultra lightweight carbon. Fitted with a unique skeleton dial. Fashioned with a translucent fumé blue sapphire crystal chronograph. This one-of-a-kind timepiece is a thing of beauty. It’s a modern interpretation of a timeless classic. The watch has three functions that are essential to racing drivers in action: a flyback chronograph, a tachymeter scale, and a pulsometer, which lets you determine your heart rate per minute. The watch isn’t just a time machine; it’s a racing machine for your wrist. A must-have for racing drivers and enthusiasts, the watch is exciting, majestic and it screams elite speed.

CR5090.FN6001 TAG Heuer Monza Calibre Heuer 02 COSC Flyback

CR5090.FN6001

  • Christian Horner wearing the TAG Heuer Monza (CR5090.FN6001) during 2022 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix

History comes full circle

Remember the story of that young racing driver who celebrated his win with a TAG Heuer Monza? Well, to commemorate his love for the timepiece, TAG Heuer gifted Christian Horner the new TAG Heuer Monza Calibre Heuer 02 COSC Flyback. The perfect way to bookend the story of that young team principal, don’t you think?

 

For the details on the new TAG Heuer Monza Calibre Heuer 02 COSC Flyback, read our dedicated article or visit tagheuer.com.

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