Watches Racing spirit in green

In the golden age of motorsports, drivers raced in cars clad in livery not defined by corporate sponsorships or maker — but by nation. Italy is clad in iconic red, Germany in white or silver, France in blue and England, of course, in green. TAG Heuer’s Monaco is a powerful design that is synonymous with racing, and the Racing Colors series explores this grand tradition. Last year saw the debut of the blue model, and this year, TAG Heuer has followed up with a model inspired by the elegant and powerful racers clad in British Racing Green, first famously seen on a Napier 50 that won the Gordon Bennett Cup under Selwyn Edge in 1902.

This nod to history is most obvious on the green subdials and the charismatic leather strap, perforated, for that classic gentleman racer aesthetic. Of course, there are plenty of other details inspired by British racing. The yellow highlights on the chronograph seconds hand and the faceted baton marker at 12 o’clock is a reference to the yellow touches often found on British liveries, and the silver sunray-brushed dial evokes the bright metal of engine-turned dashboards common on cars of that era. Even the luminous dial markings are in light green, and the historic Heuer logo has been used as another link to the past. 

On this limited edition, the signature case of the TAG Heuer Monaco is crafted from grade-2 titanium, with a sandblasted finish. This lightweight and robust material is a perfect fit for the sporty feel of this powerful design. 

Visible through the sapphire caseback is the indomitable Calibre 11, an automatic chronograph calibre steeped in history and instantly recognisable thanks to its crown at the nine o’clock position. This calibre is an integral part of the history of the Monaco, as it was the Calibre 11, which debuted in the model in 1969.

A final nod to the special nature of this racing green watch can be found on the special engraving on the caseback, indicating it is one of a limited edition of 1000 pieces.