iW Magazine Winter 2020 | Page 69

BY MICHAEL THOMPSON SPECIFICATIONS TAG Heuer Monaco 2009-2019 Limited Edition REFERENCE: CAW211Z.FC6470 MOVEMENT: TAG Heuer automatic caliber 11 by Dubois-Dépraz from a Sellita base, balance oscillating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), 40-hour power reserve FUNCTIONS: Chronograph with seconds and minutes; date, hours, minutes and small second at 3 o’clock; chronograph minutes counter at 9 o’clock; central chronograph seconds hand CASE: 39mm sandblasted steel, sapphire crystal, polished stainless steel crown at 9 o’clock and push buttons at 2 and 4 o’clock, water-resistant to 100 meters, stainless steel caseback with “2009-2019 Special Edition” and “One of 169” engraving DIAL: Charcoal sunray brushed dial, rhodium-plated sunray counters, black-gold-plated, polished, faceted applied indexes, black-gold-plated hour and minute hands, red touches on small hands and 12 o’clock index, luminescent hour and minute hands and indexes TAG HEUER DEBUTS FIFTH MONACO ANNIVERSARY EDITION, PLUS A BONUS TAG Heuer’s yearlong fiftieth anniversary celebration of its square-cased Monaco concluded in October when the watchmaker debuted the final timepiece in a series of five limited-edition Monaco watches. At the same time, TAG Heuer placed a one-of-a-kind restored and decorated 1969 Monaco into a charity auction to benefit the United Way of New York City. STRAP: Black calfskin leather strap, sandblasted folding clasp in stainless steel PACKAGING: Dark blue box decorated with the Heuer logo and a horizontal check-pattern stripe. The watch is placed on a grey cushion and surrounded by a black interior. THE FINAL COLLECTION WITHIN THE FIVE-WATCH COMMEMORATIVE MONACO SERIES BORROWS FROM THE DESIGN CODES AND TRENDS FROM THE PAST TEN YEARS. You may recall that the previous four pieces included Monacos designed to echo styles consistent with each of the previous decades since the watch’s 1969 debut. This latest design exhibits what the brand terms the “sleek design of luxurious everyday objects.” The watch’s dial is indeed minimalist gray/black with a sunray pattern set with black-gold-plated indexes. The rhodium-plated subdials also feature a sunray effect. The interesting sandblasted steel case sets itself apart from the polished cases we’ve seen in the earlier Monaco anniversary editions, successfully enhancing this new edition’s modernity. A few touches of red (the subdial hands, 12 o’clock marker and central seconds hand) catch the eye. To echo the original Monaco, all the year’s celebratory editions, including this one, retain watch’s left-side crown and right-side pusher placement. On the back of the watch TAG Heuer has engraved the “Monaco Heuer” logo as well as “2009-2019 Special Edition” and “One of 169”. Inside the watch is a modern version of the automatic-winding Caliber 11 chronograph movement fashioned by Dubois-Dépraz from a Sellita base caliber. TAG Heuer will make the watch in an edition limited to 169 pieces. Price: $6,550 Above Back view, the TAG Heuer Monaco 2009-2019 Limited Edition Anniversary Watch WINTER 2020 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 69