As often happens with the iconic design classics, the Heuer Monaco (TAG was not part of the company name at the time as we learned from the TAG Heuer exhibition “Museum in Motion”) divided the opinions. When it is launched at simultaneous press conferences in New York and Geneva on March 3, 1969, <\/span>most people\u2019s reactions were less than enthusiastic. Every aspect of the watch\u2019s design was radical: the metallic blue dial, the red and light blue hands, the square case and the placement of the crown on the left-hand side. <\/span>. Today, that’s what makes it so popular.<\/p>\n\n\n <\/span>\u201cWe wanted to create an outstanding and innovative product, something avant-garde,\u201d said TAG Heuer Honorary Chairman Jack Heuer. \u201cWhen I saw the square case, I immediately knew it was something special. Until then, square cases were only used for dress watches because it was not possible to make them water-resistant. We went forward with this unconventional design and negotiated the exclusive use of this revolutionary case for the Monaco wrist chronograph.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span>The Monaco\u2019s daring design made it instantly recognisable, and it was the perfect complement to the advanced technology the Swiss watchmaker presented at the same time: the first water-resistant square case and the Calibre 11, the first automatic-winding chronograph movement. The Calibre 11 was the result of three years of close collaboration between watch brands Heuer, Breitling and Hamilton, and became the first automatic chronograph. The then CEO of Heuer, Jack Heuer, was not really a fan of the watch\u2019s design either, but he believed the groundbreaking innovations needed a design that would demand attention. The Monaco did exactly that. The disruptive design was difficult to produce, and its popularity among watch aficionados and collectors was not immediate, but it remained in the collection. Hopefully!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jack Heuer was convinced that motor racing was the right way to promote watches, including the Monaco. He wanted the watches (and dashboard timers) his company produced to be linked to the names and places connected with major races. The Monaco got its name from the glamorous and well-known Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix (it still exists today). TAG Heuer is the Official Watch of the Monaco Top Cars Collection museum and has close ties to the Automobile Club de Monaco. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n From Le Mans racetrack with Steve McQueen to The Dark Lord<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n In 1971, the Monaco shared the cinematic limelight with Steve McQueen, we can almost say that it was he who gave his celebrity to the watch, in the movie Le Mans<\/i>. In the mid-1970s, the Monaco received a makeover. At that time, black was becoming a fashionable colour, and so the Monaco was cloaked in a black anodised case. Known as The Dark Lord, this fragile and rare model was enticing and today it is coveted by collectors. The first chapter of the Monaco\u2019s story ends in the late 1970s. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n![\"TAG](\"https:\/\/gentologie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/TAG-Heuer-1969-Original-Monaco-watch1133B-Original-Box.jpg\")
Photo: TAG Heuer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nStrong links to the world of motorsports <\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>\u201cWe wanted to create an outstanding and innovative product, something avant-garde\u201d <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
– Jack Heuer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"1971](\"https:\/\/gentologie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1971-TAG-Heuer-Monaco-watch-Steve-McQueen-Le-Mans.jpg\")
Photo: TAG Heuer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
![\"1979](\"https:\/\/gentologie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/1979-TAG-Heuer-Monaco-watch-Dark-Lord.jpg\")
![\"TAG](\"https:\/\/gentologie.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/TAG-Heuer-Monaco-watch-2015.jpg\")