Forged Carbon Fiber Brings The Heuer Monaco Into Supercar/F1 Territory

From the Carrera to the Monza and Formula 1, TAG Heuer makes no shortage of watches that appeal to automotive enthusiasts. The Monaco certainly ranks high among them, but this latest version takes the car connection even further.

Revealed at the Baselworld watch and jewelry show in Switzerland, this version of the iconic Monaco is based on the same model made popular by Steve McQueen in Le Mans. Only this one replaces the usual metal case with one made out of forged carbon fiber.

The unique timepiece stems from a partnership with the Bamford Watch Department, which has established a name for itself customizing high-end watches. Its lightweight 39-millimeter rectangular case is made from the same kind of forged carbon that Lamborghini uses on its supercars.

Like the original, it features a crown on the left side (so it won’t get in the way of your driving gloves), while its face is all blacked out, save for the bright blue hands and indices for which Bamford is known. It’s powered by TAG Heuer’s in-house developed Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement and is fastened with a black leather and rubber strap.

Moreover, the dial says just Heuer (sans TAG), which was the brand’s name from 1860, when it was founded by Edward Heuer, until 1985, when it was acquired by Mansour Ojjeh’s Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) holdings company. TAG was also a sponsor and share owner in McLaren – and, from 1983 until 1987, slapped its logo on McLaren’s Porsche-designed F1 engine.

We wouldn’t expect the Monaco Bamford to be the last automotive-related special edition to come out of the company, though. Not by a long shot, considering a. its history, and b. sponsoring both the Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin F1 teams.

The Swiss watchmaker also serves as official timekeeper for racing series and events as the FIA World Touring Car Championship, Formula E, the Indy 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It also counts the likes of Patrick Dempsey, Alexander Rossi and, perhaps most famously, the late Ayrton Senna among its brand ambassadors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajIEf1AGgAY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94zL_LCTHko