It was back in 1969 that the Heuer watch company unveiled its now-famous Monaco watch. The timepiece was revolutionary for its period thanks to a multitude of reasons, including its square case with crown on the left-hand side, its distinctive racing-car-inspired design and its presence on the wrists of celebrities. 

In fact, the blue-dial watch with red accents and light-blue hands may well be such an icon thanks to its starring role on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie LeMans. The watch made an important debut as well, because it was the first square sports watch of the era and the first time a square watch proved to be water-resistant. In addition, the timepiece was fitted with the Caliber 11 – the first automatic winding chronograph movement, which resulted from three years of close collaboration between Heuer, Hamilton and Breitling. Throughout the ensuing decades, the Monaco has enjoyed many an evolution and remains a legendary timepiece. 

This year, as the Monaco celebrates its 50th anniversary, TAG Heuer is hosting a series of five events around the world, with a new limited-edition Monaco watch being launched at each one. Last weekend, the anniversary celebrations were kicked off at the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix, which gave the watch its name in 1969. Guests were granted access to some of the most prestigious and exciting events in Monaco, including a Saturday evening party on the TAG Heuer Yacht, hosted by Patrick Dempsey and Bella Hadid. 

The first of the five new collector’s timepieces was unveiled there, too. It was inspired by the first ten years of the legend, 1969-1979. Emblematic geometric shapes and colours from the 1970s, combined with a timeless Côtes de Genève pattern are some of the features that distinguish this model. Presented on a brown leather strap with holes lined in light brown, this stainless-steel timepiece has been produced in an edition limited to only 169 pieces. The green dial features brown and yellow touches and a Côtes de Genève finishing. The hands are coated with SuperLuminova. The caseback of this timepiece is engraved with the original “Monaco Heuer” logo as well as “1969-1979 Special Edition” and “One of 169”. Beating inside the case is the renowned Calibre 11, a modern version of the automatic-winding chronograph movement that made its debut inside the original Monaco in 1969.

Furthermore, a new book called “Paradoxical Superstar” was finally revealed. It recalls the Monaco watch’s complete history and evolution from LeMans to the Dark Lord and more. Complete with never-before-seen images and sketches of the designs and movements, the book was co-authored by watch journalists Underscoring the timepiece’s bond with its namesake city, H. S. H. Prince Albert II of Monaco wrote the book’s foreword.