Pre-Owned Tag Heuer by Analog Shift Monaco Re-edition

Why We Love It

It doesn’t take a Heuer fan to recognize the “Steve McQueen” watch.

The Monaco is easily the most recognizable Heuer and probably one of the easiest watches to spot from a mile away. When Steve McQueen was presented a table full of Heuers to wear while filming Le Mans, the Monaco was the one to catch is eye, and it’s easy to see why.

Launched in 1969, the original Monaco was powered by the legendary Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement, the first of its kind. Popular with racers and enthusiasts alike from its launch, the watch reached mythical status on the wrist of every guy's secret man-crush, Steve McQueen, who selected it as part of the attire of his character Michael Delaney in the 1972 racing film, Le Mans. (Side Note: if you haven't seen this film, make it your number one priority in life!). The connection between Heuer and McQueen was forever cemented, and the Monaco lives on today in various modernized forms, but with much of the same appeal, aesthetics, and pedigree. 

This particular Monaco, a Reference CS2110 from the mid 1990s , was the first 'Retro' Heuer-only branded model of the modern era. It features a minimalist black dial, a date at the 6:00 position, an ETA automatic-winding chronograph movement, and an excellent black perforated leather strap with signed pin buckle. 

With its unmistakable square-case shape, matching squared subsidiary dials, and  memorable tie to the original King of Cool, the Monaco is the epitome of iconic, and on the wish list of every car nut on the planet.

If you’re searching for an icon that has broken through the world of watches and become something more of an icon all on its own, look no further.

The Story

In 1962, Jack Heuer inherited the company that his great-grandfather had founded in Saint-Imier nearly a century before.

He had already played a role in the design of some timepieces, starting with the Solunar in the late 1940s. But in 1962, the responsibility of running the company fell on his shoulders, and he found himself faced with the daunting task of safeguarding his ancestor’s legacy while at the same time forging his own. His chosen path? Moving into a line of technical instruments for use in sporting and transportation applications.

The Heuer name was not unknown in motor racing and aviation circles. Starting in 1911, when the sport of automobile racing was still in its infancy, the company produced dashboard clocks for cars, boats, and even airplanes. Jack Heuer, a longtime racing aficionado, saw an opportunity to revitalize—or at the very least reexamine—the company’s already-successful line of chronographs.

He had first tried his hand with the Autavia, which at the time of his succession was a stopwatch with a virtually illegible dial. In its place he launched the line of Autavia wrist chronographs, the first line of chronographs produced by Heuer to be named, not just numbered. The Autavia was purpose-built for racers and pilots, and attracted the attention of Formula 1 racers and devotees such as Jochen Rindt and Steve McQueen.

In designing the Carrera, Heuer created something that was entirely his, and is without question the chronograph that is most associated with the brand today. Heuer's obsession with legibility led to a dial design that was simpler to read than the Omega Speedmaster or the Rolex Daytona (released the same year as the Carrera). What resulted was a chronograph that gave only the most necessary bits of information, with plain baton markers: clean, uncluttered, undeniably attractive.  

The brand grew to become a powerhouse in chronographs in particular, and the list of famous designs from the 1960s and 1970s can’t be counted on two hands. Falling on hard times in the wake of the Quartz Crisis, Heuer was ultimately purchased by Technique Avant Garde (TAG) and subsequently Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey, who have brought the brand into the modern age.