Inside the new Monaco Evergraph, TAG Heuer’s most ambitious interpretation of the model to date
The TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph houses a revolutionary new complication
The TAG Heuer Monaco has one of the great origin stories in watchmaking. Launched in 1969, it was the world’s first square, water-resistant automatic chronograph, powered by the calibre 11 – itself the world’s first commercially available automatic chronograph movement. That same year, Heuer – as the brand was known then – became the first luxury brand to appear on a Formula 1 car. Actor Steve McQueen wore the Monaco on screen in Le Mans in 1971, cementing its status as a cultural icon as much as a horological one.
More than 50 years on, it remains one of the few watches that can genuinely claim to have changed the course of the industry. The new Monaco Evergraph, unveiled at this April’s Watches & Wonders fair, is arguably TAG Heuer’s most ambitious interpretation of the model to date.
TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph with blue rubber strap in a textile pattern finish
The headline feature is the calibre TH80-00, an entirely new movement developed over five years in collaboration with Swiss movement specialist Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and the most significant mechanical invention the brand has produced in years. Its central innovation is a chronograph mechanism that does away with virtually all of the levers and springs that have defined the complication since its origins.
In their place are two flexible components – developed over five years using high-precision manufacturing technology – engineered to deliver the same crisp, precise sensation on the 10,000th press of the pusher as on the very first. The movement also features the maison’s exclusive TH-Carbonspring oscillator, which is resistant to magnetic fields, carries a 70-hour power reserve, and offers long-term reliability.
The movement is constructed so that its key components – the barrel, gear train, balance and escapement – are visible from the dial side, leaving the inner workings exposed. A transparent acrylic dial does the rest, creating the impression that the hands and counters are floating within the case rather than sitting on a surface.
The large sapphire exhibition caseback mirrors the movement's shape and reveals the inner workings of the Calibre TH80-00
The 40mm case is Grade 5 titanium, redesigned to sit more comfortably on the wrist while keeping the silhouette close to the original 1969 reference 1133. The crown remains on the left side – a signature detail of the Monaco since 1969 – and the square sapphire caseback offers a clear view of the movement from the reverse. Sharp facets along the edges of the case give it a strong presence on the wrist, while the tapered profiles make it feel slimmer than the technical complexity inside might suggest.
Two versions are available: one in titanium with blue sub-dials and a blue rubber strap that references the original 1133B associated with McQueen; and a black DLC-coated titanium version with red accents drawn from TAG Heuer’s racing history. Both are serious pieces of watchmaking, and a reminder that the Monaco, more than 50 years on, still has something new to say.
£20,750; tagheur.com
