For over 50 years, the Monaco chronograph has been the ultimate driver’s watch. TAG Heuer now introduces the Monaco Chronograph Night Driver, a Limited Edition that is a modern and innovative tribute to the racing spirit of this collection as well as its iconic Monaco Blue and captures the magic of driving a sports car on the open road at night. It also features a new technical innovation for TAG Heuer – a fully luminescent dial for even better legibility.
Those who appreciate the intense sensation of the road and the car, as well as pushing themselves to the maximum, will be attracted by the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Night Driver, a limited edition of the Monaco chronograph. Inspired by the classic vintage Monacos’ midnight blue, charcoal grey, and matte black dials, this newest iteration uses modern materials to create an instrument that improves the experience and performance of individuals who drive at night.
There is something magical about driving in the dark of night. Take away the distractions of roadside scenery and the bright sky, and the driver is left alone with the feel of the road and the car. The driver feels the car and the road more intensely than when driving in the daylight, sensing the power and agility of their car with their hands, feet and back. Every nuance of the road and the car registers in the driver’s body and mind, as there is a purity in being alone with the car and the road. The rest of the world seems to vanish. Without the extraneous inputs, the lights, sounds and other sensations felt by the driver take on a new intensity.
More than ever, the driver relies on their eyes and their instruments for critical inputs.
The dashboard instruments illuminate in the dark, displaying the vehicle’s speed and monitoring vital mechanical parameters (temperatures and pressures). In the dark, another instrument comes in handy: the driver’s chronograph. The chronograph keeps track of the current time while also allowing you to time a lap, interval, or other event. Legibility is crucial at night, just as it is with dashboard instruments, to present the driver with precise information in an instant.
Since its introduction in 1969, the TAG Heuer Monaco has been the ultimate chronograph for racers, and today TAG Heuer introduces a Limited Edition Monaco Chronograph Night Driver as the essential instrument for driving in the dark of night. The newest Monaco employs its unique “circle in the square” two-piece dial construction to provide instant readings for the driver. At night, the deep grey “circle” at the center of the dial provides strong contrast with the bright blue Super-LumiNova® finish of the hour, minute, and chronograph seconds hands, as well as bright dots that mark the hours. Even the hash-marks that indicate the minutes / seconds glow brightly, allowing the driver to take precise readings.
It is the “squares” of the Monaco Night Driver, that transform the new chronograph into the perfect driver’s instrument, while providing two different and complementary looks capturing the mood of darkness or light. As the day turns to night, the exterior of the dial is transformed from a cool, light grey to a glowing vivid blue, with
black-lacquered indexes marking the hours. The chronograph registers are transformed to this same glowing blue, providing vivid contrast with the black markings for minutes and hours, and the hands for the chronograph minutes and hours counters.
This fully luminescent dial is a true technical achievement for TAG Heuer and enables even better and more powerful legibility on the roads. By harnessing the capabilities of Super- LumiNova®, the timepiece is able to expand its luminosity across a broader surface area, allowing the dial to remain prominently visible in the dark for 3 hours after being fully charged.
The Monaco Chronograph Night Driver Limited Edition also pays homage to some of TAG Heuer’s classic Monaco chronographs. The dial of the first Monaco chronograph, worn by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans in 1969, was dubbed “Midnight Blue.” TAG Heuer now uses contemporary materials to capture the deep blue radiance of the night sky, more than 50 years later. Other historic Monaco chronographs had “charcoal grey” dials with contrasting darker registers, and the new “Night Driver” pays homage to this palette when visible in daylight.
Legibility is essential for the driver’s chronograph, but steering a car through the night requires a second attribute – durability. Here too, the new Monaco Chronograph Night Driver uses modern materials to create the perfect instrument for the racer. The case is built of Grade 5 titanium, coated in black DLC (diamond-like carbon) material, with the light weight of the watch ensuring comfort over the hours. The DLC coating of the case will stand up well to its intended use as the racer’s tool, and high-use elements of the chronograph – the pushers and crown – incorporate this same black coating.
Each TAG Heuer timepiece must meet the strict requirements of robustness, precision and quality. This is why Grade 5 titanium has been chosen for the Night Driver, a first for a Monaco chronograph. Offering toughness and endurance, this material allows a combination of fine-brushed and polished finishes, which embody TAG Heuer savoir-faire and enhance the versatile look of this chronograph.
Another important aspect of the new Monaco Chronograph Night Driver’s longevity is the adoption of TAG Heuer’s in-house Heuer 02 movement. The Heuer 02 movement employs a classic column wheel to dependably activate the chronograph, and the movement’s 80-hour power reserve will keep the Night Driver operating throughout a racing weekend. The blue printing on the black oscillating mass, as well as the blue column wheel, are visible through the sapphire caseback, expanding the palette from the chronograph dial.
The Monaco Chronograph Night Driver Limited Edition incorporates a calfskin strap, with the alternating large and small perforations and bright white stitching along the edge of the strap also evoking Heuer racing chronographs of the 1960s and 70s.
TAG Heuer will present the Monaco Chronograph Night Driver Limited Edition in a dedicated packaging that evokes the racing heritage of the Monaco collection in a “nomad” travel pouch. All 600 limited edition pieces are individually engraved. They will be available in TAG Heuer Boutiques, top Retailers and on www. tagheuer.com from October 2023.
