MONACO 24 concept WATCH by TAG Heuer

Article: TAG Heuer
Two of the important happenings were at TAG Heuer Jean-Christophe Babin, the brands CEO, chatted live via satellite with Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton in Melbourne, Australia and the launch of the Monaco Twenty Four Concept Chronograph.

Prior to what was to be his controversial Formula 1 race, Lewis Hamilton, looking immaculate in his role as a TAG Heuer ambassador, chatted good-humouredly with Jean-Christophe Babin and in a single phrase summed up his very raison dEtre with: My whole life is dictated by time!

Hamilton was also wearing the latest TAG Heuer creation, the Monaco Twenty Four Chronograph. This high-tech concept has a unique tubular design with extreme shock-protected components inspired by Le Mans endurance cars. As they say, why re-invent the wheel, so heres how TAG Heuer describe the timepiece: The TAG Heuer Calibre 36 movement floats inside the oversized (40.5mm) black PVD-coated case, suspended within a steel-tube housing very much like a race cars drivers protective cockpit cage, and visible through the dial face and the sapphire crystal caseback. The components are further insulated against shock and torque by a new composite filter material used in aerospace and auto racing. Custom built in industrial-grade tungsten, the three arrows of the oscillating weight echoes a GT car's chrome mags. The large-faced, black-textured dial bears an oversize 24 at 12 o'clock, in honour of the 24 of Le Mans, and the iconic blue and orange livery of Gulf Oil the same colours TAG Heuer Ambassador Steve McQueen wore in his 1970 film classic, Le Mans.

The Monaco Twenty Four Chronograph is, in my humble opinion, not only a superb timepiece technically, but also one of the most beautiful watches that TAG Heuer has ever created.

A final point for all watch aficionados and for the V4 sceptics amongst us: working production models of the brands V4 Concept watch were on the wrists of at least three of the TAG Heuer personnel!