TAG Heuer made its name with the Monaco, a square chronograph that has become synonymous with motorsport. It's the watch with the famous crown on the left side that Steve McQueen wore in the cult film Le Mans, and it's the first watch that comes to mind when you think of racing watches. So it's all the more surprising that TAG Heuer has simply thrown the entire chronograph recipe out the window with the new TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12.
New TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 is a watch that only tells the time, but in a completely unusual way: instead of a classic hour hand, it has twelve rotating titanium pistons on the dial. Yes, you read that right – pistons.
A V12 engine on your wrist
Instead of an hour hand, the dial ring is formed by twelve individual pistons, each engraved with its own number. As the watch moves, the central mechanism rotates and each piston turns 90 degrees, bringing the next hour to the fore while the previous one recedes from view. Only one piston is legible at any given time, and the entire sequence mimics the firing order of a twelve-cylinder engine. The effect is almost hypnotic.
Technology borrowed from Louis Vuitton
At the heart of the watch is the new TH84-00 caliber, created in collaboration with the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton atelier. If the name sounds familiar, it’s no coincidence – it’s the Geneva-based women’s watchmaking workshop behind the fashion house’s most serious watchmaking projects. The TH84-00 caliber is a reworked version of their patented Spin Time system.
As both brands are part of the LVMH group, it’s a family affair in the best sense of the word. The rhodium-plated pistons are sandblasted and brushed and float above an open dial whose vertical grooves hint at the engine hood.
Created for observation
The case measures 40 millimeters and is made of grade 5 titanium. It is covered with sapphire glass on the front, back, and even the bezel, making the watch virtually transparent. And let's face it – it is a sight to behold.
A lone, skeletonized minute hand with a red tip replaces the tachymeter scale, and red accents run throughout the dial and quilted rubber straps. Remember: this watch won't be timing you laps on the racetrack, nor is it intended to.
Technical information
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Model: Monaco Speed 12
- Case diameter: 40 mm
- Housing material: grade 5 titanium
- Glass: sapphire crystal (front and back) and sapphire bezel
- Mechanism: Caliber TH84-00, automatic winding
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Power reserve: 45 hours
- Water resistance: 30 m
- Functions: jumping hours (12 rotating pistons), central minute hand
- Strap: black rubber strap with textile texture and red stitching, titanium buckle
- Limited Edition: yes, 50 pieces
Price and availability
The TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 is limited to just 50 pieces worldwide, with first deliveries expected in December. The estimated price is around 70,000 Swiss francs, which is around $87,000. Expensive for a watch? Maybe. But for a real V12, it's actually a real bargain.
