2018 Monaco Gulf "First Victory" 50th Anniversary CAW211T

Hubert

Mine will be delivered on Monday, but here are some pictures sent by a friend.

abrod520

You got a point there - though there were only 50 Missions Sets, they produced each watch separately in crazy numbers. Still, they were all of a theme, introduced at once - not every few months saying "Hey, here's a new limited edition!"

Look, I'm all for fun limited variations on a theme - but they don't work unless 1) they are visually distinct from one another and 2) they are introduced at intervals which allow interest in the previous LE to wane. The Hodinkee "Orange Boy" would have been really cool if it were introduced next year, rather than a week or two after deliveries of the Calibre11 watch. That strategy would also maintain interest in the regular Autavia over time, rather than pumping it up in the first year

Gambba

The only thing maybe that changes things is the standard gulf Monaco is simply a special edition, and not limited by numbers I believe. The Gulf 50 is properly limited and I think has enough changes to really appeal to motorsports enthusiasts that bit more than the regular one.

Gambba

I’m not sure I get it myself as think the regular one should have had the lighter blue and brighter orange stripe from the start.

Gambba

It is a fine line on all of theses edition type watches and do agree the constant farming out of the models does get a little too much.

Hubert

All I could say when I saw it was: WOW!
There is no way I would give this one up. I am keeping this baby! Pictures can barely do it justice.

Gambba

The only thing maybe that changes things is the standard gulf Monaco is simply a special edition, and not limited by numbers I believe. The Gulf 50 is properly limited and I think has enough changes to really appeal to motorsports enthusiasts that bit more than the regular one. I’m not sure I get it myself as think the regular one should have had the lighter blue and brighter orange stripe from the start.

It is a fine line on all of theses edition type watches and do agree the constant farming out of the models does get a little too much.

Completely agree on the Orange Boy and couldn’t really understand its timing, but then guess the Calibre11 and Hodinkee models fall outside of there mainstream strategy, whatever that might be.

Calibre11

Congrats @Hubert I prefer the dial of the new LE, but probably the blue strap of the previous Gulf Edition...I guess the good news is that you have both choices! I wonder if they thought about using "Gulf Blue" stitching on the strap rather than Orange to help distinguish the watch further?

Hubert

Thank you David! In the metal, all colors work nicely. My only observation is that there is little contrast between the white Heuer logo and Monaco letters over the Gulf blue. I will post more pictures later, once I get a chance to photograph it with my camera.

Lugduno

Yes, keep those pictures coming! Must feel nice to be one of only 50 owners having such a watch worldwide. I've never run into anyone IRL with the Heritage Autavia, but a more limited edition would surely make it feel more "special". 😀

Calibre11

Side note: the Siffert Autavia was ready last July, around the same time as the Hodinkee Skipper, but we pushed it to March/ April 2018 to get it out of the way of the Jack Heuer 85 Autavia. I will say that it's hard finding a clear "window" in the TAG Heuer schedule given the number of releases we now see each year.

Hubert

All I could say when I saw it was: WOW!
There is no way I would give this one up. I am keeping this baby!

El Matarife

Told you so!
<sigh>

The latest book in the ‘Great Cars’ series tells the story of the Gulf-liveried Ford GT40 that won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1968 and again in 1969 for the JWA team. The second victory at la Sarthe came after one of the closest-fought battles in the race’s history, with Jacky Ickx bringing the car home just clear of the Porsche of Hans Herrmann.

There were also championship wins for this car, chassis number 1075, at Brands Hatch and Spa in Europe, and at Watkins Glen and Sebring in the USA. In two short but glorious years, ‘1075’ was raced by drivers such as Jacky Ickx, Pedro Rodriguez and Brian Redman.

Over the course of 320 pages - illustrated with nearly 300 period images, plus exclusively commissioned studio photography - the car’s entire competition career is brought back to life. Author Ray Hutton, long-time editor of Autocar magazine, witnessed ‘1075’ race in period and knew JWA team manager John Wyer and many of the GT40 drivers personally.
Highlights from 1075’s race history include:

- Early in 1968, after non-finishes at Daytona and Sebring, Jacky Ickx and Brian Redman overcame Porsche’s challenge to win the six-hour BOAC 500 at Brands Hatch.
- In torrential rain at the Spa 1,000Km in Belgium, Ickx demonstrated his wet-weather mastery on his home circuit to take a second victory for 1075, ably supported by Redman.
- Back in the USA, Ickx and fellow Belgian Lucien Bianchi scored a third win at Watkins Glen amid controversy about team orders.
- With Ickx sidelined by injury, Mexican ace Pedro Rodriguez joined Bianchi in the car at Le Mans in 1968. They won comfortably after Porsche’s four-car works challenge collapsed.
- A return to the Sebring 12 Hours, the second of three outings in 1969, brought unexpected success for Ickx and Jackie Oliver against formidable new opposition from Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.
- Ickx and Oliver teamed-up again at Le Mans in 1969 and once more achieved a surprise victory, this time in a race whose outcome remained uncertain until the last lap.
Published this month by Porter Press, the hardback book has an RRP of £60.00 and is listed under ISBN 978-1-907085-68-0.