2023 Monaco releases

[Mspeedster]

Aquagraph

My AD said they had another 4 enquiries today, making 9 in total.... so maybe not such a dead loss after all!

Enquiries aren't the same as purchases. But as I've said, I hope these do well. They were available at launch but now showing Out of Stock on the US website, so they are selling.

 

[Aquagraph]

No, that's true but I think they were surprised to get so much interest. Unfortunately the chances of them actually getting 9 pieces is less than credible so they will probably be first come first served anyway.

 

[Hubert]

Mspeedster

I've also kind of changed my mind about the blue. Although I might not like its looks the best, if I were to buy one, it would probably be the blue. Just because of its color connection to the original 1133b McQueen. Plus it certainly won't hurt if Max wins his 3rd WDC with the blue on wrist for the rest of the year.

I want to see the blue and black in the metal, to make up my mind. My first instinct is to go with the black.

 

[paysdoufs]

Jim Dollares

Don't forget that it is grade 2 with sand blasted finish, super premium

THIS! For this kind of money they should be titanium grade 5 with a finish that wows you. Titanium isn't a precious metal - so with the proposed kind of finish, I cannot see how you can justify a premium over steel.

It's actually really a shame, IMHO, to pretend that titanium can command a premium since making the Monaco lighter could certainly boost its sales overall...

Edited: May 29, 2023

 

[paysdoufs]

kappa_md

If I get paid to wear one (like he is), I'd happily do so, too

 

[Mspeedster]

kappa_md

If you look and compare a skeleton Carrera vs a skeleton Monaco, I’d probably lean more to the skeleton Monaco since it’s innate design has always been “to be eye catchy” whereas the core elements of the Carrera is what JH initially intended.. clean & clear design and yet still highly functional

LOL. The Skeleton Monacos are all for show. I can barely tell the time when looking at them. The Skeleton Carreras are "relatively" better in that regard, but I find it very hard to believe they meet (or even come close to) Jack's standards for "clean & clear" readability.

IMHO, skeletons are a LVMH thing, certainly not vintage Heuer or even traditional TAG Heuer. But I get that some people like them and they're here to stay for the foreseeable future.

 

[Mspeedster]

Hubert

I want to see the blue and black in the metal, to make up my mind. My first instinct is to go with the black.

Counting on you to be first on the forum to buy one.

 

[kappa_md]

Mspeedster

LOL. The Skeleton Monacos are all for show. I can barely tell the time when looking at them.

Yes sir! Just like RM right?

Mspeedster

IMHO, skeletons are a LVMH thing, certainly not vintage Heuer or even traditional TAG Heuer. But I get that some people like them and they're here to stay for the foreseeable future.

LVMH trying to upscale the target market and therefore justify the price increase. I do hope this can bring back some “glory days” of TAG Heuer where TAG Heuer has kept its good image and reputation.

 

[Yago]

Hubert

I want to see the blue and black in the metal, to make up my mind. My first instinct is to go with the black.

agreed

 

[YG_Rulz]

I suppose you can consider these the poor man's RM, but irony is that Zenith and Hublot are already considered worthy alternatives to RM; and the skeletons are now penetrating the market for Hublot and Zenith with their price.

I have a feeling that these watches will follow the Cal 36 Monaco route, which were also pegged as Avant-Garde, higher price, beefier design, marked as regular production and then dropped off after a few years.

 

[Aquagraph]

Most likely yes. I can't see them staying indefinitely... but does anything? Monaco is blue TAG, black TAG, blue Heuer and a load of superfluous stuff that comes and goes. I don't see this being any different. But doesn't mean it's bad either. Longevity doesn't necessarily make an interesting watch, it usually means it's bland and inoffensive. Don't take that as a slur on the SMQ, it's not meant as one.

Look at the Calibre 5 Carreras, they were the last watches to still carry the old badge cos they were round forever. Bland and inoffensive to the max. I mean, 'nice' enough, but nothing to get frothy over...

 

[Mspeedster]

I found it interesting and appropriate that the Hodinkee review was done by their Style Editor Malaika Crawford. A young woman who's in touch with a generation that relates to Jacob Elordi rather than Steve McQueen.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/three-new-tag-heuer-monaco-skeleton-dials

Her closing remarks are a bit refreshing. However, the comments left by readers are decidedly mixed. The price being the biggest negative.
--
What We Think
The Monaco is one of the few watches you can call an actual icon, and it has truly cemented itself as being worthy of the title. Launched by Jack Heuer in 1969 during the Golden Era of Motorsport, it is now synonymous with Steve McQueen or, if you're me, Jacob Elordi.

Thanks to its uniquely square shape, it's one of the most recognizable watches on the market today. And listen, I'm not a square watch girl, but I do love anything that sparks a visceral reaction. I enjoy anything – whether I deem it stylish or not – that reminds me of how important it is to develop your own tastes and sense of style. There are few watches out there that I don't enjoy on a personal level but that I deeply respect on a wider design based level – the Monaco is one of them.

The skeletonization is certainly a new style direction for the Monaco. It's a bold look for an already bold watch. But it makes sense in today's context. Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet have firmly laid the foundation for popular wear-in-the-Miami-club skeleton chronograph that you can barely use to tell the time. I get it. Gotta keep up with the times or you risk being left behind.

It's a far cry from my romantic associations with the Monaco. In black and white pictures, on the wrist of Stanley Kubrick or Sammy Davis Jr. it looks like a Bauhaus-inspired, Mid-Century work of art. But this openwork is a middle ground. Wear this watch if you want to be Steve McQueen, but like the 2023 version.
--

 

[YG_Rulz]

Mspeedster

he skeletonization is certainly a new style direction for the Monaco. It's a bold look for an already bold watch. But it makes sense in today's context. Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet have firmly laid the foundation for popular wear-in-the-Miami-club skeleton chronograph that you can barely use to tell the time. I get it. Gotta keep up with the times or you risk being left behind.

This is the statement(s) that makes the best sense for the watch. GenZ and whatever comes after wearing something for the sake of it to remain "current". I remember mentioning to a friend that I'm now expecting some poor rapper to ice out these skeletons, like the hideous monstrosities we see in the Santos Skeletons.

 

[HeuerLondon88]

What exactly has Jacob Elordi done to warrant the Monaco being synonymous with him? Apart from wear it for a couple of ad campaigns?!

 

[stevec14]

Hubert

I want to see the blue and black in the metal, to make up my mind. My first instinct is to go with the black.

Interestingly, when I saw them for a short period it was the one which least grabbed my attention.

That said, and having had time to reflect, it may be the easiest of the 3 to live with longer term given the black case with it’s turquoise accents and the blue being quite bright.

 

[paysdoufs]

Mspeedster

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/three-new-tag-heuer-monaco-skeleton-dials

The skeletonization is certainly a new style direction for the Monaco. It's a bold look for an already bold watch. But it makes sense in today's context. Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet have firmly laid the foundation for popular wear-in-the-Miami-club skeleton chronograph that you can barely use to tell the time. I get it. Gotta keep up with the times or you risk being left behind.

It's a far cry from my romantic associations with the Monaco. In black and white pictures, on the wrist of Stanley Kubrick or Sammy Davis Jr. it looks like a Bauhaus-inspired, Mid-Century work of art. But this openwork is a middle ground. Wear this watch if you want to be Steve McQueen, but like the 2023 version.
--

Tks for sharing, but I dunno

Maybe it is because I’m not an English native speaker. Or maybe because writing something substantial about “iconic watches” that have been done to death is very difficult to begin with…

But to me, this just reads like the prose of someone who’s paid by the line, but doesn’t really have an emotional connection to the subject at stake. It’s professional journalism, but it’s about as much fun to read as an article about a football game, the recap of which you have already watched.

 

[Aquagraph]

What is wrong with people's eyes that they can't read the time on a skeletonised watch? I never have a problem reading my H01 and look at the pictures of these skeletons, it's plain as day. It's just a go-to remark, frankly.

 

[Mspeedster]

Aquagraph

What is wrong with people's eyes that they can't read the time on a skeletonised watch?

You must have better eyes than me.

With a C11 Monaco McQueen, I'd have no problem making out the time on Max's wrist from this distance. On the Skeleton, I have no clue.

 

[Jim Dollares]

Mspeedster

You must have better eyes than me.

With a C11 Monaco McQueen, I'd have no problem making out the time on Max's wrist from this distance. On the Skeleton, I have no clue.

Yeah Rob, don't you know that if you cant read the time from a distance on someone else's wrist the watch clearly is difficult to read

 

[Aquagraph]

I find about 3 feet away is adequate.