The case subscribes to modern-day Monaco dimensions, measuring 39mm in diameter. The air is clearly octane-rich in La Chaux de-Fonds.ĭuring the recent Watches & Wonders trade fair, TAG Heuer unveiled its Monaco Gulf Special Edition. TAG Heuer and Gulf Oil International signed a global partnership in 2018, while last year (2021), the Swiss watch Maison joined also forces with Porsche in a ‘strategic brand partnership’. Playing the character ‘Michael Delaney’, McQueen was also seen in the film driving a Porsche 917K which was dressed in Gulf livery. It was an early example of product placement with McQueen wearing Heuer branded overalls and sporting a Heuer Monaco on his wrist. In 1970, filming began on ‘Le Mans’, a film starring Steve McQueen as a racing driver. He went on to pair the Piquerez square case with the Calibre 11 (formerly called Project 99) and named his watch the ‘Monaco’. Jack agreed to a deal with the case supplier which included exclusivity. While other brands sold square watches, they weren’t water-resistant. Piquerez, one of Heuer’s case suppliers, showed the company an unusual water-resistant square case. Clearly, when Project 99 was ready for full-scale production, both brands would use the same movement, hence Jack wanted a means of differentiating Heuer’s new chronograph from Breitling’s. While Jack Heuer and Willy Breitling enjoyed good relations, Jack was mindful that Breitling was a competitor. Both Seiko and Zenith conceived their own individual automatic chronograph movements, whereas Buren, Breitling, Dubois Dépraz and Heuer joined forces, creating their self-winding chronograph, Project 99. Surprisingly, three movements arrived at the same time, but which was first? Well, that’s a matter of semantics, but the achievements of all three protagonists should be applauded.
However, back on Earth there was another space race taking place, a horological space race, namely, who would create the first self-winding chronograph. In 1969, the world was looking upwards, staring into space and dreaming of astronauts walking on the moon. However, while this latest model respects the Monaco’s heritage, it incorporates a thoroughly modern movement, the Calibre Heuer 02. The TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf Special Edition can trace its lineage to the inaugural Heuer Monaco of 1969.
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