A New Chapter in Avant-garde Horlogerie

Since its inception in 1969, the TAG Heuer Monaco has been a symbol of contrarian design. With its distinctive square shape, left crown and signature blue dial, the TAG Heuer Monaco shattered conventions in the watchmaking world. Notably, it became the first water-resistant and automatic square chronograph wristwatch, further solidifying its status as an icon. Ahead of its time with its avant-garde aesthetics, it found admiration among creative visionaries like Sammy Davis Jr., Stanley Kubrick, and Steve McQueen.

Meanwhile, the rich legacy of TAG Heuer’s split-seconds chronograph watches dates back over a century. From the early 1900s, the Maison has dedicated itself to mastering this significant horological complication, evident in various references of stopwatches and dashboard timers.

A pivotal moment came in 1916 with the creation of the Mikrosplit, a stopwatch capable of recording separate intervals to 1/100th of a second. This landmark achievement laid the foundation for TAG Heuer’s legacy in high-performance timekeeping, from Olympic Games stopwatches in the early 20th century to dashboard timers used in motorsport. Over the decades, the drive for precision naturally led to the development of other split-seconds timepieces, a complication that exemplifies the Maison’s technical mastery and competitive spirit.

In the 1960s, Heuer stopwatches became a staple in motorsport paddocks, like the memorable reference 11.402 that featured a split-seconds chronograph capable of measuring time with 1/10th of a second accuracy. Used by Jean Campiche, a Heuer timekeeper working with Scuderia Ferrari, this model became iconic. In 1989, TAG Heuer introduced a quartz split-seconds chronograph wristwatch, gaining immense popularity, especially among racing legends like Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger and Michael Schumacher.

In 2024, TAG Heuer brought this complication back and expanded the TAG Heuer Monaco collection with the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph in original blue and racing red, two interpretations that set the stage for this year’s latest evolution, where craftsmanship meets a radical new approach to material design.

What further elevates this new timepiece is its case, sculpted from a new form of titanium that transforms the essence of the metal itself. Developed over four years, this innovative take on titanium marks a significant material breakthrough. This project was led by the TAG Heuer Lab, the Maison’s in-house R&D institute based in La Chaux-de- Fonds. Led by a team of experts and scientists specialized in a wide range of disciplines and benefiting from state-of- the-art equipment, the TAG Heuer Lab is driven by innovation, always pushing the boundaries of watchmaking.

Using a proprietary thermal process, the metal is transformed at an atomic level to reveal its hidden structure. The result is a natural, irregular pattern that shifts with light. The pattern on each case is therefore entirely unique, shaped by the intrinsic structure of the metal rather than the human hand.

The metal used to craft TH-Titanium is a specific type of titanium alloy, known for its strength, corrosion resistance, and ability to retain energy. This form of titanium is typically reserved for aerospace components, turbine elements, and high-performance automotive parts.

To create this one-of-a-kind faceted effect on the metal’s surface, the TAG Heuer Lab has developed a series of specially designed thermal treatments, reorganizing the alloy’s atomic structure. Through this process, the unique visual identity of TH-titanium is revealed, refined, and preserved. What appears on the case is the alloy’s own character, captured at a moment of transformation, and secured for lasting performance.