TAG Heuer and the Porsche Club of America launch the Monaco 55, a very limited collector’s edition.

Last month i wrote about my first ‘love’ in watches, my Heuer Autavia. However the first mechanical watch i ever seriously took a looked at, was a TAG Heuer Monaco, which is still one of my favorites. When i heard TAG Heuer released a (very) limited edition Monaco to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Porsche Club of America (PCA) i was surprised, because TAG Heuer does not makes a habit of such limited editions.The Monaco 55 shows some design elements we know from Monaco Vintage Limited Edition, TAG Heuer released in tribute to the Porsche-Gulf 917k race car in the movie Le Mans.

It’s of course no secret anymore (ahum) that Steve McQueen wore a Heuer Monaco in the movie Le Mans. Steve McQueen’s friend Jo Siffert, a Swiss racecar driver and the first driver ever sponsored by a watch brand. This probably inspired Steve to insist on wearing Heuer’s Monaco in the film, which had just been launched.

Perhaps it was McQueen’s influence, or perhaps it was Porsche driver Siffert’s, but the Monaco seemed to become the preferred chronograph of the racing and fashion worlds in the 1970s. This watch, whose unique and uncompromising design helped achieve its almost legendary status, is one of the most recognizable timepieces in the world.

Porsche Club of America (PCA) and Georg Bartkowiak, member of the Porsche Club of Germany, decided to create a limited collector’s watch for the PCA. Georg Bartkowiak, who is CEO of high-end luxury watch brand GRIEB & BENZINGER PLATINUM, has undertaken this project and with a very nice result!

Just take a look…

The official limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco manufactured for the Porsche Club of America can be ordered now. Although delivery will not take place until September, i think those interested should not wait too long… there are only 55 pieces!

Its special dial designed in red and black rally stripes and the racing number ’55′ as well as the PCA`s logo engraved on the back, underscore the uniqueness of this collector’s watch. This PCA limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco 55 has the usual Monaco features: an automatic chronograph movement in it’s recognizable square case, date and hands with applied superluminova so it’s legible in the dark. It comes on a special black leather strap with racing holes and red stitching that is not available at retail.

This TAG Heuer Monaco 55 is only available through the PCA in a limited edition of 55 pieces for the price of $5,500. I can’t imagine this watch to be found for less in the future. Personally i think the price for this collector’s piece will go up rather fast after it’s sold out… which will probably not take long!

The watch can be ordered online at www.PCA-TAG.com

Most collectors have a personal preference. Some collectors focus mainly on dive watches, some on chronograph and some have a ‘weak spot’ for a certain brand.

A good friend collects Cartier watches, not just any Cartier but mainly from the Collection Privee. Another good friend collects watches from A. Lange und Söhne and he has some extraordinary pieces. My initial personal preference in watches where chronographs and although my preference has changed to watches made by independent watchmakers, chronographs still have a special place in my ‘collectors heart’.

Unfortunately chronographs made by independent watchmakers are rare, very rare and not affordable for me. There are just a few existing chronograph calibers and these are used by most brands. Glashuette Original is one of the few big brands with their own chronograph caliber and it’s available in several model including the beautiful Senator Sixties Square Chronograph.

Jeff Stein, owner of one of my favorite websites Onthedash.com and collector of vintage chronographs, is interviewed at Collector’s Weekly. He speaks about how he got into watches in general and especially into vintage Heuer chronographs. An excellent read and especially interesting for everyone who’s interested in collecting watches.

Another great read, is Jeff Stein’s article Project 99. The article, existing of three parts, is entirely about the race for the first automatic chronograph. Although i’ve already linked to the articles from my post about the first automatic chronograph, i felt mentioning this great article is in order

Go here to read Collector’s Weekly’s interview with Jeff Stein.

I think every watch collector remembers that first watch that made an incredible impression. The watch was so beautiful and intriguing, you kept thinking about it. But why was it so expensive?

Over the years i’ve had quite a few watches. Sometimes when i look at the photos of the watches that came and went away, i see how my taste for watches changed. It also makes me remember watches that used to be on my wish-list, that never made it to be part of my collection. With some of them i wonder what attracted me in these watches. But not with my first ‘real’ watch… my Heuer Autavia.

It was before my vacation to Vietnam. I planned to do a scuba dive course, stay some days in the jungle, 6 weeks traveling from south to north and back south again. And i really needed a watch that would be up for such a task. So i started searching the internet, became a member of some forums and searched the online buy&sell websites. And there it was… somehow everything of this watch was perfect and i desperately wanted it.

It took me some internal debate and some time to raise the funds required, but in the end i bought this beautiful Heuer Autavia and i never stopped liking it. Of course i didn’t wear the Autavia during my trip to Vietnam. For that purpose i bought a Citizen automatic dive watch, that still accompanies me on all my vacations and is on my wrist during every dive i’ve made.

During Baselworld i met fellow blogger David, who is the man behind Calibre 11, one of my favorite wristwatch weblogs. At Calibre 11 he shares his passion for vintage Heuer watches, like his recently restored Autavia GMT, and modern TAG Heuer watches.

David told me he had a meeting with Jack Heuer. Wait… hold on… he was going to meet and interview the man who was responsible for the brand that made my beloved Autavia!! A month after Baselworld i received a package that contained something that put a smile on my face immediately…. and it still does now i write about it.

During his meeting David asked Jack Heuer for an autograph…

For me as an avid Heuer fan and proud owner of a vintage Heuer Autavia ref.11630 this was just perfect! Thank you David for this more than kind gesture.

Heuer was known for it’s excellent and ground breaking innovations on mechanical chronographs. No wonder they came with the first automatic chronograph, which they developed together with Breitling, Buren and Dubois-Depraz. To this day TAG Heuer is still at the frontier of innovative chronographs, an amazing achievement.

Calibre 11 is the first automatic chronograph and the name of a new weblog dedicated to Vintage Heuer watches. If you’re into vintage Heuer watches, you might want to check it out.

Since my first ‘expensive’ watch, a vintage Heuer Autavia, i’m a huge fan of vintage Heuer watches. Especially their chronographs. The fact they made the first automatic chronograph ever, also adds to my admiration of these watches…. OK, they developed it together with Buren, Breitling and Dubois-Depraz. Although i must admit some of the Heuer dive watches aren’t bad either, i have a thing for chronographs. I ended up buying the diver’s version of the Heuer Autavia

My vintage Heuer Autavia

Unfortunately my biggest love (in watches), the independent watchmakers, hardly make any chronograph. Of course there are a few… the MIH Watch of course and the Habring² Chrono COS. Both beautiful chronographs and made by independent watchmakers.

If you’re into vintage Heuer, take a look at David’s weblog Calibre 11.