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

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.

TAG Heuer’s new caliber 1887 is already subject to discussion, only a few days after it’s release. Even TAG Heuer’s CEO J.C. Babin mingles in the discussion on the world’s biggest watch forum Watchuseek and weblog Calibre 11.

December 2nd 2009 TAG Heuer released a new automatic chronograph, caliber 1887. According to the press release, calibre 1887 is the fifth movement designed 100% in-house by TAG Heuer. Heuer and later TAG Heuer have the name of being pioneers in the field of chronographs. This time however, they tried to make reality a bit better in their communication….

TAG Heuer caliber 1887

What’s the case? TAG Heuer states the new caliber 1887 is designed 100% in house. On Watchuseek pictures of a Seiko caliber 6S37 where posted, that look exactly like the new TAG Heuer caliber 1887. In response Françoise Bezzola, TAG Heuer’s marketing director, says they TAG Heuer bought the exclusive rights from Seiko, to produce this movement in Europe and thus being able to call it Swiss made. J.C.Babin, TAG Heuer’s CEO, also mingles in the discussion on Watchuseek and on weblog Calibre 11, a watch weblog entirely dedicated to Heuer and TAG Heuer. He speaks about the modifications made on the Seiko Seiko TC78 platform.

Seiko caliber 6S37 - photo by 2manywatches

So what… Most watch brands use movements from other brands or make their own version through modifying a bought movement. Even brands like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have used Lemania (Swatch Group) movements for many years. Small bit significant difference is that they won’t state it’s a 100% in-house designed movement.

Patek Philippe & Vacheron Constantin with Lemania based movements

Read more… The forums and weblogs are very clear about TAG Heuer’s misleading information. Elisabeth Doerr wrote an excellent piece about ‘Caliber 1887′-gate on Worldtempus.com and Kyle Stults wrote a great piece on Perpetuelle Blog called ‘TAG Heuer shot itself in the foot on caliber 1887 launch‘.

Concluding… According to several sources on the internet, Seiko caliber 6S37, is a very well designed and accordingly performing automatic chronograph movement. Personally i’m curious to learn more about the improvements / modifications TAG Heuer made. Are they really improvements… or just a way to cover up buying a design instead of fully designing their own movement. I guess for now it’s waiting until the actual movement is put to the test… This is what really interests me!

And please TAG Heuer, no more little white lies!

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.