At this year’s Watches & Wonders, TAG Heuer unveiled a special edition created in collaboration with its partner Gulf, appropriately named the Monaco Gulf Special Edition. True to the iconic Gulf colors, this edition features colorway combinations that are more vibrant and intense than ever before.
The classic TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf replica watch makes a return once again, a special edition paying tribute to the modern tradition honoring Jo Siffert, Steve McQueen, and the brand’s racing heritage dating back to the era of Jack Heuer. In terms of its form and design, everything about this new release feels familiar. The Gulf Oil dial, embodying tradition at TAG Heuer, persists.
The New Model
With the iconic orange and blue color scheme reminiscent of Gulf branding and the recognizable Gulf logo positioned near six o’clock, this latest iteration of the vintage-inspired design maintains a modern sensibility while also honoring retro aesthetics and the heritage of vintage TAG Heuer watch design, down to the typography.
To be honest, it’s hard to get overly excited about a watch like this when it feels like you’ve seen it countless times before. There’s the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and I see this less as a fix and more as a continued design exploration within a creative framework.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf AAA replica watch is undeniably a fun timepiece, even if it may be a bit hefty for some wrists. We may not all be Steve McQueen, but most watch enthusiasts are well aware of the Monaco’s existence because of McQueen’s association with it after wearing one in the movie Le Mans in 1971.
The Dial
The dark blue background features a sunray finish, while the turquoise and orange accents exhibit lighter and bolder hues, respectively. For the first time, these “Gulf accents” appear on the minute counter at 3 o’clock. Another highlight is the Gulf logo in white.
In a nod to the racing number on the Porsche Gulf race cars, the 12 o’clock index is replaced by the number 60, polished and rhodium-coated like a race car’s body.
Key details worth noting include the translation of the Gulf colors onto the subdial at 3 o’clock, which showcases a vintage serif-style numeral display as if hand-painted in the 1970s. This stylized typography is also present in the TAG Heuer Monaco wordmark itself. Completing the retro aesthetic is a ’70s interpretation of the stripes on the right side of the dial.
The Movement
On the more modern side of things, we have the sunray blue dial and the prominent, raised, number 60 at 12 o’clock. Instead of featuring the Gulf logo in full color, it appears in a more contemporary all-white look. This marks the first time the TAG Heuer Monaco Heuer 02 replica watch, the square, slab-sided, sports watch, has been presented with the Calibre Heuer 02 Automatic movement inside, boasting an impressive 80 hours of power reserve.
Underneath the hood, we find another first for the replica TAG Heuer Monaco watch: This chronograph is powered by the in-house Heuer 02 movement, which boasts a sophisticated column wheel and a vertical clutch. The automatic movement provides a power reserve of 80 hours.
Interestingly, that film showcased a crossover between McQueen’s cinematic fame and Jo Siffert’s racing prowess. The new replica TAG Heuer Monaco Gulf watch represents a fusion of retro and modern elements. The Heuer 02 movement, combined with the construction and overall design, makes this a truly contemporary interpretation of the iconic Gulf Monaco.