As part of its 2011 “Mastering
Speed” commemoration of its most famous source of inspiration — a century
and a half of professional motorsports — TAG Heuer is now officially
partnered with the Monaco Grand Prix, the world’s most glamorous race organized
by Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM). To mark the occasion, TAG Heuer
proudly unveils three exceptional chronographs inspired by the essence of
motor racing: the Monaco V4 Next Generation, the MonacoV4 Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic, and the exclusive Monaco Mikrograph,
a unique, “one-off” timepiece that will be donated to the Only Watch
charity auction in Monaco in September.
MONACO, THE RACING WORLD’S MOST
ICONIC CHRONOGRAPHS First seen on Steve McQueen’s
wrist in the 1970 race film Le Mans, the square- faced Monaco
Chronograph has become a legend. Now three new editions drive the icon
even further into the avant-garde of Swiss watchmaking design and
manufacture:
Monaco V4 Next Generation
Unveiled as a concept watch at
BaselWorld 2004, the double-patented MONACO V4 is the world's first watch
with high-yield mechanical belt drives and a linear rewinding system.
With these two stunning additions, the stylish Rose Gold Ruthenium and
Ceramic edition and the high-tech Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic Edition,
the Monaco V4 Next Generation sets new standards in belt-driven
watchmaking.
Monaco V4 Titanium Ruthenium and
Ceramic
From October 2011: the Monaco V4
Next Generation welcomes it’s most high-tech version to date: the MonacoV4 Titanium, Ruthenium and Ceramic. With its super lightness, extraordinary
tensile strength, corrosion resistance and ability to withstand extreme
temperatures, titanium has become an essential building material in many
high-tech industries, including luxury car manufacture, aviation,
aeronautics and medicine. High processing costs and demanding know-how keep
its usage limited to top-end industries.
TAG Heuer is a pioneer in its use in
watchmaking, having mastered its manufacturing challenges. The brand’s
Research & Development team has now developed a process enabling the
use of Titanium Grade 5, a special alloy used in aircrafts, turbines and
surgical implants, in the case construction of its most avant-garde
timepiece to date, the Monaco V4 Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic.
A stunning tribute to the Swiss
brand’s 150 years of pioneering innovation, the Monaco V4 NextGeneration Titanium Ruthenium and Ceramic is available in
an exclusive edition of 200 pieces. The case is more imposing (41mm
instead of 39mm) and made of Titanium-Grade 5, with fine-brushed silicon
nitride “ceramic” inserts. The inserts visually lighten the squared shape
of the watch, and the newly angled planes of the beveled crystal give the
watch a more fluid and contemporary profile. Other titanium components are the
hand-applied faceted indexes on the dial, the minute and hour hands, the
small second hand at 4 o’clock, the thermo-lacquered crown at 3 o’clock,
and the strap’s folding buckle. The strap itself is in ultra-soft,
large-scale alligator, with anthracite hand stitching and a rubberized leather
lining.
The V4 movement’s avant-garde
architecture, visible through the timepiece’s anti- reflective sapphire
crystal front and back, remains unchanged (tungsten ingot linear mass, two
pairs of barrels in series, set in parallel and linked by belts), but the
finishes have been completely revisited, with a high-resistance black
ruthenium coating on the back plate and the Côtes de Genève decorated
bridges. The beautiful black juxtaposes superbly with the white “V4” and
“TAG Heuer” engravings on the dial, and with the patented transmission
and rewind white belts, now in high-contrast, high-tech white polymers
exclusively developed for the new timepiece.
For a very special watch, a very
special watch box.
Internationally acclaimed South
African artist Paul du Toit has personally committed to create a
unique piece of art to host the Monaco Mikrograph. The watch box art will
be conceptualized and painted by this celebrated artist. Paul du Toit has
gained stature in Europe following the award of a medal from the city of
Florence in the Biennale Internationale Dell'arte Contemporanea. Renowned
for using an impasto technique (thick industrial paste into which he scratched
lines and images), it is now intrinsic to his style of automatic
scribbling.
As a firmly entrenched artist, Paul
du Toit is able to dedicate attention to community project involvement.
Philanthropy resonates deeply with him. Paul was involved directly with
Nelson Mandela in fundraising efforts for his 46664 campaign for 3
successive years. Ink handprints on canvas of Mr Mandela's boxing hand
were auctioned in Johannesburg and in London. In 2009, a mould of Mr
Mandela's boxing hand, which was cast in a one-off unique bronze, was
auctioned in London for $3.5m. In 2010, an imprint of both Mr. Mandela's
hands were made into a relief sculpture and auctioned in NYC. All the
auctions were to benefit Mr. Mandela's 46664 campaign.
Paul du Toit’s superb watch box for
the TAG Heuer Monaco Mikrograph is sure to add to the
unique timepiece’s sale price at Only Watch auction. The one-off Monaco Mikrograph and its special display box will tour the world from
August 30th to September 17th, with exhibitions in Singapore, Hong Kong,
Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York, Milan and Geneva. It
will then be auctioned at the Only Watch event in Monaco on September 22,
2011. Proceeds of its sale will benefit Duchenne muscular dystrophy research.
