TAG Heuer has just released their next edition to the Monaco collection, the Night Driver complete with a fully luminescent dial for, you guessed it, legibility whilst driving at night!
Driving at night on the open road is freeing, and one of those experiences that most of us don’t do all that often. I used to do it reguarly when I was younger, heading back home from university, and at night, you’re more attuned to the road, concentrating the whole way. Driving on regional roads at 100 km/h is something that I don’t do much now, but when I do, it’s always nice to have a watch on that is easy to read the time at a glance. This normally means lots of lume!
TAG Heuer have taken this feeling of driving at night and need for a time piece with high night time legibility and infused this in their new Monaco Night Driver. It’s a modern and innovative tribute to the racing spirit of the Monaco collection as well as its iconic Monaco Blue and captures the magic of driving a sports car on the open road at night.
The TAG Heuer Monaco Night Driver is in TAG Heuer’s word “Inspired by the midnight blue, charcoal grey and matte black dials of the iconic vintage Monacos.” However, this piece is anything but a vintage watch. TAG Heuer have taken cues from the car and how it feels and looks at night – the dashboard instruments glow, the need for critical information from the car’s instruments and it shows throw in the new Night Driver.
The new Monaco Night Driver is very much a Monaco, with the circle in a square design and two sub-dials tracking the chronograph minutes at 3 o’clock and hours at 9 o’clock. There is a date window at 6 o’clock cleverly integrated into a small seconds counter helping to balance the classic Monaco dial without detracting from the original look. TAG Heuer have introduced a fully luminescent dial in this piece, that during the day is a light grey, but at night, turns vivid blue – a first for TAG Heuer.
Made from black DLC grade 5 Titanium, the case measures 39mm in diameter, 47.4mm lug to lug and 14.7mm thick. The combination of the black DLC combined with the anthracite grey inner dial, the lighter grained outer dial and sub-dials gives the Night Driver a stealth look during the day, which then comes alive at night.
Inside the new TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Night Driver is the Heuer 02 Calibre automatic chronograph that is now present in many of TAG Heuer’s chronographs and incorporates a traditional column wheel to reliably actuate the chronograph mechanism. The Heuer 02 comes complete with 80 hours of power reserve, perfect for those that need to keep their piece running across the weekend and visible through the sapphire case back, you can see the charcoal skeletonised rotor with the Monaco Blue writing and column wheel at the top of the movement.
The Monaco Chronograph Night Driver Limited Edition incorporates a calfskin strap, with the alternating large and small perforations and bright white stitching along the edge of the strap also evoking Heuer racing chronographs of the 1960s and 70s. The piece will be delivered in a dedicated limited edition packaging that evokes the racing heritage of the Monaco collection in a “nomad” travel pouch – a great addition by TAG Heuer.
Final Thoughts
The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Night Driver is a piece that will appeal to Monaco lovers, motoring enthusiasts and anyone who just wants a cool looking, unique stealth chronograph on the wrist. Being limited to just 600 pieces worldwide, you’re not likely to run into too many people that have it.
Whilst the previous Monaco releases in Titanium were grade 2, TAG Heuer have given this Grade 5 titanium which combined with the black DLC means it will be more robust and less scratch prone. People can expect these in stores in October 2023, and will be priced at AUD $13,800. Considering this is only $450 more than the racing blue, we feel you get more watch with this piece with the newer Heuer 02 movement, grade 5 Titanium DLC case, and the star, the glow in the dark dial!
Specification
Reference: CBL2181.FC6515 – Limited to 600 pieces
- Case: 39mm, 47.4mm lug to lug
- Thickness: 14.7mm thick
- Case Material: Black DLC grade 5 titanium polished and fine brushed case
- Case back: Sapphire caseback with limited numbered XXX/600
- Dial: Anthracite, grey opalin, grained dial with blue luminescent outer dial. Black gold-plated indexes and black gold-plated hour and minute hands with blue Super-LumiNova®
- Crystal: Beveled, domed sapphire crystal
- Water resistance:100m / 10bar
- Movement: Calibre Heuer 02, Automatic
- Power reserve: 80 Hours
- Strap: Black perforated calfskin strap, light grey stitching with black DLC grade 5 titanium folding clasp with double safety push-buttons
Australian Recommended Retail Price: AUD $13,800
Availability: Available from October 2023 in all TAG Heuer Boutiques, Selected Retailers and online at tagheuer.com
