Straight from the Racetrack, Limited-Edition Monza Chronograph Delivers the Best in Automotive-Inspired Luxury

BASEL, Switzerland, March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For 150 years, TAG Heuer has stood at the forefront of designing superlative timing instruments used for competitive sports, most notably automotive racing, in which capturing the tiniest fraction of a second can determine the victor. To commemorate this remarkable milestone of mastering speed, the brand today announced it will re-issue one of its most iconic racing-inspired timepieces, the Monza chronograph, as a limited-edition model.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110324/NY68628 )

Originally introduced in the 1930s, the Monza is distinguished by its round dial and cushion-cut case. This beautiful fusion of shapes emulates the curvature of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, a famous Italian racing circuit for which the timepiece is named. The juxtaposing silhouettes are an ideal frame for the watch's stark white dial, bright blue hands and oversized, luminescent Arabic numerals.

The 38 mm model also celebrates TAG Heuer's history by featuring the brand's original Heuer logo, which is flanked on the dial by two counters at 3 and 9 o'clock. Stainless steel pushbuttons at 2 and 4 o'clock, a hand-applied date window at 6 o'clock and curved, sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment complete the chronograph's markedly retro look.

The latest iteration of the Monza offers an unparalleled level of timekeeping ingenuity, thanks to its high-frequency Calibre 36 movement. Oscillating at an astonishing 36,000 beats per hour, the Calibre 36 provides chronograph functions of 1/10th of a second, delivering an exceptional degree of accuracy.  Consumers can view this powerful engine through the Monza's screw-in sapphire crystal caseback.

Offered on a textured, chocolate brown leather strap, the Monza is available in a limited worldwide quantity of 1,911, in recognition of the year Heuer's Time of Trip, the world's first dashboard chronograph was patented. Available in October, the piece will retail for about $7,900.

History of Monza

Constructed during the spring of 1922, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza motor racing circuit is internationally known as one of fastest, most challenging and dangerous courses in the world. Home of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, the 3.6 mile-long track tests drivers' mettle with its long straights and tricky chicanes, the latter of which often cause spin-outs and engine failure.

TAG Heuer's relationship with Monza is deeply rooted in the brand's motor racing heritage. From 1971 to 1979, TAG Heuer was the sponsor and official timekeeper of Team Ferrari, that decade's most storied group of Formula 1 drivers. During this period, Team Ferrari claimed a string of victories at Monza, most notably on Sept. 7, 1975 when teammates Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda took first and third place, respectively. To honor these impressive victories, TAG Heuer honorary chairman Jack Heuer named one of his stunning chronographs the Monza.

About TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer celebrates "150 years of Motor Racing" in 2011. Founded in Saint-Imier in 1860 by Edouard Heuer, TAG Heuer has set many major milestones of high-end watchmaking, especially in the field of chronographs and ultimate precision. Today, one of the largest and most desired brands in the luxury watch industry, the Swiss legend draws upon its active engagement in the world of sports to create the most accurate timing instruments and watches in the world. TAG Heuer is the first watchmaker to master luxury chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th, 1/1,000th and 1/10,000 of a second. From the Olympic Games in the 1920s to its role as official timekeeper for Formula One in the 90s and the legendary Indy 500 race today, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige, continues to aim ever higher. This is reflected in its partnerships with F1 team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and its World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, Audi Sport in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, and the Automobile Club de Monaco and its full roster of prestigious racing events. Now actively engaged in the Monaco Grand Prix, the Le Mans 24 and the Indy 500, TAG Heuer is ''Mastering Speed'' on motorsport's 3 most iconic racetracks. More than ever, the brand epitomizes prestige and performance through active partnerships with Hollywood icon Leonardo DiCaprio, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, LPGA star Suzann Pettersen and WTA tennis champion Maria Sharapova. TAG Heuer is a privileged member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), the most exclusive club in the Swiss watchmaking industry. The newest additions to the TAG Heuer legacy are: the Calibre 1887, an in-house, Swiss manufactured, integrated column-wheel chronograph movement that pays tribute to the original Heuer oscillating pinion of 1887, one of the brand's first patents and a major benchmark in modern watchmaking; and the Heuer Carrera Mikrograph 1/100th Second Chronograph, the first ever column wheel integrated mechanical chronograph with 1/100th of a second display by a central hand, which pays tribute to the legendary Heuer Mikrograph stopwatch of 1916.

The TAG HEUER CARRERA 1887 CHRONOGRAPH has been named the 2010 Swiss Watch of the Year in the Grand Prix de l'Horlogerie de Genève's prestigious "La Petite Aiguille" ("Small Hand") category.

TAG Heuer's "150 Years of Mastering Speed" celebrations in 2011 commemorate the brand's unrivalled heritage in motor sports, which include such historic contributions as the 1911 patent for 'Time of Trip', the world's first dashboard chronograph. As part of the celebrations, a unique exhibition showcasing TAG Heuer's greatest racing partners and motorsport-inspired timepieces will tour major cities and racing capitals. Four-time F1 World Champion Alain Prost, a friend of the brand since the 1980s, is the "Mastering Speed" Special Ambassador.

SOURCE TAG Heuer