In 1976, TAG Heuer introduced its Monza model, named for the world-famous Italian Formula 1 racetrack. Forty years later, the Monza Calibre 17 recalls the glory days of racing while offering a great deal more than retro design. Read on for an in-depth review, from the April 2017 issue of WatchTime, with original photos by OK-Photography.
Good news for fans of the retro look ? the Monza is back. Good news for racing fans, too, with a design that?s just as dynamic and full of automotive references as the original version from 1976. It?s also remarkable, since TAG Heuer has experimented over the last 15 years with a more elegant version with no black coating and colorless dial elements.
A glance at the new Monza Calibre 17 might call to mind the familiar roar of Formula 1 engines. After all, the watch was first introduced to celebrate Ferrari?s World Championship title in 1975. On Sept. 7 of that year, Niki Lauda won third place in the Italian Grand Prix at the Monza racetrack and secured the title in a Ferrari sporting the Heuer logo. Scuderia Ferrari also won the Constructors? Prize ? a long-sought double victory after an 11-year dry stretch. TAG Heuer Monza – reclining
The new Monza combines the best features of two historical models ? its dial design can be traced back to the original Monza from the year 1976 and its case to a Heuer chronograph from 1933. The cushion-shaped case is a style holdover from the earliest days of the watch. The Monza from the 1970s had an ...