The Watch: The Monza name entered the TAG Heuer catalog in 1976 to celebrate Ferrari winning the 1975 Formula One Constructors' Championship. The name has come and gone from the lineup since then, but each return has carried the motorsport DNA of the original. This generation is limited to 1,911 pieces, a nod to the year the Monza circuit opened.
What makes this version unusual is the case material. The 42mm case is forged carbon, which is substantially lighter than steel or titanium while being extremely resistant to impact. It gives the watch an aggressive, textured look that changes depending on the angle, because the carbon fiber pattern is randomized during the forging process. The caseback is black PVD titanium with a sapphire exhibition window.
The dial is skeletonized and black, with translucent blue sapphire crystal sub-counters at 3 o'clock (30-minute register) and 6 o'clock (running seconds), and red and blue accent details throughout. The date sits at 9 o'clock. Under the domed sapphire crystal, the layout manages to look complex without becoming illegible.
The movement is TAG Heuer's manufacture caliber TH20-12 (Heuer 02 family), a COSC-certified flyback chronograph. The flyback function lets you reset and restart the chronograph in a single pusher press rather than the stop-reset-start sequence of a standard chronograph. Power reserve is 80 hours (roughly 65 with the chronograph running). It beats at 28,800 vph with 33 jewels.
