TAG Heuer unveils the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1, featuring a Grade 5 titanium case produced with SLM manufacturing. Price CHF 150,000
TAG Heuer advances avant-garde watchmaking into new territory with the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1, a high-tech watch produced using new technologies and one of the most complex watches it has ever created.
Evidently inspired by motorsport, this model comes in an ultra-lightweight Grade 5 titanium case produced using a manufacturing technique called Selective Laser Melting (SLM).
Adapted for watchmaking by the TAG Heuer LAB, the company’s innovation department, this manufacturing process is often applied in the aerospace, medical and automotive sectors to create precision components with complex geometries.
A purely additive process comparable to 3D printing, SLM begins with a layer of metal powder – such as aluminium, steel or, in this case, Grade 5 titanium – which is then blasted with a high-powered laser that selectively melts and fuses sections of the powder, guided by a 3D “CAD” (Computer Aided Design) model.
Initially, as this cools and solidifies, it produces a thin sliver of material, but as the process is repeated, adding layer after layer, an object emerges, taking whatever form the designer intended.
A final step follows to remove any roughness from the material and give the case its smooth, skin-like finish.
The effect is that the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1 appears to have been hollowed out, as if designed with speed and airflow in mind.
The 41 mm x 15.2 mm case is characterised by sharp lines and strong edges that form fluid shapes inspired by the air intakes of high-performance cars.
Together, these elements create an exoskeleton that holds a twin-layer honeycomb mesh, echoing the latticed engine covers of hypercars and acting here as the movement surround.
The case is made of Grade 5 titanium, as are the side lattices. The lattices beneath the bezel are laser-cut from solid 2N yellow gold, combining a precious metal with a modern technical material.
The Grade 5 titanium bezel has a black DLC coating that adds contrast and reinforces the watch’s profile.
The reductive design made it possible to limit the weight to just 85 grams, even with a number of solid gold components.
The chronograph pushers and tapered crown are made of black-DLC-coated Grade 5 titanium, while the chronograph hands, hour and minute hands with golden tips, and golden hour markers add contrast.
The split-seconds pusher at 9 o’clock, a nod to the original left-sided crown of the TAG Heuer Monaco, is crafted from solid 2N yellow gold. Front and back sapphire crystals are secured by four visible screws.
The innovative case houses the most complex chronograph movement in TAG Heuer’s catalogue: the high-frequency Calibre TH81-00, officially launched in 2024.
Developed in partnership with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier and also crafted in titanium, this movement is one of the lightest automatic chronograph calibres ever produced by TAG Heuer, with a total weight of 30 grams. It operates at a frequency of 5 Hz (36,000 vibrations per hour) and offers a power reserve of 65 hours with the chronograph off or 55 hours when it is running.
Its components are hand-finished with high-end decorations, including TAG Heuer’s signature chequered-flag finish visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
This cutting-edge mechanical movement powers the watch’s signature complication, the split-seconds function. Also known as rattrapante, it enables the measurement of two separate time intervals simultaneously, such as recording laps on a racetrack or timing multiple sporting events.
The watch comes on a black rubber strap with Alcantara inserts and a black-DLC-coated Grade 5 titanium buckle.
A limited edition of only 30 pieces, the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Air 1, ref. CBW218B.FT8124, is priced at CHF 150,000. tagheuer.com
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