Is the TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 the most exciting racing itineration yet?
The limited edition Tag Heuer watch, which debuted at the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco 2026, is the latest addition to the Monaco family
TAG Heuer’s Monaco is one of those instantly recognisable profiles that means even quite bold variations sit behind the basic shape – a glance at distance is enough to identify it even in moody black DLC or white ceramic. And with that ID, TAG Heuer’s motorsport heritage jumps to mind – that movie still of Steve McQueen in striped racing overall in particular. What colour the dial is, or whether it is a chronograph, or what side the crown sits, almost always comes a distant second to that shape.
I’m not sure if the new Monaco Speed 12 (launched to coincide with the Monaco Grand Prix) will quite break that rule, but it’s undoubtedly the most striking variation yet. While the titanium case is standard, it’s what is within that catches the eye. The result of collaboration with one of the most creative forces in contemporary watchmaking, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Speed 12 is automotive emotion in miniature, its Spin Time based TH84-00 movement taking on the guise of a 12-cylinder rotary engine - if you can imagine such a thing.
TAG Heuer has quite a history with out-there movement designs. The only other Monaco to look like something else is the belt-driven V4 concept from the early 2000s, and the Speed 12 sits well with that history, though as a 50 watch limited edition this definitely not a concept watch.
The movement is a motorsport take on Louis Vuitton’s signature movement, with each hour ‘piston’ (finished contrasting sand-blasted and polished treatments) spinning in turn to reveal the hour number as the minute hand hits the 12 o’clock position. The centre of the dial is dominated by the grooved engine block that carries the Monaco and TAG Heuer badges, while the red-tipped minute hand and track recall classic dashboard dials, all very Grand Prix appropriate.
