TAG Heuer’s Best Vintage Square Watches
The TAG Heuer Monaco ref. 1133B circa 1971 and the TAG Heuer Silverstone
The 1970s were a weird time for watch design. The case shapes came in all sorts of styles, including the classic microwave TV style – a fan favourite. And the watches themselves were starting to divert from more standardized features to include a wider variety of complications at a wider range of prices. For Heuer, this was the perfect environment in which to showcase their creative ability, which is exactly what they did with the Heuer Monaco and the Heuer Silverstone.
The Heuer Monaco’s History
Vintage Heuer Monaco with the Caliber 12 movement / Credit: Silodrome
Jack Heuer, like many other watch executives at the time, was racing to make the first automatic chronograph in time for Baselworld 1969. The development of the movement was codenamed Project 99 and was a combination of a Büren base movement and a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module, dubbed the Caliber 11.
Heuer’s Project 99 History
Heuer’s Caliber 11 / Credit: Monochrome Watches
1969 was a massive year in the watch world for many reasons; the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch made its first moon landing, Seiko released the world’s first quartz watch, and the first automatic chronograph movements were released.
In the first half of the 20th century, the automatic chronograph movement was one of horology’s biggest technical challenges. To conquer this feat, a top-secret partnership was born between Heuer, Breitling, Büren, and Dubois-Depraz. Heuer and Breitling already had existing knowledge around making chronograph watches, Büren was an expert in micro rotor automatic movements, and Dubois-Depraz was the industry leader in modular movements.
The foursome joined forces in the mid-1960s, and started to work on their very own ‘Chronomatic’ movement – under the code name Project 99. By the end of the decade, they released the Caliber 11, one of the world’s first automatic chronographs. That same year, Seiko released their version with the Caliber 6139, and Zenith with their very own El Primero movement.
Those first movements produced by Heuer are known as the Chronomatics and are highly sought after by collectors. The movement was oversized, which would’ve required a change in the Carrera, pushing Jack Heuer to look into a square case that he licensed from Piquerez S.A. This new, square watch would become the Heuer Monaco.
The first Heuer Monacos were released in 1969 as reference 1133B and 1133G, which came in blue and grey and featured the Heuer Chronomatic Caliber 11. As with many Heuer watches at the time, they were named after motorsport, this time going for the Monaco Grand Prix. The watches were marketed as the first water resistant, square, automatic chronographs, and sold for only $200.
The ‘McQueen Monaco’ Story
The Heuer Monaco worn by Steve McQueen for the 1971 film Le Mans
The Heuer Monaco made its way into the limelight when Steve McQueen wore it on the set of the 1971 film Le Mans. Steve McQueen wore the exact same outfit worn by Jo Siffert, while driving at the wheel of his Porsche 917; Gulf colours. Thus, the Heuer Monaco ref. 1133B was dubbed the ‘McQueen Monaco’ thereafter.
The Heuer Monaco, especially the Chronomatics, are obviously an important piece of horology, but the Monaco is also inextricably linked to motorsport, specifically the Monaco Grand Prix (which TAG Heuer still sponsors) and Steve McQueen. This combination of horology and motorsport is what makes the Heuer Monaco a legendary timepiece.
The Heuer Silverstone’s History
The Heuer Silverstone ref. 110313R circa 1974 / Credit: Vintage Heuer
The Heuer Silverstone was released in 1974 in three models, with three different dial colours: red, blue, and ‘fume’. It was originally meant to be an alternative to the Heuer Monaco, and is known for its microwave TV case shape – a true example of ‘70s watch design.
Apart from the dial colours and case shape, the Silverstone was not that odd of a watch as far as the 1970s go. What Heuer did, however, keeping consistent with its past naming choices, was name this model after the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England – home of the British Grand Prix. The Silverstone hosted a Caliber 12 movement and only about 1,860 pieces are said to have been released for each of the three colours. The watch was also somewhat big for the time, with the case measuring 42 mm in diameter – although large watch case sizes were increasingly becoming normal in the seventies. This was the time of luxury sports watches after all.
There was another Heuer Silverstone released in the 1980s that used a Lemania movement, we can call it an early attempt at a reissue. It’s slightly rarer than the others, and a special watch; but in general, Silverstones are not that hard to come by, with dozens currently available online. So, while its rarity today may not reflect it, it is certainly an icon. Although in comparing the two storied square Heuer’s pasts, I think the vintage Heuer Monaco definitely comes out on top.
By: Eric Mulder
Read more:
Scholz, Felix. “HISTORY: The development of TAG Heuer’s Calibre 11 movement.” Time and Tide Watches, October 9th, 2015, https://timeandtidewatches.com/history-the-development-of-tag-heuers-calibre-11-movement/.