The Seiko ‘Monaco’ 7016 Chronograph
Seiko ‘Monaco’ 7016-5011 Chronograph / Credit: Flippi Gallery
Most of us are familiar with the Heuer Monaco, the vintage Heuer named after the Monaco Grand Prix, and what we referred to as the best square watch. Seiko also made their own Monaco in the early 1970s, as at the time sports chronographs were all the rage. In this case, however, the Heuer Monaco’s Japanese cousin, the Seiko ‘Monaco’ 7016, often flies below the radar.
The first thing that stands out about the Seiko Monaco 7016 is the stacked chronograph register, which at the time was only done by a few specialized watchmakers and meant that the Caliber 7016A also uniquely had the seconds and minutes function for the chronograph in the same sub-dial. This gave the face of the watch an interesting symmetry that can be found in other similarly designed chronographs like the Seiko 6139 but also the Patek Philippe ref. 5960.
Seiko ‘Monaco’ 7016 Chronograph
The first Seiko 7016 was released in 1971, only a couple years after the more famous Seiko ‘Pogue’ 6139 chronograph. Apparently, the Caliber 7016A was the thinnest vertical automatic chronograph movement until 1987, when a Piguet watch overtook it. The Caliber 7016A featured 17 jewels and a 21,600 bph movement, along with the day-date function and shock resistance. It was also a flyback chronograph and 37mm in diameter, with a water resistance of 30m. Seiko also made non ‘Monaco’ variations of the watch, which did not feature the square case.
Although the Seiko Monaco was relatively successful, it is nowhere near as popular as the Seiko ‘Pogue’ or other vintage Seikos. It’s a bit of an underdog, which is strange because obviously the Pogue has the prominence of being a ‘space watch’, but the Monaco nonetheless has both the link to the famous Heuer and the technically significant Caliber 7016A – not to mention it looks great aesthetically!
By: Andres Ibarguen