The Most Iconic Auto Racing Watch of All Time Pays Tribute to the Film that Made It Famous

TAG Heuer, F1’s new official timekeeper, made the inevitable move of reviving the Monaco Gulf with a series of nods to the film that made it famous.

By Brad Lanphear

Published May 23, 2025

·

Updated May 23, 2025

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Today, few watches are more iconic than the TAG Heuer Monaco, but it was initially a flop when it was introduced in 1969.

It wasn’t until Steve McQueen, the King of Cool, rocked one in the 1971 film Le Mans that the square racing chronograph took off. Seemingly overnight, it went from failure to phenomenon.

a TAG Heuer monaco gulf watch — The new Monaco Gulf is the most *Le Mans*-inspired edition yet.

TAG Heuer acknowledged the film that made the watch in 2005 with the release of the first Monaco Gulf, a version of the 2000s iteration of the Monaco with a dial decorated like McQueen’s racing suit and Porsche 917K from Le Mans.

While this remains the most movie-accurate paint job of any Monaco Gulf release, the rest of the watch departed from the original design worn in the film.

a TAG Heuer chronograph watch — The original 2005 Monaco Gulf edition.

This newest addition to the Gulf team matches every detail of the dial and hands to the original 1969 design worn by McQueen, aside from the blue color. It even uses the same Calibre 11 movement as the original Monaco, Heuer’s version of the first automatic chronograph ever produced.

Aside from the red stripe being replaced with Gulf’s orange, it is a spot-on homage to one of the greatest racing films of all time and everything racing watch fans could have hoped for.

Dialed in

Legend has it that McQueen chose to wear the funky new chronograph because the dial’s blue color matched his suit and car. As a noted racing fan, he was certainly aware of Heuer’s race timing pedigree.

a square TAG Heuer chronograph watch — TAG Heuer’s Calibre 11 movement is recognizable by the crown being placed at nine o’clock.

That heritage is acknowledged front and center with the vintage Heuer logo, from before Techniques d’Avant Garde acquired the brand. This logo, with “Monaco” written above it, only appeared on a 2018 limited edition Monaco Gulf.

Modern variations of the Monaco have a circular-oriented dial, with the applied hour markers and sub-dial numerals emanating from the center. However, the original dial from 1969 was more squared off, with every element other than the seconds track oriented perpendicularly.

the dial of a TAG Heuer watch — The dial features the original 1969 perpendicular detailing.

The newest Monaco Gulf has horizontal baton markers for one, five, seven and even o’clock. Small squares represent two, four, eight and ten o’clock. The numerals on the subdials are arranged in parallel horizontal lines.

the back of a TAG Heuer watch — Heuer’s Calibre 11 automatic movement, used in the original Monaco, is visible through the case back.

TAG Heuer has used the Calibre 11 movement in various Monaco references since 2018, and you can spot it at arm’s length by the crown placed at nine o’clock. It is also visible through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back, secured by four exposed screws, with the original signage on the rotor.

Additionally, each watch out of the 971-piece production is individually numbered on the case back.

This strap is fire… retardant

In one of the deepest film references I’ve ever seen in a product, TAG Heuer designed a strap for the new Monaco Gulf made from the same fire-retardant fabric as racing uniforms and in the same silvery-white color worn by McQueen in Le Mans.

a TAG Heuer watch — The white strap on the Monaco Gulf is made from the same fabric as racing uniforms.

Taking the dedication even further, the heralded Swiss watchmaker got the fabric from the same company that made McQueen’s uniform. The watch has a soft leather lining, decorative orange stitching and a titanium folding clasp.

The watch includes an additional perforated leather racing strap, complete with a titanium folding clasp, which closely resembles the strap on McQueen’s blue dial Monaco.

The Monaco Gulf started as a 4,000-piece limited edition homage by TAG Heuer to the movie that established arguably the brand’s most famous watch. But it tapped into a deep-seated love for this obscure piece of auto racing history and its popularity has ballooned ever since.

Watch, car and design aficionados alike—you can place me in that first camp—cannot get enough of the TAG Heuer Monaco, and this new Gulf edition scratches an itch that fans have had ever since the news broke that TAG Heuer is the new official timekeeper of Formula 1 Racing.

We were teased with the Oracle Red Bull chronograph and then the Formula 1 Solargraph relaunch, now we finally have the new Monaco Gulf we’ve been waiting for. And boy, does it deliver.

Availability and pricing

The TAG Heuer Monaco Chrongraph x Gulf is available now from TAG Heuer for $9,550.

It is a limited edition run of 971 units, referencing the year that Le Mans was released.

TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	TAG Heuer Calibre 11 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

$9,550 at TAG Heuer

About the Author: Brad Lanphear is an associate editor at Gear Patrol covering watches and style. Before joining the publication, he previously wrote for Heddels and Men’s Health. Now, he’s on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of Japanese denim.