Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Review TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 CAW211P.FC6356

The shape and finishing of the case is similar to the original model, it is only 1 mm  larger, resulting in a 39 x 39 mm watch. With the lugs, the entire length is 47 mm. If you have never tried on a Monaco, don’t be fooled by these numbers. Even at this size, because of the square shape, the Monaco has a good presence on the wrist. It’s not a very thick watch, it has a height of less than 15 mm, but again, because of its shape, I could not fit it under my cuff. OK, this is a sporty, racing piece and not a dress watch, but thanks to its sophisticated finishing and design, it feel at ease even in a more formal situation.

The dial of TAG Heuer Monaco clone watches is very simple, yet it is a very complex design. It sounds like an oxymoron, but I think that its beauty comes from the control of the different parts and elements, the way they are combined. For example, the blue dial is a simple, plain and honest blue dial. There is no decorations, sun-ray effect, or guilloche, yet it is a unique shade of blue that changes its hue under different lighting conditions, making it hard to describe. TAG Heuer calls it petroleum blue… The indexes follow the layout of the model from 69, they are placed horizontally and not in a radial manner like on the Calibre 12 Monaco. The minute track draws a circle, and the 5-minute markers are punctuated with Super Luminova dots and a bright red accent.

The silverish, rounded square-shaped subdials sit slightly lower than the blue dial and they are laid out symmetrically at 9 and 3 o’clock. Their functionality is different from the original model, we have a 30 minutes counter at 9 o’clock and a current small second dial at 3 o’clock, instead of the 12-hours and 30-minutes counters on the 1969 Monaco.  The minute and hour hands are rhodium plated with red accents and Super Luminova coating. The second hand is bright red with a long counterbalance. 6 o’clock is reserved for the date window, surrounded by a thin white border and a “Swiss Made” inscription on the top. This combo of blue, red, white and silver come together in a beautiful way while making the dial easily legible.

Reference
CAW211P.FC6356

Case
Dimensions 39X39mm. Steel, in three parts, closed with 4 screws.

Movement
TAG Heuer Calibre 11
Automatic chronograph with Date Window at 6 o’clock
Dubois Dépraz chronograph module
40-hour power reserve

Dial
Metallic blue, chronograph minute counter at 9 o’clock and current Seconds counter at 3 o’clock
Rhodium-plated indices with red dot detail and white Super Luminova™

Water-resistance
100 metres

Strap
Perforated calfskin with steel deployment buckle.

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