At BaselWorld 2004, the Monaco V4 presented itself as one of the most innovative concept watches of recent times, but the market launch was still to come. And here it is on the occasion of its 150th anniversary, TAG Heuer puts into production this particular model whose movement does not use traditional gearwheels, but a system of toothed transmission belts. To wind the automatic movement, a linear oscillating mass is used instead of a rotor, mounted on the world's smallest ball bearings (2.2 by 4 mm in diameter, 0.5 by 1 mm thick).
"In the watch industry, the average time from design to reality for a movement is 3 to 5 years, so with the V4, which represents a real breakthrough in terms of movement mechanics, we are right on schedule," said Jean-Christophe Babin, TAG Heuer President and CEO. "We didn't want to compromise the product's quality and reliability standards by putting it on the market too quickly. Future buyers of the V4 demand and deserve the best, and we have a duty to always exceed their expectations."
The Monaco V4 is presented in a prestigious platinum version in a limited edition of 150.
For information: TAG Heuer Tel. 02/202371
Ref. WAW2170.FC6261
Movement: mechanical, self-winding with toothed-belt drive system; linear tungsten oscillating weight; 2 pairs of barrels in series, mounted two by two on a V-shaped frame.
Dial: 7 finely worked and satin-finished bridges; visible escapement and belt system; polished applied hour markers; rhodium-plated and blued luminescent hands; small seconds hand at 4 o'clock.
Case: 950 platinum (40.5 mm); sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides; sapphire crystal case back in 3 sections (showing the barrel pairs); white gold winding crown; water resistance guaranteed to 5 atmospheres.
Strap: alligator with 950 platinum folding clasp.
Availability: first batch (75 copies) from November 2009; second batch (75 copies) from June 2010:
Price: about 100,000 Swiss francs.
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