ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Monza 'Carbon' Special Edition Chronograph

 

TAG Heuer Boutique / 28th September 2024, Meadowhall, Sheffield

It's kinda funny, this one has been around for so long that when I clocked it in the display case in the TAG Heuer boutique in Sheffield's Meadowhall centre, I honestly didn't even think about whether I had ever seen it or tried it on or not. I was just like... 'Oh there's the carbon Monza'... and it wasn't until the (always fabulous) Maxine asked me if I'd seen it before that the penny finally dropped. I mean it's been at least two years since the Monza CR5090 first appeared on (Red Bull Racing boss) Christian Horner's wrist, so it just feels very familiar, even though before today I'd never actually come across one in person. 

Thinking about it it's been quite a number of years since I had any kind of Monza on the wrist and I'd kinda forgotten quite how big a 42mm 'square' watch really is. I think even from this photo you can tell that it's quite a lump of watch and it sits quite high too. But with its carbon case and nylon strap, of course it's anything but heavy. 

The blue hour markers are probably not everyone's cup of tea though, and the dark blue/purple sub-dials are an 'interesting' choice... it's almost like they wanted this to be a 'Red Bull' Monza but they changed their mind at the last minute. A bit like how this was originally supposed to be limited to 250 pieces and then suddenly it was launched as a 'Special Edition' and not a 'Limited Edition'. Strange that. There's one thing though, with those thick and bright white hands no one could accuse this skeleton dial of offering poor legibility!

  

For sure the carbon Monza isn't perfect, but it was easily my favourite of all the watches I tried on this day. At £12,100 yes it's a bit out of my price range, but compared to the £18,750 rose gold Skipper (which I tried on just afterwards) it actually looks like a bargain. I'm not sure I'd ever get used to those blue hour markers though... and I think a full carbon watch would be a nightmare for me to wear. 

My good friend Ben tells me his carbon G-Shock is tough as old boots, his dog even chews on it. But I distinctly remember a Roman Sharf video where he related a story about why a lot of Royal Oak Offshores that began life with carbon bezels ended up wearing ceramic ones instead, and that worries me somewhat! It's probably not as fragile as I think, but on the other hand I'm possibly a fair bit clumsier than TAG Heuer would expect me to be! 😂

Perhaps as well that I can't afford one then...