Green is undoubtedly the current color of the moment in luxury watchmaking. Verdant hues from pale mint to deep forest have been spreading like weeds across the watch industry over the last few years, and 2021 has seen the trend gaining more steam than ever before. TAG Heuer is no stranger to this trend, releasing green versions of the Carrera, Aquaracer, and Formula 1 over the past year. To celebrate the 2021 running of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, held in Monaco from April 23 to April 25, 2021, the brand is bringing a stylish new green look to one of the most recognizable watches on the planet: the Monaco. With a rich new green dial complementing the in-house Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement, the new limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial offers one of the most striking and handsome takes on the current right-hand crown Monaco series.

The 39mm square stainless steel case of the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial follows the slightly modernized lines of the rest of the Heuer 02-powered Monaco series, with its 3 o’clock crown and sapphire display caseback. The Monaco case formula remains intact here, with the short angled lugs, slightly curving rectilinear case sides, and the Monaco line’s signature wide sloping pushers. Like other models in the series, this familiar case provides a reasonably sporty 100 meters of water resistance.

Naturally, the main attraction of the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial is that eponymous dial treatment. The green surface itself is deep and nuanced, and given the Monaco’s long association with movie star Steve McQueen the dial color’s similarity to the iconic Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang fastback from “Bullitt” may be more than a coincidence. This rich forest green hue is punched up with a sunburst dial finish, showing off a dynamic range of green tones in initial images. Rather than the standard Monaco’s white subdials, this new version paints the line’s signature rounded square subdials in simple black. This gives the overall colorway a darker, more refined feel in initial images, while allowing the white highlights of the dial text and minutes track to stand out more vibrantly. However, the Monaco Green Dial inherits a few elements from its standard Heuer 02 powered stablemate that may continue to prove divisive among purists. Like all right-hand crown Monaco models, the Green Dial opts for a set of more standard applied beveled indices rather than the Calibre 11 line’s distinctive applied horizontal baton hour markers. Secondly, as the Heuer 02 movement includes a sub-seconds register, the Monaco Green Dial inherits a minimalist crosshair subdial at 6 o’clock. While this pared-down treatment helps to minimalize its impact on the classic two-register Monaco profile, its presence might still be a dealbreaker for die-hard enthusiasts.

TAG Heuer powers the Monaco Green Dial with its in-house Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement. In addition to the usual decorations such as Côtes de Genève across the bridges and a blacked-out striped skeleton rotor, TAG Heuer sets this model apart visually with vibrant green accents on the rotor signature and the column wheel. In a sea of limited edition dials and engraved casebacks, a special touch on the movement is a welcome addition and gives the Monaco Green Dial a subtle unique charm. Performance remains unchanged from the standard models, with a hearty 80-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. TAG Heuer pairs the watch with a classic black alligator leather strap on a signed deployant clasp.

While carrying a tenuous connection to the event it’s supposed to commemorate, the limited edition TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial deftly and charismatically reimagines the brand’s most iconic design in an undeniably stylish new colorway. Only 500 examples of the TAG Heuer Monaco Green Dial will be made, available now through authorized dealers at an MSRP of $6,650. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.