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TAG Heuer Monaco 1533 Steve McQueen 40mm Stainless Steel
Ref. 1533
Sits in TAG Heuer’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the TAG Heuer watches we list, which start at £1,330.
Price range £1,330 to £11,950 across 12 TAG Heuer watches in stock.The Monaco was never a modest object. When Heuer introduced the square-cased chronograph in 1969 it was a provocation — a movement deliberately shown through a case shape that no one expected — and Steve McQueen wore one on his wrist throughout the filming of Le Mans in 1971, which settled the watch's reputation more effectively than any advertisement could have. The 1533 is the Monaco that followed the original. Heuer replaced the twin-register Calibre 11 with the Calibre 15 in 1972, a movement that shares the same unusual micro-rotor architecture but drops the hour recorder and simplifies the shock protection. The result is the asymmetrical dial that defines this reference: a single 30-minute register with a border sitting at three, and a small seconds hand floating loose at roughly nine-thirty with no surround at all. It reads as slightly unresolved and entirely deliberate. The crown remains on the left where it has always been on the Monaco, pushers on the right — a layout that still looks like nothing else. At 45mm lug to lug, the square case commands the wrist in a way a round watch of the same nominal size would not, and on a steel bracelet the weight sits forward. These are vintage examples, which means the acrylic crystal will carry some character, and the tritium lume on the original dials has long since shifted from white toward its warm, aged tone. That shift is, on a watch of this history, not a flaw.
- Reference
- 1533
- Brand
- TAG Heuer
- Collection
- Monaco
- Case size
- 40mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Square
- Dial
- Silver
- Crystal
- Acrylic
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Calibre 15
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 45mm
Learn more about TAG Heuer
Edouard Heuer founded his workshop in Saint-Imier in 1860 at the age of twenty, and the company he built became the definitive maker of things that measure short intervals.
The patents came early and mattered. The oscillating pinion of 1887 remains in use in mechanical chronographs today — an elegantly simple way of engaging the chronograph train that most manufacturers still prefer to the column wheel alternative. The Mikrograph of 1916 measured to a hundredth of a second, decades ahead of anything comparable.
Heuer's association with motorsport ran deeper than sponsorship. It supplied dashboard timers to rally and racing teams for decades, and the wrist chronographs of the 1960s were named accordingly: Carrera, for the Carrera Panamericana; Monaco, for the Grand Prix; Autavia, from automobile and aviation. The Monaco of 1969 — square, water-resistant, and worn by Steve McQueen in Le Mans — housed the Calibre 11, one of the first automatic chronograph movements.
The quartz crisis hit hard. TAG, the Techniques d'Avant Garde group, bought the company in 1985, giving the current name. LVMH acquired it in 1999.
The modern house has pursued high-frequency timing seriously, producing concept movements measuring to a thousandth and a five-thousandth of a second, alongside the volume Carrera, Aquaracer, and Formula 1 lines.
- 1860
- Edouard Heuer founds the company in Saint-Imier.
- 1887
- The oscillating pinion is patented, still used today.
- 1963
- The Carrera launches, named for the Carrera Panamericana.
- 1969
- The square Monaco debuts with an automatic chronograph calibre.
- 1985
- The TAG group acquires Heuer.
- 1999
- LVMH acquires TAG Heuer.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (4,847), Stainless Steel Watches (3,197), Automatic Watches (1,736), Chronograph Watches (1,234), Silver Dial Watches (718) and Rectangular & Square Watches (460).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 45mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of TAG Heuer's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- Acrylic crystal marks easily, though it polishes out
TAG Heuer Monaco 1533 Steve McQueen alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 1533 | 1-90-12-03-12-02 | Q4128420 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £11,950 | £11,995 | £11,350 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | — | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | — | — | 70 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Will the glass scratch?
Yes, but it polishes out. Acrylic marks easily and a scratch can be buffed away at home, which is why vintage-style watches still use it.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
22mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 45mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £11,950, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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