Introducing TAG Heuer unveils the second chapter in their haute horlogerie journey with the Monaco Evergraph

What We Know

If you needed any more proof that watchmaking is advancing in an exciting direction despite recent downturns in the market, here’s some. Back in 2024, TAG Heuer announced an exciting new direction for the brand, with a renewed focus on avant-garde watchmaking, starting with the Monaco Split-Seconds, powered by a new movement co-developed with Vaucher. We’ve seen that movement make its way into the Carrera as well. Still, it’s once again time for the iconic square watch to get all the attention (and once again with Vaucher’s help), as TAG Heuer launches the Monaco Evergraph as the headlining release of their Watches and Wonders 2026.

Whereas the Monaco Split-Seconds leveraged an established haute horlogerie complication as its main drawcard, the Evergraph takes a more radical approach to solving the chronograph conundrum. The Calibre TH80-00 incorporates one of the brand’s latest developments, the TH-Carbonspring, with a new way of actuating the chronograph in the form of a compliant system actuator. This builds on the traditional vertical clutch architecture, but essentially removes the need for a column wheel with two bistable components for the start/stop pusher and reset hammer. One of them links the 2 o’clock pusher to the vertical clutch, while the other resets the chronograph heart cams for the seconds and minutes.

That’s all well and good, but “what is a compliant, bistable component?”, I hear you ask. Let’s break those down, explaining the bistable part first, as it merely explains a mechanism that rests in one of two states - like a light switch. If you’ve ever tried to balance one exactly in the middle, you’ll find that it always snaps to either on or off.

As far as compliant systems go, you can think about them as mechanisms that use bending to their advantage as opposed to rigid components connected by moving joints. Their advantages are improved efficiency and, in some cases, easier manufacturing at scale as they can be made into a single component, though I have a feeling doing it at a micro level took a hell of a lot of engineering hours. Most importantly, they have incredibly flexible use cases (little engineering pun for ya there), including preventing nuclear weapons from accidentally going off - to actuating the chronograph of your brand new Monaco.

Making a bistable component out of a compliant mechanism essentially means that you have a reliable, efficient switch that uses no moving joints, even perhaps with a superior pusher feel - but I’ll decide that once I get the watches in hand.

With the ultra-nerdy stuff out of the way, the new TH81-00 has also essentially been inverted, putting the gear train, barrel, and Carbonspring-equipped balance wheel on display under the transparent dial. The movement beats at 5Hz, has a power reserve of 70 hours, and is COSC-certified, something that TAG Heuer is committed to bring to its entire model range.

Speaking of the dial, you’ll recognise classic Monaco signatures like the square sub-dials, though the dial reads “TAG Heuer” rather than just “Heuer”, matching the Monaco Split-Seconds as well as the latest-generation Monaco Chronograph that it launches alongside for W&W26. The transparent piece of acrylic sports applied markers for the hours, sitting beneath a square sapphire crystal.

TAG Heuer is launching the Monaco Evergraph in two finishes, both variants of grade 5 titanium but one with the option of DLC coating. I’m happy to report that the new movement developments haven’t resulted in any significant changes in size, as the Evergraph measures 40mm across, though the cases do feature more muscular lines, especially in the large, rectangular chronograph pushers.

What We Think

I like an old-school watch as much as the next vintage fiend, but I’m really glad to see TAG Heuer once again expanding in this direction. For a brief period of time, they were redefining high-frequency chronographs with the Mikro series, and while the Evergraph goes in a different direction, it’s most certainly a return to form for TAG Heuer, and something I feel the brand has been missing from the catalogue.

The price also puts a lot into perspective. I’m sure TAG Heuer’s leadership and I agree on the sentiment that this isn’t going to be an ultra-high-volume piece, and it’s not positioned as such. It is, however, a tour de force by a brand that hasn’t always had it easy, but is still clearly showing enthusiasm for forwarding technology, not resting on its (admittedly historically significant) past achievements, and overplaying the nostalgia card.

The Basics

Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Monaco Evergraph
Reference Number: CEW5180.FT8122, CEW5181.FT8123

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: TBC
Case Material: DLC-coated grade 5 titanium, grade 5 titanium
Dial Colour: Transparent acrylic, black or blue sub-dials
Indexes: White printed minute track, applied hour markings
Lume: White Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 100 metres
Strap/Bracelet: Black or blue rubber, case-matching titanium folding clasp

The Movement

Calibre: TH80-00
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 5Hz
Jewels: 47
Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC
Additional Details: TH-Carbonspring oscillator, compliant mechanism chronograph actuation

Pricing & Availability

Price: 42,000 AUD
Availability: From April 2026
Limited Edition: No

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