Heuer Monaco 1133G

A stainless steel two register, automatic chronograph by the Swiss watch maker, Heuer. This model was part of a very important three model launch by Heuer in 1969. This "Monaco", and two other watch icons; the "Carrera" and the "Autavia", in Siffert colours, were all launched with the new calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement. These early watches were all branded with the word "Chronomatic" upon launch, but the Chronomatic name was very quickly sold onto the Breitling watch company, and subsequently removed from all Heuer models. Leaving the model name to pair along side the iconic "Heuer" logo. This example is a stunning and very early example of a 1133G "Monaco", and is one of the first to be found without the Chronomatic branding, and a departure from the iconic blue dial. The Heuer Monaco reference 1133G belongs to a brief and unusually ambitious moment in Swiss watchmaking, when the industry was attempting to redefine the chronograph for a new era. Introduced in the early 1970s, the 1133G was part of the original Monaco family launched alongside Heuer’s revolutionary Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement. At a time when most Swiss watches still relied on manually wound movements and conservative round cases, the Monaco arrived with a square waterproof case, an automatic chronograph caliber, and a design language that looked closer to industrial architecture than traditional watchmaking. The project that produced the Monaco had begun several years earlier under the internal codename “Project 99.” Heuer partnered with Breitling, Hamilton-Büren, and Dubois Dépraz in a secret race to develop one of the world’s first automatic chronograph movements. The resulting Calibre 11 combined a Büren micro-rotor base movement with a Dubois Dépraz chronograph module, creating a movement thick in profile but technically groundbreaking for its period. In 1969, Heuer unveiled the Calibre 11 simultaneously in New York and Geneva, introducing the movement across the Autavia, Carrera, and the entirely new Monaco line. While the Autavia and Carrera evolved from existing Heuer models, the Monaco was conceived specifically for the future. Jack Heuer understood that the new movement demanded a watch equally unconventional in appearance. The square waterproof case was produced by Ervin Piquerez S.A., whose patented construction allowed Heuer to create what was marketed as the world’s first square waterproof automatic chronograph. The case measured approximately 40 mm across, large and aggressive for the period, with sharply faceted geometry, a broad dial opening, and a left-hand crown that immediately signaled the watch’s automatic movement. Today, the Monaco is most closely associated with the blue reference 1133B worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans. The reference 1133G, however, occupies a more discreet and arguably more design-driven place within the Monaco story. Produced in far smaller numbers and without the weight of Hollywood mythology, the 1133G allows the underlying design of the Monaco to speak more clearly. It is the quieter reference: less cinematic, more architectural. The “G” designation refers to the watch’s grey dial. The earliest execution featured a metallic grey dial paired with matching grey registers, creating a monochromatic appearance unlike almost anything else in Swiss watchmaking at the time. Later executions introduced contrasting black registers, giving the watch a more instrument-oriented appearance while retaining the same essential case and movement architecture. OnTheDash records the first execution reference 1133G as introduced in 1972, powered by the Buren Calibre 11 or later Calibre 12 automatic movement. What distinguishes the 1133G from many sports chronographs of the era is its unusual restraint. Despite the radical case shape, the metallic grey dial softens the watch considerably. The brushed steel hands with red accents, recessed square registers, and subtle metallic finish create a distinctly industrial aesthetic, one that feels deeply connected to the design language of the early 1970s. The watch has the atmosphere of modernist architecture, automotive instrumentation, and studio equipment from the period rather than conventional luxury watchmaking. The movement itself also reflects this transitional period in Swiss horology. Early examples housed the Calibre 11, while later production often used the improved Calibre 12. Both movements retained the Monaco’s characteristic left-hand crown placement, with chronograph pushers positioned opposite on the right side of the case. This unusual arrangement became one of the defining visual signatures of the original Monaco series. Commercially, the Monaco was not initially successful. The watch was considered too unconventional for many buyers accustomed to slim round dress watches and traditional chronographs. Production numbers remained relatively low, and the Monaco line disappeared by the mid-1970s as the Swiss industry entered the Quartz Crisis. Ironically, the very qualities that made the Monaco difficult to sell at launch would later define its appeal. Within the broader Monaco family, the 1133G has become increasingly appreciated by collectors precisely because it exists outside the shadow of the McQueen narrative. The blue 1133B became a cultural icon. The grey 1133G remained closer to the original experiment: a highly modern chronograph created at the exact moment Swiss watchmaking was attempting to reinvent itself through technology and design. Seen today, the 1133G represents one of the clearest expressions of early 1970s industrial watch design. The square waterproof case, automatic chronograph movement, metallic monochrome dial, and asymmetrical crown layout combined to create a watch unlike anything else produced in Switzerland at the time. More than fifty years later, it remains one of the most distinctive chronographs of the twentieth century, not because it followed convention, but because it ignored it completely. The watch case appears to be unpolished. It has the original reference numbers engraved between the lugs. The grey metallic dial is in perfect, original condition, accented by the two black sub-dials. The watch comes on its original Heuer bracelet, signed, made by NSA watch band company. If you are looking for a rare and stunning early example of one of the most iconic watch designs to ahve ever been produced, then this could be the watch for you. The watch does not come with any paperwork, or box. The service history of the watch is unknown, but is working well.