Up Close With The TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium

In 2004, cartier roadster replica introduced us to a concept-turn-to-reality watch, the Monaco V4. The watch kind of kicked off TAG's run at innovative concepts such as the Pendulum and Mikrograph over the next 8 years. It wasn't until 2009 that we saw a production model of the V4, a watch favoring belt systems over gear trains. The V4 has seen a few variations through its life cycle, the latest of which is the Titanium model, showing off a bevy of materials to great effect, a rich black case and dial. The replica porsche design Titanium was introduced last summer, but at this years Basel we got a chance to appreciate the watch up close. The original http://www.nalumar.com/tag-heuer-aquaracer-replica-uk.html was built with a platinum case, the only real color contrast came from blue highlights within the layered dial. They also made a rose gold version with black dial. The Titanium introduces a third look to the line up, and it's all black. The case, which incorporates ceramic to the titanium, appears very soft and fluid. The effect comes through in the images as looking almost wet. This smooth texture contrasts the intricate dial in a subtle way, but the two pair nicely together. There is fast and then there is fast. In the first category, you'll find a 575hp hand-built AMG Gullwing, a 621hp biturbo Bentley Supersport, and a prancing horse or two. In the second category, you'll find the fastest production car in history, the Bugatti Veyron. None of that would prepare me for what I piloted with the folks from TAG Heuer while at the Circuit de Catalunya outside Barcelona. None of that would prepare me for a third category of speed, one experienced by only 22 drivers around the world on any given day - the speed of Formula One. The dial of the V4 Titanium is the real star here. It too is black, and gets full C?tes de Genève treatment which catches a lot of light to throw back at you. The dial here though is merely pieces floating together like continents, and in the gaps you're treated to the belts churning away power to the hands. Reading the time on this watch can be a real challenge, but once you get lost in that dial you won't much care. The movement behind this magic is the same Caliber V powering the over V4 models, complete with sliding tungsten block visible in back. You can read all about that right here. Priced at $5,400 on either strap or bracelet, the Carrera 1887 sits in a spot in the market between a lot of competition. Priced a little lower than the Carrera you have column wheel chronos from the likes of Longines, whose Saint-Imier chronograph houses an ebauche movement (though it is made within the Swatch Group) and is priced at $3,225. On the other side of the Carrera 1887 are watches like IWC's entry level chronographs in the Pilot's, Portuguese, and Portofino families, which start at $5,900 and quickly approach the $8,000 mark. http://wowruler.mixxt.com/networks/blog/post.swordsmen.andy2:85 http://wowruler.mixxt.com/networks/blog/post.swordsmen.andy2:84 http://foreignaffairsinstitute.org/groups/porsche-design-p%e2%80%b26612-dashboard-le-mans-1970-limited-edition-watch/ http://foreignaffairsinstitute.org/groups/porsche-design-flat-six-p6310-watch/