The TAG Heuer Monaco ranks among the most iconic motorsports watches ever, thanks in large part to its appearance on the wrist of actor/race car driver/style icon Steve McQueen in his 1971 film, Le Mans.
The original blue-dial Heuer Monaco appeared in that film just two years after the watch’s debut as one of the world’s first automatic chronographs in 1969, and in the decades since, the Monaco has seen countless iterations released. That includes more than one special-edition collab with Gulf Oil, the legendary real-life motorsports team sponsor that McQueen fictionally raced for in Le Mans.
The Monaco is an expensive luxury watch, and because of its unique square-shaped case, it can be harder to find watches offering a similar style at an affordable price. But I’ve found the perfect option that not only mimics the Monaco’s iconic style, but also puts forth an authentic motorsports pedigree of its own.
Striking oil
Depancel is a young French microbrand committed wholly to all things automotive. The brand has several sporty model lines that would look at home on the track, most of them chronographs, with the Série-R filling the role of “Monaco-esque race watch.”
This has been the case ever since Depancel first launched the Série-R back in 2019, and now the brand has brought the watch even closer to the Monaco with its own iconic oil company racing team sponsor. Instead of Gulf Oil, Depancel has partnered with DAMS Lucas Oil, a French motorsports team with an impressive championship track record, currently competing in Formula 2 and Formula 3.
