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Lot Essay
Near the top of the list for the most valuable vintage Heuer chronographs models is the legendary Heuer “Dark Lord” Monaco reference 74033N. While the Monaco is now one of the more well-known Heuer designs, at its inception in 1969, its sales lagged its Carrera and Autavia peers despite being worn by Steve McQueen in the movie “Le Mans”.
According to Jack Heuer, the CEO and an owner of Heuer at that time, Jack saw King Juan Carlos I of Spain wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that had been treated with PVD and found the look so striking that after the meeting he seemingly had the idea of doing something similar with the Monaco. This vision became realized in the reference 74033N, made in only a small number of examples and never appearing in a catalog.
The watch was certainly ahead of its time, with the stealthy look of a black case and black dial with striking white-edged luminous hands and an orange central second hand and orange register hands.
The present example shows beautiful patina on the case reflecting that the watch has been gently enjoyed during its life. It is a rare and exceptional opportunity for someone looking for one of the rarest and most valuable Heuer chronographs to enjoy.
The small engraving done by hand on the case back starting with “C” reflects that the watch was originally sold in Switzerland through the distributor Cuanillon.
According to Jack Heuer, the CEO and an owner of Heuer at that time, Jack saw King Juan Carlos I of Spain wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that had been treated with PVD and found the look so striking that after the meeting he seemingly had the idea of doing something similar with the Monaco. This vision became realized in the reference 74033N, made in only a small number of examples and never appearing in a catalog.
The watch was certainly ahead of its time, with the stealthy look of a black case and black dial with striking white-edged luminous hands and an orange central second hand and orange register hands.
The present example shows beautiful patina on the case reflecting that the watch has been gently enjoyed during its life. It is a rare and exceptional opportunity for someone looking for one of the rarest and most valuable Heuer chronographs to enjoy.
The small engraving done by hand on the case back starting with “C” reflects that the watch was originally sold in Switzerland through the distributor Cuanillon.