Pilot Max Verstappen spotted wearing a Tag Heuer

On the podium of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen raised the winner's trophy wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton — a pairing so on-brand it almost felt scripted. The square case, the blue dial, the rubber strap: every detail aligned with the race and the venue. TAG Heuer has been the official timekeeper of Formula 1 since 2020, and Verstappen serves as a brand ambassador, but moments like this transcend contractual obligation. This is a watch that belongs at Monaco.

The Monaco Skeleton references the CBL2080 family, featuring a titanium case measuring 39mm square — a form factor Jack Heuer and designer Gerald Genta introduced in 1969. The skeleton variant removes the dial entirely, exposing the Calibre Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement. That movement is column-wheel controlled, with a vertical clutch, 80-hour power reserve, and beats at 28,800 vph. The open-worked rotor and bridges are finished in blue PVD, echoing the electric blue rubber strap and sub-dial accents visible in this sighting. The case material in this configuration is Grade 2 titanium, lending the watch a lightness that belies its visual mass.

From a collector perspective, the Monaco Skeleton occupies a specific niche: it is the most technically transparent version of a historically significant reference. The Monaco CBL2080.FT6228 — the titanium skeleton on blue rubber — commands strong secondary market interest precisely because it distills the Monaco's geometry down to pure mechanics. Collectors who find solid-dialed Monacos too conservative often gravitate here.

Verstappen's ambassador relationship with TAG Heuer began in 2016, but his repeated public appearances wearing the brand during competitive wins have elevated the partnership's visibility considerably. Wearing the Monaco Skeleton on the Monaco GP podium is an act of precise brand storytelling — whether deliberate or instinctive.

Retail pricing for the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton CBL2080.FT6228 sits at approximately $8,600 USD. Grey market values track close to retail given steady supply, though podium-moment visibility consistently drives short-term demand spikes. For a manufacture-movement chronograph at this price point, the value proposition remains among the strongest in the segment.