Tennis player Felix Aliassime spotted wearing a Tag Heuer

At the Mexico ATP 250 Open, TAG Heuer ambassador and world-class tennis player Felix Aliassime stepped away from the court in a Balenciaga-heavy streetwear ensemble, but it was the square watch on his left wrist that drew the most attention. The piece: the TAG Heuer Monaco Special Edition in DLC-coated titanium, a limited release that excavates one of watchmaking history's most tantalizing footnotes — the so-called Monaco 'Dark Lord.'

The original 'Dark Lord' concept dates to the early 1970s, when Heuer explored an all-black, stripped-back Monaco variant that never entered series production. Decades later, TAG Heuer has revived the aesthetic as a proper limited special edition. The 39mm square case is constructed in titanium and coated with Diamond-Like Carbon treatment, producing a matte black finish that is both scratch-resistant and visually severe. The calibre inside is the Heuer 02, TAG Heuer's in-house column-wheel automatic chronograph movement, beating at 28,800 vph with a 80-hour power reserve — among the most capable movements the brand has produced under its own roof.

The dial architecture is its most discussed technical feature: a two-piece construction that separates the central circular zone — finished with a satin-brushed circular texture — from the outer square section, which receives a sandblasted treatment. The contrast between these two surfaces recreates the 'circle in the square' geometry that Monaco dials have always implied but rarely made explicit. Rose-gold-toned hands, chronograph seconds in red, and applied rose-gold indices complete a palette that is simultaneously warm and austere.

For collectors, the Monaco lineage needs little introduction. The ref. 1133B launched in 1969 was the world's first automatic square chronograph with a water-resistant case, worn famously by Steve McQueen in Le Mans. This DLC special edition occupies a legitimate place in that genealogy rather than coasting on the brand story alone.

Aliassime, a long-standing TAG Heuer partner, has been seen in various Monaco references on the ATP circuit. Spotting this specific dark-lord variant in a relaxed Mexico setting underscores TAG Heuer's push to position the Monaco not merely as motorsport heritage but as a versatile luxury daily wear. Grey market pricing for this special edition has tracked above retail given limited availability.