THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: HEUER
MODEL: 73633
YEAR: 1972
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40MM
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
The 1960s and ’70s were a golden era for sports chronographs, with numerous iconic models emerging from historic manufacturers such as Rolex, Omega, Breitling, and Universal Genève. Few, however, would dispute Heuer’s position as the king of utilitarian, sports-focused chronographs during this period. In particular, Heuer released an array of racing chronographs—the Autavia, Carrera, Camaro, Monaco, and Monza—that remain iconic to this day.
The Monaco, arguably one of the most recognisable watch designs of all time, was first released in 1969. It was among the very first commercially available automatic chronographs, powered by the Calibre 11. Its daring square silhouette was cemented in horological history when Steve McQueen wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans. The earliest Monacos featured the blue-dial ref. 1133B, followed by the metallic-grey ref. 1133G in 1972.
That same year, Heuer introduced the ref. 1533, which housed the Calibre 15 movement. This replaced the 12-hour chronograph register at 9 o’clock with a running seconds subdial, while retaining the bold design language of the 1133. The model we see here, ref. 73633, was also released in 1972 and features a three-subdial layout powered by the manual wind Valjoux 7736 movement.
The Monaco has real presence for a vintage watch: at 40 mm wide and 14 mm thick, it remains substantial even by modern standards. This example is in great, honest condition. The grey dial has aged beautifully over the years, developing a subtle blue hue, while some of the tritium lume has darkened. The red accents on the markers and hands have retained their original vibrancy, providing striking contrast against the darker dial.
This is no safe queen and proudly displays minor wear throughout the case. The caseback bears an engraving dated 1979. The watch has just been freshly serviced and is running superbly at +2 seconds per day, with 285 amplitude and a 0.3 ms beat error.