Heuer Monza Ref 150.501

About This Watch:

The Heuer Monza was released in 1976 to commemorate Ferrari’s Formula One World Championship victory in 1975 with drivers Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni.  Heuer has had deep roots in automotive racing, dating back to 1911, and developed a relationship with Ferrari in the early 1970s that led to the creation of the Monza model, named after the storied racetrack, home of the Italian Grand Prix.  

The History:  Heuer brand was created in 1860 and specialized in stopwatches and chronographs.  Their focus was on instruments used in sports, such as dashboard timers.  However, the focus shifted for Heuer brands in the late 1950s and early 1960s, as the popularity of chronograph wristwatches was gaining momentum.  In 1962, when Jack Heuer, a race car driver, and motorsport enthusiast, became head of the company, he spearheaded the creation of the Carrera watch.  

The Watch:  The Heuer Monza Ref 150.501 features a black PVD-coated 39mm oval-shaped case with a Plexiglas crystal.  The black dial features tritium-lumed hour markers, a date window at the 6 o’clock position, red accents on the small seconds counter at the 10 o’clock position, and on the 30-minute chronograph register at the 3 o’clock position.  Also featured is a pulsometer scale with a red accent from the 12 to 3 o’clock positions and a tachymeter scale from the 3 to 12 o’clock positions.  The Monza Ref 150.501 is powered by the in-house Calibre 15 movement.

The Details:  This Heuer Monza Ref 150.501 is in very good condition, with some patina that has developed around the case sides, bezel, and lugs, as visible in the photographs.  The lumed hour markers and lume on the hour and minute hands have developed a desirable creamy yellow patina.  The lume on the 5 o'clock hour marker is missing.