There are few personalities that capture that sweet aura of late 1960s masculine intentions – the kind that would make you take up smoking just to look cool – better than Steve McQueen. I’ll leave the conversation about his actual acting chops aside, but it’s undeniable that the man had an unmistakable presence, and naturally, so did the things that contributed to his style. Of course, there were his Persol 714s and Baracuta G9 Harrington, but there’s just something about cheap replica watches… And the one watch that is associated with McQueen more than any other is the Heuer Monaco.
But it wasn’t just the King of Cool’s favourite – it was also a historically significant development for Heuer, as it sported the brand’s first automatic chronograph movement. Despite a short initial production run, it was revived in the late ’90s to huge renown. The rest is history, and these are some AAA fake TAG Heuer Monaco watches from both Heuer and TAG Heuer you should keep an eye out for, should you be looking to add one to your collection.
Heuer Monaco ref. 1133B Chronomatic Replica Watches
While not technically limited by number, the very earliest best replica TAG Heuer Monaco watches are collectable for more than just being the first. Sporting the latest in automatic chronograph technology, the steel blue dials boldly announced “Chronomatic”, the name of the Buren micro-rotor-based Calibre 11. However, this nomenclature didn’t seem to attract buyers according to Jack Heuer, and soon “Monaco” would begin to appear at the top of the Heuer shield, with “automatic chronograph” fully written out below the pinion. The reference 1133 was produced for only six years, ending in 1975, but the Chronomatic-dialled examples didn’t make it past their first year. Some of the especially early examples have been dubbed the “Paintless Wonders”, as their metallic, brushed blue dials have degraded to a brass-like brown.
Heuer Monaco ref. 74033N “Dark Lord” Fake Watches
Of the 1970s Monacos, the one that has garnered most fame over the years as a rare collectors’ model is the ref. 740303N. More likely, you would have heard it being referred to as the Dark Lord. The all-black look was courtesy of a coated steel case (not PVD, unlike some might believe), with brick red highlights for the chrono and subdial hands. You’ll also notice that it no longer has that signature Monaco layout with the crown on the left. This is the result of Heuer having to ditch the more expensive Calibre 11/12 for a more affordable Valjoux base, combating the poor Monaco sales numbers at the time. It didn’t help save the ’70s Monaco, but the secrecy surrounding its existence makes it intriguing. There aren’t even any firm dates of its production years, let alone specifics like production numbers or what the coating process was for the case. The best guess is that several hundred were made, sold in only a few markets, and could’ve been a special-order piece as it was brought into existence after all other TAG Heuer Monaco copy watches for men had already been discontinued.
Replica TAG Heuer Monaco Sixty Nine Watches
After a 20-year hiatus, the Monaco was revived under the TAG Heuer name in 1997 as the ref. CS2110.FC8119 – but the high quality replica watches will only get an honourable mention on this list. Fast-forward to 2003, and we get the incredible TAG Heuer Monaco Sixty Nine. Its hulking reversible case featured two movements cased back-to-back: a digital quartz Calibre HR03 (also used in the Microtimer), and an ETA/Peseux 7001 on the other. It took another two years for TAG Heuer super clone watches for sale to finally bring it to market, and when it did, it celebrated by winning the Grand Prix at the 2005 GPHG. If you’re wondering about how it did all that in a 39mm case, it stuck all the way out to 18mm in height. That’s how.
Fake TAG Heuer Monaco ref. CAW211A “McQueen” Watches
As time went on, the popularity of the 1:1 replica TAG Heuer Monaco watches kept rising. Naturally, this spawned a number of limited-edition models, but as you might expect, some were more limited than others. One of the models that stood out to me is the 2009 reference CAW211A, nicknamed the McQueen after the model the actor sported in Le Mans. Why this exact model out of all the others? First of all, it was one of the last contemporary Monacos to feature a 38mm diameter case. This was the size that the top TAG Heuer Monaco knock off watches relaunched with in 1997, only to eventually be phased out for the brawnier 39mm – a small, but noticeable difference. Also, it was limited to 1,000 pieces, celebrating the Monaco’s 40th anniversary, and closely resembled the original with its dial and pusher layout, courtesy of a Sellita SW300 with a Dubois-Dépraz module.
TAG Heuer Monaco Mikrograph Replica Watches
We go from a Monaco you could wear on a daily basis to one that you’d be lucky just to see in person. Sure, only one was ever made, but it was Swiss made fake watches you could actually buy at the 2011 edition of Only Watch. The Mikrograph movement was the top-of-the-line calibre in TAG Heuer’s line-up in the late 2000s, when the brand was steadfast in advancing its haute horlogerie department. It featured dual escapements that allowed it to track 1/100th of a second at COSC accuracy – that’s a 50Hz beat rate! Surprisingly, it only sold for €44,000, but like many Only Watch pieces, will likely nevber be seen publicly again.
TAG Heuer Monaco CAW211S “France Edition” Fake Watches
As for the most well-balanced modern best-selling TAG Heuer Monaco replica watches, my vote goes to the very limited “France Edition” from 2017. With only 200 pieces made, it featured a beautiful black opaline dial with white sub-dials, but the icing on the cake is those red highlights that extend to the Monaco text above the Heuer shield, as well as the chronograph hands. The polished case matches the main handset and makes for an exquisitely suave look that wouldn’t look out of place strutting alongside a perfectly restored classic at some concours d’elegance. For the purest Monaco expression, it of course features the left-positioned crown, courtesy of an ETA-based movement with the aforementioned Dubois-Dépraz module.
Replica TAG Heuer Monaco Split Seconds Chronograph F1 Watches
For quite some time, the most advanced movement tech you could get from China TAG Heuer fake watches would be one of its tourbillons. But rather than being lauded for their technical mastery, they were well-known as some of the most affordable Swiss tourbillons. That changed with the introduction of the TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds for Only Watch 2023, as it announced a new scope for the brand, and the reintroduction of true haute horlogerie complications. The latest and greatest variant is the glowing best quality replica watches CA in white ceramic, with a red-tinted sapphire dial above the open Calibre TH81-00 made in partnership with Vaucher. Priced at nearly US$200,000, a 10-piece run seems sensible, and there will undoubtedly be enough capable Formula 1 fans who will champ at the bit for Crofty’s signature line printed in the subdials.