The top 1:1 replica TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf Ref. CAW218G.EB0393 watches retails at CHF 9,300 / SGD 13,450. Both prices are inclusive of VAT. Limited edition 971 pieces.
The case, dial and hands
The case is the familiar square case with tonneau shaped sides, and with the crown situated on the left. The case is now offered in sandblasted grade-2 titanium, and remain at the nominal 39mm case size. The right side of the case are the two chronograph activation buttons. This destro arrangement is achieved by merely rotating the round movement 180°.
The claim to fame for this high quality fake watches is the dial. Which in this novelty has a white base, and the Gulf colours on the right side of the dial, and the Gulf logo right below the center pinion. This racing livery is inspired by Steve McQueen’s Gulf-striped suit and Porsche 917K with its iconic blue and orange colours.
The dial of the cheap UK copy watches does look amazing. The silver fine grained dial contrasts beautifully with blue and orange stripes as well as the black sub-dials which are rounded square with in the classical Monaco markers. The minute markers are printed on a circle within the square sapphire crystal. The 5 minute intervals have their own distinctive marking versus plain lines for the other minutes.
The strap is colour coded with the base dial colour, and is in a white Nomex fire-resistant material used in racing suits.
The movement
The movement is the Cal. 11. This is a ETA sourced base movement with a Dubois-Depra chronograph module.
Comparison to the blue dial (Ref. CBL2115.FC6494) which won the GPHG Iconic Watch Prize of 2022, which is still available at CHF 7.8k compared to the CHF 9.3k for this novelty. The main difference, other than the case material (titanium in this novelty vs steel) and the obvious dial colour difference of blue vs white as the base, this novelty (Ref. CAW218G.EB0393) runs on the Cal. TH 20-00 which is based on the Heuer 02, and the novelty in white base dial is the Caliber 11, which is ETA based with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module. The C11 is generally is considered as a lower end movement, as it is ETA based, whereas the C11 is an improved version os the in-house Heuer 02 is an in-house chronograph. Curiously, the selling price of this novelty is higher than the TH 20-00 powered AAA best replica watches. Does the titanium case vs steel case offer a justification to the premium? We think not. Perhaps it is the link back to the original Caliber 11 Monaco of 1969, though this is not the same movement, though they share the same caliber number. The original was developed by Heuer with a Buren cal. 1281 base and a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module. See our discussion on the movement on our review of the 50th Anniversary Monaco Gulf.
We guess the historical linkage to the movie Le Mans in 1970, where Steve McQueen wore his own perfect fake TAG Heuer Monaco watches UK is as important. And with the entry of TAG Heuer as an Official Partner and official timekeeper to F1, and parent company LVMH as the Global Partner, this release is a signal by the maison that they have returned to their roots.
Concluding thoughts
We think this is very attractive Swiss made replica watches. The aesthetics are spot on. With the white base being a key standout feature. Of course, the embellishment of the Gulf stripes further enhance its beauty. For a square watch, it wears reasonably well, and the shape is another feature which makes it stand out from a crowd of round timepieces.
This is an interesting release. As mentioned, the choice of the C11 is peculiar, to say the least. It has linkages to the original, yet the movement is completely and totally new and has nothing in common with the 1969 model. The pricing is also a but unusual as it is more expensive than the technical superior blue dialled version which bear the TH 20-00 movement. So between the blue and new white dial, what should you pick. For your consideration is first, the aesthetics. Which livery do you prefer. Then consider if the claimed historical linkages is important. And finally whether the movement matters to you. For us, as we feel the TH 20-00 movement is superior the older fake watches wholesale would be our preference. Though in practical day to day usage, it is not a significant difference.