With intention to have a deeper look at this novelty, there are 3 other editions that must be considered. The first one is of course the vintage re-issue, the Monaco Cali bre 11 40th anniversary limited edition, launched in 2009 under the ref. CAW211A. The second one is no doubt the real Heuer Monaco, the one worn by Steve McQueen in the movie “Le Mans”, the one with the real Calibre 11, with the blue dial and the red accents: the Ref. 1133B. Last but not least, we also have to look at the actual reference, the one that is in the catalogue for 5 years now (and that is still in for the moment), the Monaco Calibre 12 Ref. CAW 2111, launched in 2010.
The new replica
TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11″Steve McQueen” ref. CAW211P, basically, is a very faithful re-edition of the very first Monaco, sharing the same dial, the same indexes, the same colors – the same overall look to make it short.
From a dial point of view, there’s clearly not much differences between this new Monaco Steve McQueen CAW211P and the original Monaco Steve McQueen 1133B. Except a few details (like the size of the fonts or the thickness of the markers), these two share the same design. The main hands are extremely close, meaning polished metal with a red band and a white insert of luminous paint, a red chronograph hand (with quite a difference though, as the shape of the new one is rather slim. The old 1133B had a triangular and thicker hand) and black hands for the sub-dials. Both are stamped with the old “Heuer” logo (and not the actual TAG Heuer logo). The blue dial is matte and grained (from the photos, we’d say that the blue of the new one is a bit darker and less saturated… but that’s photos) and the sub-dials are white and squared with rounded angles (and with the same fonts and markers).
Compared to all the other editions of the Monaco, the main specificity of the Calibre 11 is to have the crown on the left side and the pushers on the right side – just like the old one. Enough of specifications, let’s have a look at this TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 “Steve McQueen” ref. CAW211P next to its ancestors. 
At this point, start a quite difficult “Spot the difference” game, as clearly these two are very, very close – but let’s first explain the context of the CAW211A. Despite its high price, the fake watches sold out instantly, and even today it’s a difficult one to find on the second-hand market” (source: Calibre 11). In 2009, TAG Heuer launched a first re-edition of the vintage Monaco, for the 40th anniversary of this watch. As expected, it was very close to the original 1133B. The layout of the dial is also exactly the same and so are the colors. It was a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, priced at approximately 10,000 Euros at that time (quite a hefty price for a Monaco…). “For that price, you also received a special presentation box and a Steve McQueen book.This Monaco CAW211A was the first of its kind to receive a sapphire crystal. The caseback was full and engraved with commemorative decorations.
oth are stamped with the old “Heuer” logo (and not the actual TAG Heuer logo). The colors are looking slightly distinct though, with the CAW211A 40th anniversary looking more vivid than the new CAW211P (and therefore more close to the original… but then again, it’s photos). This new, 2019 TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 “Steve McQueen” ref. CAW211P is interesting for many reasons. First of all, it brings back the real Monaco look, the real Steve McQueen feel, with this matte dial and those horizontal indexes. It is faithful in many ways to the early edition and will please collectors in a need for this beauty. The other good news concerns the price, as it comes for half the price of the 40th anniversary edition, meaning a reasonable 4,995 Euros. The last good news is that it won’t be a limited edition but a regular commercial piece – meaning that many collectors looking for the 2009 CAW211A will probably move to this new one.
It has a 39mm x 39mm case (which makes it rather small on paper but not that small on the wrist) and it features the Calibre 11, which is nothing comparable with the old Calibre 11, as based on a modern 3-hand Selitta movement with a chronograph module by Dubois-Depraz on the top. BComparing the cheap replica TAG Heuer Monaco 40th anniversary edition and the new, 2019 TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre 11 “Steve McQueen” ref. CAW211P is easy, as there’s not much differences. First of all, the new one has a 39mm case while the 40th anniversary had a 38mm case. The shape of the case, of the pushers, of the crown and their positions is nevertheless the same. The dials are also totally identical, with the same hands, indexes, tracks, sub-dials (with the same placement and same function).
Hands-on review of the 2019 replica TAG Heuer Monaco Calibre
