I have tried this watch on at several ADs / Boutiques in my city over the past month. I never could quite get my head around the aesthetics of a square watch, but this fits perfectly. I think the left crown also evens out the aesthetics somewhat as well. Overall, I love everything about it from the aesthetics to the heritage.

But, what I can't get my head around:

The Calibre 11 is a Sellita movement, and while it does have history along with being supremely accurate and a workhorse, it is not an in house movement (compared to the Calibre 02 in the modern day Monaco watches and Carrera line).

Additionally, these go for just about the same price as the modern Monaco's. The ADs and Tag Boutiques I've spoken to will give no more than 5% discount (and some have given me an outright no to a discount at all).

This currently retails in Australia for AU$10,600 - personally I wouldn't buy it without a 25% discount new from an AD or Boutique.

I have also been told that Tag are implementing a 5-7% price rise in April.

Its a good buy at a significant discount or if you can find a good pre-owned example.

There is more to my story, but my recent dealings with Tag & their ADs with regard to this piece have not been pleasant. I get the feeling they are trying to copy & paste the Rolex business model (scarsity marketing of their flagship pieces), while being used as somewhat of a test bed for other LVMH brands (i.e. Hublot & Zenith), and expecting the customer to pay a fortune in the process for a product that is not on the same level of quality compared to their direct competitors in the same market segment.

The big things that gets neglected in this whole conversation about Rolex supply.

Rolex only has one boutique of it's own - located within it's HQ in Switzerland. The Authorized Dealers we walk into within our cities are either public companies (like Watches of Switzerland) or privately owned / family owned chains.

For many many years (Pre-COVID and a long time before in particular) - the ADs have been held to ransome by Rolex. They have been forced to have their storefronts fit out to 'Rolex standard' at their expense. They have been forced to buy the stock to sell (at cost price) at their expense, even though they didn't need to keep that much inventory, as for a long time the demand wasn't there to meet the supply (which is when we could walk in and see Subs, GMTs, etc ready and waiting in the display cases for us to buy).

In some instances, particularly those ADs that may have been located in smaller cities with less foot traffic and less of a customer base, they would have been taking a significant cost outlay due to the Rolex rules in place to have AD status. This then forced ADs to offer discounts and to offload stock to grey market sellers, not necessarily at a loss (because margin would have still been there) but to at least maintain some sort of reasonable cashflow.

In recent times (during and post-COVID), demand has been sky high. This has opened up the opportunity for the ADs to be able to finally make some serious coin and recoup on those forced outlays by Rolex for many many years prior.

This is why now you see the ADs using Rolex as leverage to force the customer into building a purchase history, in order to move other stock.

In recent times (about the last quarter to half year), has demand for Rolex settled down? Yes, it has. But, why can't we get one from the AD still? The ADs are holding that stock back in safe in order to keep an air of scarcity, and going forward none of this is going to change.

So the answer to this poll is sort of a mix of B & C in my opinion.

Tag Heuer Monaco - the watch I so badly want to buy but can't bring myself to pull the trigger.

Aesthetically it is beautiful. But it is a watch that is so much more worthy of a higher level of horology. Having a Calibre 11 or 12 under the hood is akin to Ferrari putting a Mazda engine in one of their cars.

Even the latest Calibre 2 Monaco's... you can get a Speedmaster or Zenith Chronograph for similar prices (sometimes lower).

Again - I so want to pull the trigger. But even with an offer of a 25% off RRP brand new I still can't pull the trigger.

My feeling is that all collectors should aim to have a Speedmaster as there first luxury chronograph. Definitely can't go wrong with the new 57s. They are beautiful. Only dilemma - which colour? 😀

I love both brands, but if it's a wind and wear you're seeking and that is what talks to you, the Big Pilot 43 is the way to go (Zenith - go chronographs).

1. JLC Reverso Tribute Duoface Ref: Q3988482

2. Cartier Santos de Cartier Ref: WSSA0029

(RE: next two, no gold watch in my collection so far)

3. Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Ref: 6000V/110R-B733 

4. Patek Phillipe Aquanaut Travel Time Ref: 5164R

What a great three piece !