For motorsports fans, the end of May is the most exciting time of the year. Alongside the legendary Indianapolis 500, Memorial Day weekend also traditionally plays host to the crown jewel of the Formula One calendar: the Monaco Grand Prix. Traditionally, TAG Heuer has taken advantage of this glamorous race weekend by unveiling specialty variants of the Monaco chronograph. As the Swiss brand takes up the mantle of Formula One title sponsorship (and the first-ever title sponsor of the Monaco Grand Prix as well) in 2025, TAG Heuer uses the opportunity to launch a bevy of new special Monaco references. Amid both ultra-modern and heritage-driven takes on the classic square chronograph, though, it’s the brand’s long-running partnership with Gulf that has produced the most compelling new release of the bunch. With a thoughtful, high-impact rendition of the classic Gulf colorway and a selection of truly impressive historic touches, the new limited edition US perfect replica TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches might well be the best, most complete Gulf Monaco to date.

The Swiss fake TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches begins with the modern Grade 2 titanium interpretation of the classic left-hand-drive 39mm Monaco case. As we’ve mentioned in previous titanium Monaco reviews, this darker, fully matte-blasted material gives the original Monaco form a more contemporary, architectural edge on the wrist and serves to highlight many of the design nuances that tend to fade into the backdrop of brushed and polished surfaces. As a start, this lighter, more comfortable medal emphasizes the fact that there’s scarcely a straight line on this famously square case form. Case sides arc and bend outwards, the upper and lower chamfers take on surprisingly complex, flowing shapes, and the case side profile faintly curves to better conform to the wrist. For a design that often gets classified as bombastic, it’s impressively thoughtful and considered. As always, the pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock are standouts, with tapering, beveled octagonal silhouettes. Like the rest of the modern Monaco line, the luxury replica Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches sport a sapphire display caseback, and TAG Heuer rates the watch for a solid 100 meters of water resistance.

This is far from the first Gulf-themed Monaco design, but the high quality copy TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches arguably captures the retro racing spirit of Gulf better than any before. Rather than directly translating the powder blue and bright orange Gulf Racing livery, which is has proven to be extremely hit-or-miss in watch design, TAG Heuer instead turns to another pivotal piece of both Gulf and Monaco history. Fans of TAG Heuer will know that the Monaco truly became a cornerstone of the brand while on the wrist of Steve McQueen in the 1971 endurance racing drama “Le Mans.” The still image of McQueen zipping up his white racing suit, adorned with a blue and orange Gulf stripe and with the shop fake Tag Heuer Monaco watches prominently on his wrist, has been a TAG Heuer marketing standard for years. The new Monaco Chronograph x Gulf aims to evoke that famous white racing suit, and creates one of the most attractive Monaco dials of all in the process. The base dial surface is a slightly warm cream white, implying patina without resorting to the usual khaki tones and faux-tropical aging, while the twin orange and cobalt blue Gulf stripes run from 1 o’clock to 5 o’clock, framing the black 3 o’clock running seconds subdial in the process.

This isn’t the first Gulf-themed Monaco with an off-center twin stripe, but it’s the clever details that really set this one apart on the wrist. For a start, take the minutes track. Rather than the stripes overlapping this feature, the crisp black-on-white ring cuts right through it, and the 3 o’clock subdial further cuts into the implied white ring without impacting the scale. Not only does this preserve legibility with a high-contrast display, but it also pulls off an impressive optical illusion. With this simple trick, this top replica Tag Heuer watches implies visual depth startlingly well, adding new layers to a famously flat, predominantly printed dial layout. There’s also the line weight to consider here. The stripe package is ever-so-slightly narrower than the rounded-square subdial it passes through, further adding to the illusion that the subdial sits above the stripe, but giving it enough visual presence to still dominate the dial. The use of a brighter, more fluorescent orange for the central chronograph seconds hand and the small printed 6 o’clock Gulf emblem gives this design a touch more complexity and nuance as well. The use of the old-school printed Heuer shield emblem and the evocative Calibre 11-style horizontal applied indices completes the scene here, with further solid visual counterbalancing.

Like other left-hand-crown Monacos, the 1:1 super clone TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches are equipped with the modern Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement. Based on the Sellita SW300-1 and equipped with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module, this third-party-based movement may pay homage to the original modular, committee-designed Calibre 11, but feels markedly under-gunned at a price point full of integrated manufacture chronograph powerplants. A 40-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate headlines the relatively modest spec sheet. However, like other modern Calibre 11 implementations, the movement is attractively decorated here. Tight, sharply defined perlage dominates the upper bridges, while the signed cutout rotor is topped with Côtes de Genève.

At first glance, the white textile deployant strap fitted to the cheap replica TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches aren’t anything to write home about. The white twill weave and orange accent stitching are a solid companion to the dial, to be sure, but it’s the history of this material that truly makes it stand out. This is fire-resistant Nomex fabric, used in racing suits for decades, and this particular Nomex was produced by Hinchman, the same American brand that produced Steve McQueen’s racing suit for “Le Mans” in 1971. It’s a well-considered, understated tie-in to the moment that made the Monaco a legend, as well as being a comfortable statement piece on the wrist.

As TAG Heuer prepares for an expanded role at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, the brand’s traditional limited-run Monaco releases have the potential to garner more attention than ever before. With the limited edition USA AAA fake TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf watches, though, the brand does not disappoint, rising to the occasion with one of its handsomest, most carefully designed heritage designs in years. Only 971 examples of the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf will be made. The TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph x Gulf is available now through authorized dealers.