No QC thread on the Monaco yet, so here goes. Reference points for the CAW211P, the blue-dial Monaco Calibre 11: 39 mm square case, crown on the left (at 9 o’clock), pushers on the right at 2 and 4 o’clock, date at 6. The left-hand crown comes from the original Calibre 11, introduced in 1969 with the first Monaco. On a square watch the slightest asymmetry shows straight away, so the case is what you look at first.
[[PHOTO: Monaco CAW211P de face en lumière du jour, boîtier carré, couronne à 9 h et poussoirs à droite bien visibles]]
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
The case, point by point:
- all four sides straight, the rounded corners identical;
- the crown and both pushers centred on the thickness of the case flank;
- the pushers at the same distance from the centre, one above, one below;
- even reflections on the crystal, no odd distortion.
A photo taken at an angle distorts a square far more than a round case, so a straight-on photo is a must.
The dial: the blue varies enormously with the light, so don’t judge the shade on a single photo. What matters: the two square sub-dials aligned horizontally and at the same height, sharp indices, the date well centred in its window at 6. For the colour of the hands, compare with official photos of the same reference, not another Monaco.
Silly question: with the crown on the left, is there anything special to check when it arrives?
No more than with any other watch, just on the opposite side. The check on arrival is the same: winding, setting the time, the date, then a test of the chronograph start, stop and reset, on video if possible. The chrono hands must return exactly to zero. To compare with another chronograph already covered here: Daytona 126500LN QC.
Another useful comparison for busy dials: Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 QC. Same logic: check the alignment of the sub-dials before anything else.
[[PHOTO: Monaco CAW211P de profil côté 9 h, couronne et épaisseur du boîtier]]
For the photos to ask for, the list in how to ask for a QC is enough; for this model, add one photo strictly straight on, one of the left flank (crown) and one of the right flank (pushers).
Summary:
- 39 mm square case: straight sides, identical corners, photo strictly straight on.
- Crown at 9 o’clock and pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock: centred on the flank, symmetrical.
- Dial: sub-dials aligned, sharp indices, date centred at 6; don’t judge the blue on a single photo.
- Chronograph: start, stop, reset on video, exact return to zero.
Impossible to check on photos: accuracy and water resistance.
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
Perfect. Point 1 matters most on this watch; a square forgives very little.