I have seen many Monaco's that have been assembeled with bits & pieces of original parts, or have been fooled with, to make them look NOS or even odd models. Not exactly fakes. But not really the real thing.
There seem to be a lot of NOS??? Monaco's out there that are re-done to look NOS. That's why a lot of them don't have the Heuer logo & tool 33 markings on the back. Those markings are light & get polished off easily. There are company's in Switzerland that are refinshing the cases to look new. Even that sunburst brushed finish on the backs. I have also seen cases that have the Heuer logo & tool 33 machine engraved on the back. Not the way the originals are.
Many have refinished dials or new dials with hands that are to short like Jeff Stein's picture. The short hands seem to be on the 73633 manual wind Monaco's, because the original lengths don't seem to be available. I hope this is helpfull.
Jeff Meyer

: Hi All,

: As a new Heuer convert I was wondering if there
: are many fake pre-tag heuers about? Does
: anybody have any scary stories to share. Do
: all Monacos have the tool 033 on the rear?
: My first Monaco, bought two years ago from a
: Munich dealer and friend of my
: mother-in-law's, a three-dial manual,
: doesn't have a tool number on the back.
: Everything else seems ok except the 11
: o'clock marker is slightly sqew whiff. Could
: it be a defected model disguarded. Might it
: be a fake? I guess the only way to know for
: sure is to open it up and look at the
: movement? Can anyone tell me where to get a
: case opening tool from?

: Thanks for your help.

: Nick