A model for the development of surface profiles of face-centred cubic metals which can be related to the electrochemical facetting with preferred, oriented crystallographic planes, is proposed and simulated by means of the Monte Carlo method. Successive cycles of selective electrodissolution and electrodeposition under a periodic potential are simulated through the withdrawal and attachment of particles to the metal profile according to specified rules which are supported by experimental observations. The model is applied to the development of two different crystallographic faces starting from either perfectly-ordered void-free profiles (single crystal approach) or a rough profile with defects in the bulk (polycrystal approach). The simulation results are in qualitative agreement with electrochemical facetting data, scanning electron microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy images of various face-centred cubic metals.