A method for monitoring a machine element in a paper finishing machine (10). The machine element mounted for rotation machine elements (16-19) equipped with a sensor assembly (24) measuring force or pressure, and a counter-pair (15, 20, 33, 44) for said machine element. The machine element is made to rotate against the counter-pair, a measurement signal (25) is generated between the machine element and the counter-pair with the sensor assembly, and recording a reference cross-directional profile (21) of force or pressure generated. Condition monitoring (38) of vibration with the reference profile is by comparison of current signals with the reference so as to detect periodic variation (39.1, 39.2) in the cross-directional pressure profile, and producing visual information (37) from the analysis for monitoring. The invention also relates to a corresponding system, a rotating machine element for the method or the system, and a computer program product.