Fake Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars watches exist in small numbers. The line is a round dress watch, not a hyped sports model, so the counterfeit trade puts its money into the Royal Oak. Most fake Jules Audemars watches run on quartz or a basic automatic movement, sit in a gold-plated case, and carry a dial that is printed rather than finished. A real Jules Audemars has an 18k gold or platinum case, and in the extra-thin versions a movement that is 2.45 mm thick.
What the Jules Audemars Is
- Audemars Piguet built the line from 1999 to about 2011.
- It is named after Jules Louis Audemars, one of the two founders.
- Cases are round. Sizes run from 33 mm to 41 mm.
- Most references use 18k white, yellow, or rose gold, or platinum.
- Extra-thin versions measure about 6 mm to 7 mm at the case.
- Extra-thin models use calibre 2120, a 2.45 mm movement based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 920.
- AP used its in-house calibre 3120 in some larger Jules Audemars models.
- AP retired the line. The round dress slot is now covered by the Code 11.59.
Six Checks
- Thickness. Measure the case with calipers. A 2120 movement is 2.45 mm. Fake cases run 9 mm to 11 mm because a copy movement will not fit in a thin case.
- Metal. Real cases are 18k gold or platinum. Fakes are steel or brass with plating. Plating wears at the lugs and the caseback edges. Look for gray metal under the gold.
- Hallmarks. Swiss 18k gold carries the St. Bernard head hallmark. Platinum carries the ibex head. A caseback that shows a laser-etched 750 stamp and no other mark is a warning.
- Weight. An 18k gold case weighs more than a plated steel case of the same size. Weigh the head and compare it to a documented reference.
- Dial. Real dials use applied gold markers. Guilloche patterns are cut into the metal. Fake patterns are stamped, so the lines are shallow and the edges are soft.
- Logo and date. The AP monogram is polished and set on the dial. Fake monograms sit flat or are glued. The date font and the date window edge differ from the original.
The Movement
Calibre 2120 has 36 jewels, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour, and runs about 40 hours. Bridges show Geneva stripes, circular graining, and polished bevels. The rotor is signed. A fake movement is a Chinese automatic, a Miyota, or quartz. Fake rotors carry the AP name, but the engraving is shallow and the stripes are coarse or printed. Open the caseback, or ask a watchmaker to open it. A quartz movement inside a mechanical Jules Audemars ends the question.
Caseback Engraving
Genuine casebacks carry a reference number, a case number, the metal stamp, and the AP signature. The engraving is deep and clean. Fake engraving is shallow and thin, and the fonts differ. Reference numbers on fakes often match no catalogued Jules Audemars reference, or they repeat numbers from Royal Oak models.
Price and Market
Gold Jules Audemars watches on the secondary market trade at prices above $10,000 in U.S. dollars. Fake versions sell for $100 to $600. Gold content alone in an 18k case is worth well over $1,000 at any recent gold price. A seller offering a gold Jules Audemars at $800 is not selling gold.
Legal Status in the U.S.
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit shipments and destroy them. Audemars Piguet does not service or repair counterfeit watches. A watchmaker who knows the model can confirm a counterfeit in minutes with calipers and a caseback opening.
Verification Steps
- Ask for the reference number, case number, and service papers.
- Request photos of the movement and the caseback.
- Measure the case thickness.
- Take the watch to an Audemars Piguet boutique or an authorized service center.
- Cross-check the reference number against published catalogs and auction results.
Unknown: factory-level output for Jules Audemars copies. No public data breaks out replica volume by model. The Royal Oak accounts for most high-end AP counterfeits, and the Jules Audemars sits far behind it.