Short answer
A replica Audemars Piguet dress watch is a copy of an AP model with a slim case and no dive bezel. The lines copied most are the Jules Audemars, the Code 11.59, and the thin Royal Oak references. Genuine versions sell from about $18,000 to $60,000 on the secondary market. Replicas sell from about $180 to $900. The copies use 316L steel, sapphire glass, and third party movements. Gold tone copies use plating, not solid gold.
Models and specs
AP lists these references as dress or all purpose watches. Numbers come from the AP catalog and change by reference year.
- Code 11.59 Selfwinding: 41 mm case, Calibre 4302, 28,800 vph, 70 hour power reserve.
- Royal Oak Jumbo 16202: 39 mm case, 8.1 mm thick, Calibre 7121.
- Jules Audemars Extra-Thin: slim case, Calibre 2121, no seconds hand on some references.
Copy cases add 0.5 mm to 3 mm of thickness in most cases. The extra bulk shows at the caseback and the lugs. A genuine Code 11.59 sits flat under a shirt cuff. Many copies do not.
What the copies use
- Movement: Miyota 9015, Seagull ST2130 (an ETA 2824 pattern), or a decorated copy of Calibre 3120 or 4302. Quartz in the cheapest tier.
- Case: 316L stainless steel. Some sellers claim 904L. A magnet test and a scratch test do not prove the alloy.
- Finish: gold plating of 3 to 5 microns on gold tone models. Plating wears at the clasp, the crown, and the bezel edges.
- Glass: sapphire on the mid and high tiers, mineral glass on the low tier.
No copy uses a real AP calibre. AP builds its movements in Le Brassus and does not sell them as parts.
Legal facts in the US
Importing a counterfeit watch into the US is barred by 19 U.S.C. 1526. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320, with fines and prison terms that reach 10 years for repeat offenses. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes shipments and mails a notice to the address on the parcel. The buyer loses the watch and the money in that case.
What to check in a listing
- Movement name and beat rate. A real automatic runs at 28,800 vph, or 4 Hz. The sweep of the seconds hand shows this.
- Case thickness in mm, written in the text.
- Photos of the movement, not the dial alone.
- Date font, logo position, and tapisserie pattern on the dial.
- Weight in grams. Sellers who list weight know the product.
Unknown: the exact factory behind a given listing. Sellers rename factories, so a name on a page does not prove the source.