Horological Meandering

ping3288
79

• Show profile
• Show other posts

interesting read

hi, guys. got this article by richard brown from a replica related site,

The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has long been a favorite watch to counterfeit. I have seen examples dating back to 2001 for the Royal Oak Offshore. Back then the state of the art was poor stainless steel and quartz movements, easily spotted by even an amateur observer. As with most replica watches the situation improved over time.

Later examples of replica Royal Oaks improved upon the earlier watches by using Asian-made ETA 7750 clone movements. These movements varied in reliability but gave the watch a more accurate appearance. Still, the watches are easy to spot as fake because of the placement of the seconds subdial at 9 o'clock. Genuine AP Royal Oaks have their seconds subdial positioned at 12 o'clock at a slightly lower position than the 7750 places it. By simply looking at the position of the sweep seconds hand most of these caliber of replicas were easy to spot.

Other features stand out when looking at replica Royal Oaks:

Bad dials - Missing luminescence on hour markers, bad "AP" logo No cyclops on the dial (below the crystal) Poor date fonts, some used Rolex-style date wheels Incorrect engraving on the caseback Poorly attached bands, or bands attached with pins instead of screws Poor-quality rubber straps
• Incorrect clasp on band

The Latest Generation

The latest generation of AP Royal Oak replicas has surprisingly overcome most of the limitations noted above. By modifying the Asian 7750 movement to move the 12 o'clock subdial lower and to move the seconds subdial to that position one of the easier tells has been removed. An improvement in dial quality and adding a cyclops to the dial has fixed one of the other important flaws.

These latest versions also improve the case quality and updated the band to a better quality of metal. Engravings have been improved and the typical misspellings corrected.

Ways to Spot Replica Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks

Even with the recent improvements in quality there are still ways to spot a replica Royal Oak.

The replica watch is has a thicker case back than the genuine watch. The cyclops and date window on the replica is slightly too far to the right. This is because of the Asian 7750 used The black dials on replica Royal Oaks are missing the metal surrounds on the numerals. Replicas have poor quality lume. Genuine Royal Oaks will glow brightly and consistently after being charged. The pushers on the genuine Royal Oak are slightly offset above the centerline of the case. The replica has them directly center The rubber pushers on the genuine watch have a slightly different shape than the replicas. They are slighly beveled at the top. Look for poor fitting of the band to the case. Replica clasps are finicky and are prone to stick. Carefully look at the clasp.
• "Safari" Royal Oak replicas have a white dial instead of the accurate cream color.

Conclusion

While the replica Royal Oaks have remarkably improved over time there are still enough flaws to pick them out from a genuine watch. This is another example of why purchasing high-end watches from Authorized Dealers or highly reputable individuals is paramount. When buying any watch make a check by your local watchsmith a requirement for purchase. Never buy a watch without first having the opportunity to inspect it, especially at this price point. There are constant improvements and changes to the quality of replica watches. Until the Chinese government takes steps to shut down the industry you must constantly be on guard to the dangers of counterfeit watches.