How to Spot a Fake Patek Philippe Watch

When buying a pre-owned Patek Philippe watch, it is important to approach with caution because of fake models. Especially due to the price of a Patek timepiece, you most definitely do not want to get caught out by untrustworthy dealers who may be giving you a counterfeit watch.

Despite Patek Philippe being one of the hardest watch brands to replicate, fake watches are improving year by year. Mainly, because of the rise in Super Clones, which even struggle to be recognised as fake by some Authorised Dealers.

Furthermore, as the secondary market continues to grow, consumers have their concerns and are troubled, wondering who to buy from. Alternatively, you may be someone who owns a Patek watch and has had doubts surrounding whether it is real or not. Whoever you are reading this article, we have curated a list of ways to spot a fake Patek Philippe watch.

Quality & Weight

When being given a Patek Philippe timepiece, the first thing you do is hold and feel the watch, and in some instances, this can be enough to make a judgment on whether the watch is fake.

Patek Philippe watches are crafted from the finest materials, including 18ct gold and platinum, which are extremely difficult to replicate due to their exceptional quality and heaviness. Therefore, it is more likely to come across counterfeit steel Patek Philippe watches, as the material is easier to fake. However, the quality could still be a giveaway.

But if there are no signs of poor quality or questionable weight when holding a Patek Philippe watch, then it is best to investigate further. Especially since counterfeit Patek Philippe watches are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Visual Features

If the Patek Philippe watch has passed the quality and weight test, but you still have doubts about whether the timepiece is real. Then, it is best to closely examine different visual features that may have been poorly made, which Patek Philippe would certainly not do.

Case

Sometimes, counterfeit Patek Philippe watches will have a larger and thicker case to conceal a poor and inexpensive movement inside, which is very noticeable when dealing with Patek timepieces regularly.

Additionally, some cases have a specific shape, like the Nautilus, which is one of the most faked Patek watches, has an octagonal shape or the newly produced Cubitus’ square-shaped case. These are harder to replicate to a high standard compared to the conventional round shape found on a Calatrava.

Another key feature of platinum Patek Philippe timepieces is a single diamond jewel that is set in the underside of the case. Patek is known for their meticulous craftsmanship and use of fine materials, so this one diamond will be set perfectly and, although subtle, will sparkle. If there is no feature of this diamond on a platinum Patek model, or the quality of the stone is concerning, then it is fake.

Dial

Using a loupe, you can take a very close look at the dial to determine whether a Patek timepiece is fake. Firstly, examine any fonts as writing is always hard to replicate due to brands being very concise with letter spacing and balanced proportions.

Also, check for the hour markers or any other display, like the small seconds or date wheel, as the markers and numbers may be disproportionate. Again, Patek would not mess this up with a strong dedication to precisely craft every timepiece.

Crown

Every Patek watch has the Calatrava cross perfectly etched into the crown, which is small and neat. Therefore, if this emblem is slightly enlarged or gaps are missing, then it is most likely a counterfeit Patek timepiece, or the crown piece is solely fake.

Opened Caseback

It is best to do your research on whether your Patek Philippe watch features an open or solid caseback, as some models allow wearers to see their timepiece’s wonderful movement. Fake Patek models may miss this discreet part, which is a telling sign. Also, this helps to prevent opening the watch to examine the movement; instead, the movement is on display already.

Another good use of an open and display caseback is that you can see Patek’s beautiful movement, but this can be a straight giveaway when finding a fake, which prevents the need from having to open the watch. The rotor is a huge sign, because it is extremely difficult to copy due to the refined curved edges and logo engraving, which is all you need to spot a fake Patek.

Documentation

Of course, Patek Philippe watches come with the box and papers, something which can be faked, as seen in our ways of spotting a fake Rolex watch article. But, instead of a little card, the Swiss brand gives a Certificate of Origin for every watch and even provides an Extract from the Archives.

Certificate of Origin

Patek Philippe’s Certificate of Origin is the watch’s birth certificate, including key details like production date and sale, dealership information, reference, movement and calibre numbers. This is extremely vital for verifying and proving a Patek watch’s authenticity.

If this document is lost, it cannot be replaced, so it is not the biggest red flag if a Patek timepiece is without its birth certificate, but it is definitely critical. As an alternative method to proving authenticity, you can obtain an extra document for a fee.

Extract from the Archives

As an alternative method to proving authenticity, you can obtain the Extract From The Archives from Patek Philippe for 500 Swiss Francs if the Certificate of Origin is missing and you need to verify a watch’s authenticity. This is a document providing details surrounding the watch’s manufacturing and sales information.

To gain this Extract, there are some key conditions, the main one being that the Patek watch must have been first sold at least ten years before the date of the request. This is a fantastic way to prove whether a vintage or older Patek timepiece is real or not, and whilst the Extract can authenticate a model, it must not be confused with the Certificate of Origin.

Engravings

Potentially, this section should have gone under the visual features part of this article; however, there are three key engravings to be aware of, with one that isn’t on the outside of the case. If the engravings are located in the wrong places or are executed poorly, the likelihood is that your Patek watch is fake.

Serial Numbers

The most important way to tell whether a watch is a fake or not is through the serial number of a Patek model, because it is the timepiece’s unique identity that determines its authenticity, providing production and manufacturing details. This is located inside the caseback for a solid caseback Patek watch, and the interior edges for open casebacks.

Counterfeit Patek models will create a false serial number, which may not match the serial number found on the warranty card. So, it is essential to check the serial number.

Precious Metal Symbol & Purity

For precious metal Patek models, there are small hallmarks found behind the case near the lugs, stating “750” for gold pieces and “950” for platinum pieces. This is done to denote the purity of the material Patek Philippe uses: “750” means 75% pure gold and “950” means 95% pure platinum. On modern Patek watches, there is an extra engraving of “Au” for gold and “Pt” for platinum, which is placed next to the numbers.

PPCo

Like the precious metal symbol and purity hallmarks, the final “PPCo” engraving is only found on authenticated Patek Philippe timepieces produced out of precious metals. Required by Swiss law, this mark identifies Patek Philippe as responsible for the production of precious metal watches. This is located near the purity hallmark, which is the same style of engraving.

Internal Properties

The most determining factor in answering whether a Patek Philippe timepiece is real or fake would be opening the watch’s case to examine the movement. This is the last resort when finding counterfeit Patek watches, also indicating that you may have a Super Clone model.

Movement

A counterfeit movement is extremely easy to identify with Patek Philippe timepieces. The Swiss brand’s movement should shine through beautiful jewels and expert engravings, and not to mention the components that beat the heart of a Patek watch. If you do not possess the tools to open a Patek watch, the solution would be to take it to a reputable jeweller who can authenticate timepieces. Here at Time 4 Diamonds, we have been servicing and authenticating Patek watches since 2005, so we can most definitely verify a model for you.

Function

Patek Philippe is one of the greatest horological brands because of their craftsmanship and complexity, making their watches harder to fake. Therefore, it is most likely to come across counterfeit Calatravas or Nautiluses without any types of gem settings or complications, simply because it would be extremely obvious. The best thing to do is to test any functions the Patek watch may feature, as, depending on how new the model is, the functions should work perfectly.

Buying a Patek Philippe Watch from the Secondary Market

As highlighted at the beginning of this article, the secondary market is growing with new dealers and jewellers rising. Whilst it does create room for more supply, it can also leave consumers feeling worried about the reputation and verification of who they are buying from.

Here at Time 4 Diamonds, all your fears are eliminated, as we can assure you that every Patek timepiece that enters our boutique is meticulously authenticated by our experienced team of artisans who have a proven track record in working with Patek watches.

This gives you a seamless buying experience, as every purchase of a pre-owned Patek watch should feel like. Browse our current stock of plain and custom Patek Philippe timepieces today!