A fake Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118/1200R is a counterfeit copy of a 35.2 mm rose gold Nautilus with a diamond-set bezel. The genuine reference lists in the high five figures USD at authorized dealers. Copies sell from about $60 to $1,500. Every one of them uses Patek Philippe trademarks without a license. Importing a counterfeit watch into the United States is illegal, and Customs and Border Protection seizes and destroys shipments.

What the genuine 7118/1200R is

  • Case: 35.2 mm diameter, rose gold, diamond-set bezel.
  • Movement: self-winding caliber 324 S C.
  • Power reserve: about 45 hours.
  • Caseback: sapphire display back.
  • Bracelet: integrated rose gold with a fold-over clasp.
  • Dial and stone count change by suffix, for example -001 and -010.

Patek Philippe sells through authorized dealers. There is no factory direct channel and no public online serial lookup.

How copies are built

The counterfeit market splits into three tiers. Quartz copies run $20 to $80 and use a battery movement. Mid tier copies run $150 to $400 with a Miyota or Seagull automatic. So called super clones run $600 to $1,500 and add cloned caseback engraving and a decorated movement that is not a Patek 324 S C.

Many makers start from a men's 5711 case and add a diamond bezel. The result is a watch with the wrong diameter and the wrong lug shape.

Tells on a fake 7118/1200R

  • Diameter: measure the case. The genuine watch is 35.2 mm. Copies run 37 mm to 40 mm.
  • Bezel: count the stones and inspect the metal claws between them. Genuine bezels use a set number of diamonds set flush in gold. Copies use cubic zirconia or low grade stones with thicker metal.
  • Thickness: the genuine case is slim. Most copies add 1 mm to 3 mm.
  • Crown: the Calatrava cross engraving is shallow or off center on copies.
  • Caseback: genuine engraving carries the reference, the movement number, and the Patek Philippe Seal. Copies cut the font and depth wrong.
  • Weight: a rose gold case and bracelet weigh far more than the steel or plated brass used in copies.
  • Paperwork: copies ship with printed numbers that do not match the caseback or do not exist in any Patek record.

Service and verification

Patek Philippe service centers refuse counterfeit watches. A genuine watch comes with a Certificate of Origin that matches the case and movement numbers. Buyers can request that a seller send the watch to a Patek service center for a written check before payment. Sellers of counterfeits do not agree to that step.

Legal status in the United States

  • 18 U.S.C. 2320 covers trafficking in counterfeit goods. A first offense by an individual carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $2 million.
  • The Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1114 and 1117, allows civil suits. Statutory damages reach $2 million per counterfeit mark per type of goods for willful use.
  • 19 U.S.C. 1526 lets CBP seize and destroy counterfeit merchandise at the border. There is no personal use exemption for trademarked counterfeits.

Patek Philippe is a trademark owner. Counterfeit sales fund organized crime, according to the Swiss watch industry, and buyers of copies hold no warranty, no parts access, and no recourse when the watch fails.