Quick answer
A replica Audemars Piguet complication watch copies the outside of an AP reference. The extra functions on the dial, such as chronograph, calendar, moon phase or tourbillon, are built to look correct. They do not use Audemars Piguet movements. Genuine AP complications come from calibres made in Le Brassus, Switzerland. Replicas use Chinese or Japanese base movements, sometimes with added modules.
Complications found on AP replicas
- Chronograph with two or three subdials and pushers at 2 and 4 o'clock.
- Perpetual calendar layout with day, date, month and moon phase at four subdials.
- Moon phase window, often a day and night disc on low-cost copies.
- Openworked dial with a visible balance wheel or a tourbillon-style cage.
- GMT or dual time hand.
Chronograph replicas
Genuine AP chronographs such as the Royal Oak Offshore use in-house calibres. The calibre 4401 has a column wheel, a vertical clutch and a 70-hour power reserve. Most replica chronographs use an Asian Valjoux 7750 copy or a Seagull ST19. Both are cam or lever designs. A 7750 copy runs about 40 to 48 hours on a full wind. Subdials on cheap copies can be fake. A fake subdial has a hand that moves with the running seconds or does not move at all.
Perpetual calendar and annual calendar replicas
The Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar is 41 mm wide and 9.5 mm thick in the current steel version. Replica cases of this model often measure 11 mm to 12 mm thick. The extra depth comes from a calendar module stacked on a base movement. Genuine AP perpetual calendars account for leap years. Most replicas use a simple calendar. The owner sets the date by hand at the end of months with 30 days.
Moon phase and tourbillon
A real moon phase follows a 29.53-day synodic month. Many replicas print a moon disc that turns once per day. That disc is a day and night indicator, not a moon phase. Real tourbillons rotate the balance cage once per minute. Some Chinese tourbillon movements are real. They cost more and appear in higher-priced replicas. A skeleton dial with a spinning weight is not a tourbillon.
Checks before you buy
- Ask for the base movement name and the power reserve in hours.
- Ask if each subdial has its own function.
- Request a photo of the caseback and the movement.
- Check the case thickness against the genuine spec.
US Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit watches at import. A replica has no AP warranty and no service network.