I received a request yesterday to talk a bit about replica watches that haven't gotten the same attention as the big three brands (Rolex, Panerai, Omega). My personal favorite replica watch isn't any of those brands, but a very clean and elegant Patek Philippe Calatrava. In my experience this can be one of the most accurate replica watches on the market.

The Patek Philippe Calatrava

The Calatrava is one of Patek's simpler designs. It's very stylish and unique with its hobnail bezel, but doesn't overpower the way a Panerai does. It's relatively small and one of Patek's oldest designs still in production.

Replicas of this watch vary greatly. There are some excellent examples with sharp dials and curved crystals, as well as some turkeys with flat glass and laser printed dials (the first replica I ever purchased back in 1998 was a Calatrava, unfortunately of the latter kind). Because the watch is very simple and lacking any real complexity in its design it can be very easy to replicate and harder to spot the clues that indicate it's a replica watch.

The example below is one of the better Patek replicas (except for one major flaw). Notice the clean dial with raised numerals. Also the case isn't too thick (the genuine Patek is quite thin, being a manual wind watch). This watch's main flaw is the display case back showing an obvious Asian movement. Genuine Patek Calatravas have solid case backs, and their movements are highly decorated, even though the only person who usually sees it is a Patek service technician.

The best replica watch of this model I ever saw had the solid back, the curved glass, and a sharp-edged hobnail bezel. The ONLY way I could tell it apart from a genuine Calatrava was the seconds sub dial was a little too low (as it is on this example; it's only really visible when compared to a genuine example) and the case lacked any gold hallmarks (small stamps made into the metal to indicate the gold content). Other than that it was a very accurate replica. I wore it several times to Patek dealers without fear of it being detected.

Simpler is Better

This watch is a perfect example of my personal replica watch credo: Simpler is Better. The more complex a design is the more difficult it is to replicate accurately. In other words the greater number of chances the replica manufacturers will introduce a flaw into the design. This is why simple designs such as this watch and the lovely IWC F.A. Jones have such excellent replica examples. Neither of these watches uses the ubiquitous ETA movement, by the way.