When it comes to showing the world that you’re horologically savvy and your wrist is grail worthy, few dial names do a better job than perfect replica Patek Philippe.
The problem is, playing ‘PP’ is regarded as a game for the Jay-Z level super-rich – after all, the record price for a luxury fake Patek Philippe wrist watch currently stands at the $31.1 million paid at a charity auction in 2019 for a one-off version of the range-topping Grand Master Chime. Madness.
Anyone with more than a passing interest in high quality replica watches will know that prices for steel versions of the three hand Nautilus Ref 5711 1A/-010 went absolutely bonkers after production came to an end in 2021, causing some pre-owned examples to change hands for a five-times-retail £150,000 apiece. Madness take two.
Fortunately, as with other models that became white hot with hype around the same time, Nautilus values have since dipped – but, with current RRPs across 1:1 replica Patek Philippe‘s range starting at £12,860 for a quartz-powered women’s Twenty-4 and rising to an easy seven figures (not to mention the sky’s-the-limit prices for ‘POA’ models) there’s no such thing as a ‘cheap’ Patek these days. But…
Getting hold of a Patek on a budget
If you are desperate to join the cheap super clone Patek Philippe club but don’t seem likely to make it as a rapper / actor / tech CEO any time soon, don’t despair – because a bit of lateral thinking and a willingness to go pre-owned or vintage could see one on your wrist for the price of a mediocre watch from a B-list brand.
Our first port of call on our Patek-on-a-budget quest is to the David Duggan watch shop in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade. Duggan has been in the business of buying and selling AAA replica Patek Philippes for half-a-century, has seen virtually every model made pass through his hands and can always be relied upon to talk sense, not nonsense, when it comes to watches.
“What is considered affordable will vary from one person to another, but let’s say we’re working with a budget of £15,000 – 20,000,” says Duggan.
“The first thing to consider is condition – don’t be tempted to buy something in poor condition simply because it seems cheap. In the end, it won’t be and it will be hard to re-sell.
“At the moment, there are some great value vintage pieces made during the 1940s, ‘50s and ’60s – we have just put in the window a beautiful 1944 high end copy Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 1491 in rose gold with a very desirable rose coloured dial.
“It’s all original, in beautiful condition, has an extract from the Patek Philippe replica for sale archives and is priced at £17,000 – considerably less than the least expensive new Patek men’s watch.”
Duggan also cites the many vintage, rectangular-cased super clone watches for sale as being excellent buys, such as the Reference 1493 (produced from 1939 until the mid 1950s), a mint, yellow gold example of which he has on offer at £16,500.
The benefit of buying from a reputable dealer such as Duggan is that they will have done all the hard work for you (i.e sourced a good watch), checked it over for authenticity and condition and serviced it. And it will be guaranteed, usually for a year.