Short answer
The fake 1735 Grande Complication is a replica of a Patek Philippe wristwatch. Patek Philippe released the reference 1735 in 1989, its 150th anniversary year. The genuine watch holds three complications in one movement: a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and a split-seconds chronograph. Replicas copy the dial and the case. They do not copy the movement.
What the genuine reference 1735 has
- Maker: Patek Philippe, Geneva, founded 1839.
- Release year: 1989.
- Complications: minute repeater, perpetual calendar with moon phase, split-seconds chronograph.
- Winding: automatic.
- Production: reported as a small series. Patek Philippe does not publish the number. Sellers who quote an exact figure are guessing.
Few genuine examples reach auction. Auction houses list the reference among the most complicated wristwatches built.
Parts a replica does not reproduce
Minute repeater
The genuine watch strikes hours, quarters, and minutes on two gongs when the slide on the case band is pushed. Most replicas use a dummy slide with no mechanism behind it. Some builds add one gong that buzzes.
Perpetual calendar
A perpetual calendar tracks month length and leap years. Set it to February 28 and advance it. A real one shows February 29 in a leap year. Replica calendar modules fail this test.
Split-seconds chronograph
A rattrapante has two chronograph seconds hands. Press the split pusher and one hand stops while the other keeps running. Press it again and the stopped hand jumps forward to catch up. Replicas leave out the second hand or fix it in place.
Finishing and case
Genuine bridges carry Geneva stripes, beveled edges, and polished screws. Replica plates are stamped or laser-etched. Platinum copies the color, not the mass.
Price tiers for replicas
- $50 to $150: quartz movement, printed subdials, no working calendar.
- $200 to $500: automatic movement, working date, dummy repeater slide, mineral glass.
- $800 to $2,000: super clone tier, working chronograph, third-party split-seconds module in some builds, sapphire glass.
No tier includes a working minute repeater. No replica factory is known to build a chiming movement for this reference.
Checks before you pay
- Count the pushers and the crown. A rattrapante needs two chronograph pushers plus a repeater slide.
- Ask for a video of the slide. A repeater chimes. A dummy does not.
- Ask for a photo of the movement with the caseback open.
- Ask for the case weight. Steel and platinum differ by a wide margin.
- Ask what the crystal is made of. Mineral glass scratches.
- Ask for the return policy in writing.
Legal position in the United States
A watch that carries the Patek Philippe name or logo without authorization is a counterfeit good. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit imports under 19 U.S.C. 1526. Resale can bring civil damages under the Lanham Act.
Legal alternatives
Homage watches use their own brand names and similar case shapes. Several makers sell tourbillons and column-wheel chronographs under their own trademarks for $300 to $900. These are legal to import and to resell.