Short answer
26470O is not a complete Audemars Piguet reference. Full references in this line read like 26470ST.OO.A027CA.01. The 26470 launched in 2014 as the 42 mm Royal Oak Offshore chronograph. Copies of this model are easy to find and hard to sell back.
What the genuine reference is
- Case: stainless steel on the ST versions, 42 mm across, octagonal bezel with eight hex screws.
- Dial: Mega Tapisserie pattern, date window at 3 o'clock, three subdials at 12, 6 and 9 o'clock.
- Movement: caliber 3126/3840. The base is the AP 3120 with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module on top.
- Beat rate: 21,600 vibrations per hour. A 28,800 vph movement is the wrong caliber.
- Back: sapphire display caseback held by screws.
- Suffix codes after 26470 list case metal, strap or bracelet, and dial variant.
Checks that catch most fakes
- Caseback engraving. Genuine text cuts deep and even. Copy text sits shallow or the font is wrong. Compare the serial number against the reference number format.
- Dial texture. Mega Tapisserie squares have cut edges and a fine grain. Copies show soft edges and a pattern that is too large or too small.
- Subdials. Push the top and bottom pushers. The counters must start, stop and reset. Fixed subdial hands or a seconds hand that jumps once per second point to a quartz movement.
- Date. Check the font and the window cut. Copy date wheels use the wrong numeral shape on the 3 and the 1.
- Case finish. Brushed surfaces run in one direction. Case flanks carry a polished chamfer. Copies show swirl marks and rounded edges.
- Movement. Caliber 3126/3840 shows hand finishing, striped bridges and a signed rotor. Copies use stamped plates, painted text or a solid cover that hides the movement.
- Weight and sound. A steel Offshore has mass in the hand. A hollow case and a rattling rotor are signs of a cheap build.
Price signals
Pre-owned 26470 watches sell for five figures in US dollars. A steel Offshore chronograph listed at four figures is a fake, a stolen watch, or a watch with a swapped movement. No seller takes a loss on a real one.
US law
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. Penalties for one individual reach 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for a first offense. US Customs and Border Protection can seize and destroy counterfeit watches at the border. The statute targets sellers. A buyer still loses the watch, the money, and any claim against the seller.
Verification
An Audemars Piguet boutique or an authorized service center can check a serial number and open the case. Box, papers and receipts prove nothing on their own. Serial numbers get copied onto fake cases. Ask for a service record with a serial number that matches the caseback, and pay for an inspection before money changes hands.