The quick answer: a fake Pasha de Cartier from 2020 gives itself away in five places. The caseback engraving is shallow, the SmartLink buttons on the bracelet do nothing, the QuickSwitch tabs at the lugs are molded in place, the movement behind the sapphire back is plain or hidden, and the chain on the crown cap does not articulate. Any one of those failures is enough to mark the watch as a replica. No "first copy" grade changes what the item is: an unauthorized copy of a Cartier trademark, and one that US Customs can seize at the border.
Imitation Pasha Watch 2020 Guide: Your Ultimate Online Shopping Experience
What the Genuine 2020 Pasha de Cartier Looks Like
Cartier relaunched the Pasha in 2020 in 41 mm and 35 mm sizes, with a screw-down crown cap on a small chain, a round case on Vendome lugs, four Arabic numerals, and the SmartLink bracelet system that lets you remove links without tools. The QuickSwitch system lets you swap straps by hand. Steel and gold versions both appeared at launch, and the casebacks carry a reference number plus a serial.
imitation cartier pasha watch 2020
Prerequisites
- A 10x jeweler's loupe
- Digital calipers or a steel ruler
- A bright, diffused light source
- A reference photo of a genuine 2020 Pasha
- A kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 g
How to Check a Pasha de Cartier 2020
- Place the watch on a clean surface under bright light and read the reference and serial numbers on the caseback.
- Measure the case width across the 12 to 6 line with calipers and confirm it matches the size the seller claims.
- Study the caseback engraving with the loupe and check that the font matches Cartier's, that the lines are crisp, and that the serial has no burred edges.
- Press each SmartLink button on the bracelet and confirm the center link releases.
- Pull the QuickSwitch tab at each lug end and confirm the strap slides off with finger pressure.
- Unscrew the crown cap and check that the chain moves link by link rather than flexing as one solid piece.
- Turn the watch over and inspect the movement through the sapphire caseback for Cartier engraving, striped finishing, and a rotor that matches the reference.
- Examine the dial with the loupe: the painted Cartier script, the four Arabic numerals, "Swiss Made" at 6 o'clock, and the alignment of the date window.
- Weigh the watch and compare the figure with a documented genuine example of the same size and metal.
- On gold models, look for the 750 hallmark and the eagle head stamp inside the caseback and on the clasp.
- Send the serial number to Cartier customer service or a boutique and ask them to confirm the reference and production year.
Why "First Copy" Grading Means Little
Resellers invent tiers such as first copy, AAA, or mirror grade. The labels come from the seller, not from any authority, and they describe cosmetic similarity only. Two watches from the same batch can differ in case thickness, plating, and movement. A fake can pass a photo check and still fail on a scale or under a loupe, because the parts that cost money are the ones copied last: the movement, the bracelet mechanism, and the metal alloy.
Legal Position in the United States
Counterfeit watches violate US trademark law, and trafficking in them is a criminal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit goods at the border, including single items imported for personal use, and the buyer may face civil liability to the trademark owner. A 2020 Pasha copy is not a gray-market genuine watch; it is an infringing item.
What to Do Instead
If the goal is the look, buy a genuine pre-owned Pasha or a watch from a brand that does not imitate Cartier. If the goal is long-term value, buy a documented genuine example with box and papers. If you already own a suspected fake, do not resell it, since resale repeats the infringement.