A fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time is a replica of reference 5164, the stainless steel Aquanaut with a second time zone. First copy versions aim to match the original in dial texture, case shape, and the way the travel time function operates, while lower grades copy only the outside. The feature that separates a good replica from a poor one is the left-side pusher system: it should move the local hour hand in one-hour steps while the home time hand keeps running.

What the Genuine Watch Does

Reference 5164 sits in the Aquanaut line, which Patek Philippe introduced in 1997 and expanded with the Travel Time in 2011. The case is stainless steel, listed at roughly 40.8 mm across, with the rounded octagon bezel and the embossed grid dial that define the collection. Two pushers sit on the left flank of the case near 8 and 10 o'clock. Pressing them moves the local hour hand forward or backward in one-hour jumps, so a traveler can change time zones without stopping the movement or losing the home time. Two small apertures show day and night for each zone, and a date window sits at 6 o'clock.

Because that mechanism is the whole point of the watch, it is also the hardest thing for a replica maker to reproduce.

First Copy Tiers Explained

The phrase "first copy" is used in the replica trade for the upper end of the market. It has no official definition, so sellers apply it loosely. In practice, three broad tiers exist.

  • Entry grade: quartz or basic automatic movement, printed dial instead of an embossed grid, fixed pushers that do nothing, light case with sharp edges.
  • Mid grade: automatic movement with a decorative rotor, correct dial pattern, pushers that move a hand but often disturb the minutes or hack the seconds.
  • First copy or 1:1 grade: automatic movement with a working GMT module, case brushing and polishing close to the original, sapphire crystal, correct hand shapes and lume, dial printing that matches the reference.

Price tracks those tiers. Nobody should pay first copy money for an entry grade watch, and the way to avoid that is to check the function before the looks.

Which Details to Check on a Replica Aquanaut Travel Time

  • Travel time pushers: the local hour hand should jump one hour per press, forward and backward, without moving the minute hand.
  • Home time hand: should keep running during the jump, not freeze.
  • Day and night apertures: both should change gradually and correctly, not flip at random.
  • Dial texture: the grid should be embossed, catching light, with even squares and clean edges around the date window.
  • Case finishing: brushed top surfaces, polished bevels, crisp bezel facets, consistent lugs.
  • Hands and markers: applied markers with clean lume fill, properly sized hands, a sweeping seconds hand rather than a ticking one.
  • Movement: a smooth sweep, quiet rotor, and a crown that sets the time without grinding.
  • Weight and feel: a steel replica should feel substantial on the wrist, not hollow.

The Travel Time Function: What Should Work

Ask the seller for a short video showing the pushers in action. A working module will show the local hour hand stepping forward on each press at the 10 o'clock pusher and backward at the 8 o'clock pusher. If the minute hand moves too, or if the watch stops, the movement is not set up correctly. This single test tells you more about build quality than photographs of the dial.

Legal and Practical Points

Replica watches are not genuine Patek Philippe products, and buying or selling counterfeits is restricted or illegal in many countries. Customs authorities regularly seize trademarked counterfeit goods at borders, and shipments can be destroyed without compensation. Sellers who describe a watch as "first copy" or "replica" are describing a non-original product, not a second-hand original. Keep that in mind before ordering, and check the rules that apply where you live.

Questions to Ask Before Buying

  1. Does the local hour hand jump in one-hour steps with the pushers?
  2. Is the crystal sapphire or mineral glass?
  3. Which movement is inside, and does it include a GMT module?
  4. Is the dial embossed or printed?
  5. What is the stated water resistance, and is it tested?
  6. Can the seller send a video of the pushers working?

Short answer: a fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time is worth considering only at the first copy tier, and only if the travel time function works as described. If the pushers do nothing, the watch is a costume piece rather than a replica of the reference.