If you are shopping for a replica Pasha de Cartier 2020, the watch you want is the modern relaunch, not the older Pasha C or Pasha Seatimer. Cartier brought the Pasha back in 2020 with a 41mm and a 35mm case, a fluted crown cap on a small chain, Vendome lugs, and quick-release straps. Most first copy sellers build to the 41mm steel automatic. The ones worth your money get the case profile and the crown cap right. The ones to skip have a chain that hangs wrong, dial text that is too heavy, or a case that sits a millimeter or more thicker than the real thing.
What the 2020 relaunch changed
The Pasha has drifted through several eras since the 1980s, so year matters. The 2020 version cleaned up the dial, moved to Cartier's QuickSwitch strap system and SmartLink bracelet sizing, and kept the signature crown cap. Genuine automatic models run the 1847 MC movement, and Cartier rates the case to 100 meters. If a listing says 2020 but shows a heavy grid dial or the older rounded case, you are looking at a different reference wearing the wrong year.
Size and case checks
- Measure across the case without the crown cap. The 2020 line is 41mm or 35mm, nothing in between.
- Vendome lugs should flow into the case. On cheap copies they sit as separate blocks with a visible seam.
- The crown cap should screw down over the crown and sit flush with the case side.
- Genuine crystals are sapphire. Tilt the watch under a lamp and look for a faint blue or purple tint from the coating.
The crown cap and chain
This is where I start on any Pasha copy. The chain should be fine, sit close to the case, and hang from the cap to a small lug without swinging loose. On bad replicas it is stiff, too thick, or pinned in a way that leaves the pin head proud of the lug. The fluting on the cap should be crisp and evenly spaced. Soft or shallow fluting is a giveaway at arm's length.
Dial text and hands
Print quality exposes most fakes. Look at the weight and spacing of the Pasha de Cartier signature, the size of the Roman numerals, and how Swiss Made sits at the bottom. The date font matters too, if the reference you are comparing has a date. Text should be sharp under a phone macro shot, not fuzzy or doubled. Hands should be polished on the sides, and the minute track should print as a clean line rather than a dotted blur.
Movement, thickness, and feel
Replicas generally use a Miyota or a Chinese automatic, sometimes with a decorative plate shaped to look like the 1847 MC. That plate adds height, which is why so many copies wear thick. A rotor that rattles, a crown that grinds when you wind it, or a date that flips at noon are all tells. Ask the seller for a timegrapher reading if they can produce one.
Water resistance and service
Do not swim in a first copy watch, whatever the listing claims. Gaskets on these cases are not pressure tested, and a splash is the most they should see. There is also no service network. If the movement stops, you are relying on the seller or a local watchmaker who is willing to open it.
The legal side
In the United States, selling or importing counterfeit watches is illegal, and Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments. Buying one for personal use is a different matter from reselling, but the seizure risk is real, and a replica carries no manufacturer warranty and no resale value.
Quick checklist before you pay
- Confirm the reference is the 2020 case, not an older Pasha.
- Ask for photos with the crown cap unscrewed.
- Get the measured thickness and case diameter.
- Request a straight-on dial shot and a macro of the text.
- Check the chain attachment in a side profile photo.
- Confirm the return policy in writing before sending money.