Short answer: replica Patek Philippe Twenty~4 730G is seller shorthand for the Twenty~4 Automatic, reference 7300, in a gold-tone case. In Patek's naming, G means white gold, R means rose gold, A means steel. Genuine paperwork prints a fuller reference such as 7300/1200A or 7300/1200R, so the 730G string on a product page is a trimmed search term, not a factory code. If the same listing pushes 730g as a weight, ignore it. No 36 mm bracelet watch weighs 730 grams, and solid gold versions come in well under half of that.
That matters because the whole decision comes down to which parts of the real watch the maker copied and which parts they substituted. Here is what I look at, in order.
What the genuine ref. 7300 is
You need a baseline before you can judge a copy.
- Round case around 36 mm across and roughly 10 mm thick, on an integrated bracelet with a folding clasp.
- Automatic caliber 324 S C: 4 Hz, about 45 hours of power reserve, center seconds, date window at 6 o'clock.
- Dials with applied markers, and diamond-set bezels on several references. Splash resistance only, so not a swimming watch.
- The Twenty~4 name started in 1999 on a rectangular quartz model, ref. 4910. The 7300 is the later automatic version, and the two look nothing alike.
Where replica 7300s give themselves away
Movement
Ask two questions: quartz or automatic, and which movement. A quartz Twenty~4 ticks once per second. The real 324 S C beats eight times per second, so the seconds hand glides with a fine stutter. If a seller will not send a ten second video of the running seconds hand, that silence is your answer. Many first copy 7300s use a Miyota or Seagull automatic, or a decorated clone built to look like the 324. A clone can run well; it just is not the same architecture, and a watchmaker who knows Patek will spot the rotor and bridge shapes on a bench.
Case, bezel and stones
Get the diameter and thickness in millimeters, then compare to 36 mm and about 10 mm. Replicas often run a millimeter wide, which throws off the bracelet fit and the way the watch sits on a small wrist. On the bezel, find out whether the stones are cubic zirconia, moissanite or lab-grown diamonds, and how they are held. Glued stones sit uneven and shed. Bead-set stones under a loupe show matched spacing and clean metal beads between them.
Bracelet and clasp
The Twenty~4 has an integrated bracelet, meaning the end links meet the case with no gap and no rattle. Run a finger along that joint on photos if you cannot handle the watch. Check the clasp engraving, the folding tension, and how the links articulate. Plating wears first on the crown, the clasp edges and the underside of the bracelet, so those are the spots worth asking about with a close-up.
Dial printing
At 36 mm, small errors travel. Look at the signature weight, the minute track, the date font and whether the date sits centered in its window. Crooked date wheels are the single most common flaw on budget copies of any date watch.
Reading a listing before you pay
- Ask for dated, in-hand photos or video of the exact unit, not catalog renders borrowed from Patek.
- Request a caliper or ruler shot next to the case.
- Get the movement named in writing, not described as quality automatic.
- Confirm the stone type on a diamond bezel, since CZ and lab diamonds are very different money.
- Check the return window, and whether the seller ships from inside the US or from overseas.
- Treat 1:1, AAA and Swiss made claims as marketing until photos prove something.
The legal side, in one paragraph
In the US, selling counterfeit goods is trademark infringement, and trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal offense. Customs can seize counterfeit shipments, and buying for personal use does not make an import legal. That does not shut the market down, but it does mean a package can be held, and reselling a replica is a genuine risk rather than a technicality.