How to spot a fake Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711

One of the most faked watches I’ve seen online is a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711. However, a high quality “A Grade” copy can easily still be spotted. I will try to cover as much differences as I can comparing the original with the fake.

Disclaimer : the photos of the fake Patek were not taken by me, but given.

To start off, this is a high quality image of the 5711 taken from the Patek Philippe website. It’s sufficient enough to grasp what makes this watch a beauty. All the images of the movement are also available through their website and will be referenced.

Dial

The dial of the original has a very distinct pattern. It has a blue hue and distinct elevated bars. The fake one has an uneven pattern without any elevation.

Logo Placement

The logo placement also makes the spotting easy. Comparing the image above to the one below, the original’s logo is situated almost edge to edge on an elevated bar. the fake has it randomly and in this scenario, is sitting on an even plane with a padding between a bar.

Date Window

The date window is another good indicator. The original has the numbers edge to edge on the window. The fake below has a padding similar to the font.

Movement

The biggest giveaway. There’s no doubt that this will be the biggest difference, but it can still fool the untrained eye who’s not familiar with the movement. This is the link to the image of the movement in the Patek Phillipe website. Below is the fake movement.

The differences

• Level of finishing – you can see that the original is finished way better than the fake one.
• Details – Minor details such as the “PP” seal, thickness of the PP logo on the rotor and screw gap thickness are all different.
• Balance wheel / Regulator – The fake has two regulator index.

These are only some of the differences that one can easily spot. Move the rotor and you’ll definitely find

Finishing

Once you hold a real 5711, the fakes will feel inferior. From the weight, bracelet and just the feel, it will feel different.

For example, the embossing on the bracelet on the fake is not engraved as deep. On top of that, the curvature of the spikes is more inward.

Conclusion

The 5711 is a beautiful watch. With its demand comes with more fake being circulated in the market.

If you’re in the market for one, do your due diligence. If in doubt, ask for a second opinion.