What an AP copy is
An AP copy is a watch built to resemble a model from Audemars Piguet. Audemars Piguet is a Swiss maker founded in 1875 in Le Brassus. Most copies target the Royal Oak, a line with an octagonal bezel, eight visible screws, and an integrated bracelet. A copy is not a genuine watch. It has no serial from the brand, no warranty card, and no resale value on the secondary market. It also carries legal risk: US Customs can seize counterfeit watches at import, and trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime.
Royal Oak specs that makers copy
- Bezel: octagonal, eight hexagonal screws, visible from the front.
- Case: 39 mm on the original ref. 5402 from 1972. Later refs run 41 mm and 42 mm.
- Dial: tapisserie pattern, a raised grid of small squares.
- Bracelet: integrated, tapering links, no exposed spring bars at the lugs.
- Movement: Calibre 2121 in the 1972 model, about 3.05 mm thick, 36 jewels.
Materials and movements in copies
Most copies use 316L stainless steel. Higher tiers use 904L steel, which resists corrosion better and takes a different polish. Gold-plated copies use a brass base with a plating layer of 3 to 5 microns. Solid gold copies exist but are rare, and prices land near a used genuine watch.
Where to Buy Fake Audemars Piguet Luxury Watch
Movements fall into three groups. Quartz, which ticks once per second. Modified Japanese automatics from Miyota or Seiko. Cloned Swiss-style automatics, often built on the ETA 2824 layout. A genuine Royal Oak runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 8 beats per second. Quartz copies do not.
Price tiers
Street prices cluster in three bands. Entry copies sell for $80 to $200. Mid-tier copies sell for $250 to $600. Top-tier copies with cloned movements and 904L cases sell for $700 to $1,500. Used steel Royal Oak refs from the brand trade above $20,000, and steel models with complications pass $100,000.
audemars piguet luxury watch review
What copies cannot match
- Case finishing: genuine cases get hand-applied bevels and satin brushing. Most copies get machine polishing only.
- Dial texture: genuine tapisserie dials are stamped with a die, then colored in a galvanic bath.
- Movement finish: hand chamfering, black polish, and Geneva stripes.
- Paperwork: no service records, no serial check with the maker.
Checklist before buying a copy
- Ask for case diameter and lug-to-lug length in millimeters.
- Ask for the movement name and beat rate.
- Ask for the steel grade or plating thickness.
- Ask for photos of the caseback and the clasp.
- Get the return window in writing.
Check the law in your own country first. Rules on import, sale, and possession differ by jurisdiction, and enforcement changes.