Rare Bird: Best UK Sale Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref.5065A ‘Jumbo’. The History Of The First Patek To Be Fitted With Rubber Strap.

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Released in 1997 as the first Patek Philippe to be fitted with a rubber strap, the Aquanaut ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5065A is one of the most iconic watches of the 1990s. While the Swiss made replica Patek Philippe Aquanaut ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5065A is not the first luxury watch to be equipped with a natural rubber strap —as MDM Genève Hublot was the first one to do so in 1980—, the Aquanaut quickly gained momentum due to its case size, sporty appearance, and variety of sizes and movements that were offered at the time.

Perfect Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The History of the Aquanaut

Released in 1997, only a year after the Nautilus celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Aquanaut was originally released in a 1,000-piece limited edition under ref. 5060A —stainless steel— and ref. 5060J —18K yellow gold. At the time both references measured 36 mm in diameter, were powered by the Patek Philippe automatic calibre 330 SC, and were fitted with solid case backs rather than with sapphire crystal display case backs. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut blends in a few design cues from the Patek Nautilus line like the octagonal rounded bezel along with its very own ‘persona’ in a remarkable way that has proven to be a huge success. Immediately after the first reference was released, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ‘Jumbo’ ref. 5065 was released with a larger case measuring 38 mm and also available in stainless steel as ref. 5065A and in 18K yellow gold as ref. 5065J. Discontinued a decade later at the end of 2006 and replaced in 2007 by the Aquanaut ref. 5167A we reviewed here, the original Aquanaut was offered in a variety of sizes, references, and calibres. For instance, the Aquanaut was also offered in a ‘Mid-Size’ version —a more wearable size at the time— measuring 36 mm in diameter under ref. 5064A. powered by the Patek Philippe quartz calibre E23 SC.

Waterproof Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The Case

Fitted with a satin-brushed finished case with alternating highly polished areas, a slightly rounded satin-brushed bezel, a black ‘tropical’ rubber strap, and a screw-down crown guaranteeing water resistance to 120 meters, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065 was clearly designed in a way where it would be the perfect go-to Patek for water activities —hence its name Aquanaut— and perfectly understated to be worn outside of the boardroom without being too elegant.

Black Dial Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The Dial

With its glossy black dial with raised guilloché motif mirroring the texture of its ‘tropical’ natural rubber strap and applied Arabic numerals, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065 is one of the most sought after watches by watch collectors around the world.

Without compromising the numeral ‘3’ on its dial, the dial layout of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065 is simply perfect and much better than its successor. The numeral ‘ 3’ appears next to the date aperture that almost blends in as another white marker on the dial. Optically, the date aperture seems to have a trapezoid shape due to the position of the markers and the white minute track.

From the dial side, the biggest tell-tale to differentiate the self-winding Patek Philippe ref. 5065A from its quartz counterpart ref. 5064A is that the latter doesn’t have the applied numeral ‘3’ next to the date aperture on its dial. From the back side, the 5064A is fitted with a solid case back opposed to a display case back.

Luminant Dial Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The Lume

Along with the Nautilus and just a couple of other Patek references like the 5524, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065A is one of the few Pateks that features super bright long-lasting luminescent material on its markers and hands. Being the lume lovers we are here at WCL, we can tell you that the luminosity on the Aquanaut is as good as that on a Panerai. Exposing the watch to the slightest variation in lighting conditions makes the lume glow bright as a flashlight.

Black Rubber Strap Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The Strap

Today, the quality AAA fake Aquanaut still remains as the only Patek Philippe offered with a rubber strap as its main strap. The ‘tropical’ natural rubber strap is very soft and malleable and it features a unique pattern with raised rectangles that gives the watch a totally unique look.

Perhaps the biggest downside to the Aquanaut —yesterday and today— is the need to cut the rubber strap to the exact size of the owner’s wrist —a sizing operation that could be quite tricky and that allows no room for error if you cut it too short. When new, the rubber strap measures almost 4 inches on each side and is fastened by a double folding clasp with the iconic Calatrava cross. Now, if you’re wondering how much would it cost to replace the strap if you end up cutting it too short or if you find a Patek 5065A with a strap that won’t fit you, get ready, you’ll need to pay $510 USD for it.

Swiss Movement Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

The Movement

While five different calibres have powered the Patek Philippe Aquanaut since 1997 until now, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065A is powered by the automatic calibre 315 SC —also known as 315/290— which was introduced in 1984 and replaced by calibre 324 SC in 2005. This central rotor automatic movement with unidirectional winding, 29 jewels, and non-hacking beats at a frequency of 21,600 vph to provide a power reserve of 48 hours when fully wound. This calibre with a thickness of 3.22 mm is thinner than its successor by almost a full millimeter. The movement powering this watch, still bears the Poinçon de Genève —Geneva Seal Certification— that Patek replaced with the Patek Philippe Seal starting in 2009.

Best Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Watch

On the Wrist

A watch that is light as a feather —considering its stainless steel construction— with a total weight of 63.5 grams and perfectly suited for daily wear, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065A is one of our favorite all-time watches out there.

On the wrist, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut ref. 5065A ‘Jumbo’ wears slightly smaller than 38 mm and more like a 37 mm watch but with iconic wrist presence. A watch coveted by many and hard to find nowadays, the Patek 5065 is one of those watches that should complement every watch collection out there.

How To Spot A 1:1 Best UK Fake TAG Heuer-The Ultimate Collector’s Guide

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Let’s be clear upfront: this is not going to be the usual “how to spot a fake TAG Heuer” article. And it probably won’t be an article that gives you answers that you really want to hear. But what it will do is tell you the facts, because for too long people have been lulled into a false sense of security by poorly researched SEO- boosting websites that offer “buying guides” that in today’s world are virtually useless.

The fake game has changed a lot over the years, from the laughable fakes bought for $20 in Bali, through to the “looks OK from a distance” replicas of the early 2000s. But now we’re into a new phase of “premium” replica watches that no longer cost loose change, but run into several hundred dollars. And these new fakes arrive at a time when more and more sales are being conducted online, meaning that there is less opportunity to inspect the details. Make no mistake, there are going to be a lot of buyers fooled and a lot of money lost.

White Dial Fake TAG Heuer Carrera 1969 Watch
TAG HEUER REPLICA WATCHES- A BRIEF HISTORY

Like other brands, the “original” fake TAG Heuers never fooled anyone. The dial may have said “TAG Heuer”, but one glance told you that this wasn’t the real thing. Bought with loose change on holiday, these fakes would typically last a couple of weeks before breaking and ending up in the bottom of people’s sock drawers.

After a while, the fakers realised that because they couldn’t accurately reproduce a real production TAG Heuer, their better choice was to invent their own models, such as the fake “Carrera 1969” below that has never been made by TAG Heuer. Again, picking these as being fakes is easy if you know your TAG Heuers.

But over the last couple of years things have changed, and it’s this “next generation” of US$500 fakes that we want to focus on in this article, because those are the ones that circulating today, regularly turning up for sale on eBay and internet watch forums.

Black Dial Fake TAG Heuer Aquaracer Watch
WHERE DO THESE “HOW TO SPOT A FAKE…” GUIDES COME FROM?

Around 5 years ago we started getting bombarded by weekly e-mails from a Grey watch dealer who was looking for websites to post the infographic above and provide a backlink to the dealer to improve that site’s SEO ranking. You’ll see this Infographic on many sites across the web. While it’s been well produced from a graphical standpoint, there is a problem here- none of the advice is actually useful.

Now, that is not to say that the information is wrong, but rather that it’s so generic that these points hold true for all brands- for example, “Buttons on the side may have no effect on the small chronographs (sic)”. Well, yes, if the chronograph pushers don’t work, you should be worried- but isn’t that obvious? Here’s another from their Rolex guide: “Movement on the seconds hands needs to be completely smooth it should sweep round rather than “jump“. That statement is true of every automatic movement (OK, other than “Deadbeat”/ True Seconds movements). The advice isn’t wrong- it’s just generic, and just as true for Rolex as it is for Omega, TAG Heuer, or Patek Philippe.

Some of the points in the TAG Heuer guide are factually wrong- The last point on the infographic about TAG Heuer movements containing a serial number that matches the paperwork? Not true for almost all TAG Heuer watches.

The problem with these guides is that they lure buyers into a false sense of security. The game has moved on, and these infographic guides are now next to useless.

AAA Fake TAG Heuer Watch With Swiss Movement
HOW DO YOU SPOT A FAKE TAG HEUER?

OK, if we’re going to criticise the advice from other websites, then what are our tips for spotting a “high end” replica of a current TAG Heuer? It’s simple: you can’t. Visually, the best replica is now too close to the real thing.

The fail-safe advice that we can give you having reviewed, held and studied TAG Heuer watches for more than a decade is that it’s time for buyers to accept that for a modern TAG Heuer, the fake and the real thing can no longer reliably be distinguished by photos.

That’s not to say that there is no difference between real and fake watches- the quality, finishing, materials and reliability gap is still significant- but these characteristics are only truly apparent when you have both watches in your hand, and even then, it’s too late if you bought the watch online.

But what about guarantee cards, swing tags and TAG Heuer- branded bags? No, not a sign of a watch being genuine, because these have been copied too. Many of the replica watches being sold on eBay today come with full “papers”.

Perfect Replica TAG Heuer Watches
WHAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE MODELS?

The watches that are the most vulnerable to being faked are standard-production (i.e. not limited edition) models that have been made for several years with steel, closed casebacks. Watches with sapphire casebacks are harder to fake, because the replica maker has to get the movement and rotor design right as well as the dial and case. But even then, the fakers have this covered, as there is a now an Asian-sourced clone of the Calibre 1887/ Heuer 01 movement. There are highly accurate replicas of the 41mm Carrera 1887 and the 43 and 45mm Carrera Heuer 01 Skeleton dial watches, which would have been un-thinkable a few years back.

The most vulnerable TAG Heuers are the Aquaracer and Formula 1 series, as you can see from the replica Calibre 5 Aquaracer 300m below. The watch comes with TAG Heuer branded paperwork and a proper box, and while there are some details that give this away as a fake (details which we’re not going to share those in case it helps the replica makers), the reality is that this watch would fool nine out of ten watch buyers.

UK Fake TAG Heuer watch pays tribute to Ayrton Senna breaking F1 speed record

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TAG Heuer replica has paid homage to the late, great, Ayrton Senna with its latest release of two special edition Formula 1 watches.

With the launch of the Swiss movement fake TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition 2020 in two variations – an automatic chronograph and a quartz chronograph – the Swiss luxury watchmaker recognises its ambassador Ayrton Senna and underscores their partnership.

It explained how the partnership was one of the most remarkable alliances in the sporting world.Over the course of his career, the long-standing TAG Heuer partner redefined the word drive by breaking countless motor-racing records and advancing the meaning of every superlative in the sport: the fastest, the bravest, the greatest. Hinting at the racing legend’s personal record speed of 340 km/h, the new special editions both feature a ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale that goes up to 400 km/h.

The detail distinguishes the Senna-inspired timepieces from other models in the black leather strap copy TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection, which usually go up to 240 km/h and though 400 km/h is a limit that no team in the sport has reached, they are getting closer and closer every season.
Bianca Senna, Ayrton Senna’s niece and CEO of Senna Brands, praised the design of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition 2020.

She said: “We are very happy to be part of another special launch reflecting our partnership with TAG Heuer. The 2020 collection is inspired by Ayrton’s commitment to overcoming limits. Each year, we dedicate ourselves to introducing innovative new models, and this one uses 400 km/h to represent the ongoing pursuit of speeds that once seemed unattainable.

“It is a part of Ayrton’s legacy, which continues to motivate TAG Heuer in its never-ending quest to create the perfect watch.”

The Swiss movement copy TAG Heuer Formula 1 Calibre 16 Chronograph Senna Special Edition 2020 features a sunray-brushed anthracite dial with shimmering black “azurage” minute, hour and permanent second counters.

The white Super-LumiNova coating on the rhodium-plated applied indexes and hands ensure at-a-glance legibility at all speeds and in all lighting conditions.
The stainless-steel folding clasp has a double safety system and a pilot extension while powering this special-edition timepiece is the automatic Calibre 16, protected by a stainless-steel screw-down caseback engraved with the Senna logo.

The 2020 Senna special edition is also available with a quartz movement and serves as a prime example of sporting power and prestige.

The 43mm TAG Heuer Formula 1 Quartz Chronograph Senna Special Edition 2020 has a sunray-brushed anthracite dial with luminous black counters at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.

The fixed bezel is fashioned from ultra-resistant black ceramic and, as with its Calibre 16 counterpart, yellow touches on the dial and bezel complete the unmistakable color scheme that links the watch to Senna.

The case and screw-down caseback with a special Senna engraving are made from stainless steel.

In line with previous Senna special-edition timepieces, this cheap fake watch is presented on a stainless-steel bracelet with the iconic double-S links that provide total comfort for everyday wear and out on the track.