Short answer
A fake AP Jules Audemars copy is a counterfeit of the Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars, a round dress watch line the brand launched in 1999. Genuine pieces list from about $20,000 for a three-hander to more than $80,000 for a gold perpetual calendar. Counterfeits sell for $150 to $1,200. Most are assembled in Guangdong province, China. A "Swiss made" mark on those watches does not match the facts. Importing, buying, or reselling them in the United States violates 18 U.S.C. § 2320 and 19 U.S.C. § 1526.
Fake AP Jules Audemars Watch: What It Is and How to Spot One
The genuine Jules Audemars
Audemars Piguet named the collection after founders Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. Case sizes span 33 mm to 41 mm. Cases come in steel, yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum. Movements include the Calibre 2120, an ultra-thin automatic that measures 2.45 mm thick, and the Calibre 3120, a 4.26 mm automatic. Perpetual calendar and tourbillon versions use other calibres. Each case has sapphire on both sides and a stamped serial number that ties to the movement.
What the copies contain
Most copies run a Chinese automatic or quartz movement. Common bases are Seagull ST and Hangzhou 2xxx series movements. Gold-look models use plated brass or steel, so the weight sits below the genuine piece. An 18k case in this line weighs far more than its copy. Plating on copies wears through in months. Caseback engraving is shallow, and dial printing shows thicker text with uneven spacing.
Points to inspect
- Caseback text: genuine engraving has sharp edges and consistent depth. Copies show laser etching with soft borders.
- Movement finish: real calibres carry hand-finished bridges, bevels, and Geneva stripes. Copies carry plain brushed plates.
- Weight: 18k gold cases feel heavy in the hand. Plated copies feel light.
- Serial and reference numbers: genuine numbers match the brand archive. Copies reuse a small set of numbers across batches.
- Fonts: copies show wrong letterforms on the date wheel and dial text.
- Crown logo: copies show shallow engraving.
US law
Trafficking in counterfeit goods carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for a first offense by an individual. US Customs and Border Protection seizes and destroys counterfeit watches at import. A seized shipment ends in forfeiture of the goods. The buyer gets no refund.
Unknowns
No public data gives an exact count of Jules Audemars copies in circulation. Prices and build quality shift by factory and batch. Sellers use the same model names for different builds, so photos on a listing may not match the item shipped.