Fake Pasha Gold vs Real: Comparison and Which to Pick
Cartier's Pasha is easy to copy badly and hard to copy well. The case is round, the lugs are bar-shaped, the crown hides under a screw-down cabochon cover, and the dial carries four oversized Arabic numerals. Each of those features gives you a check you can run in under a minute. This review picks the best option first, then walks through the points that separate a street-market fake from a high-end replica, and both from a genuine 18k piece.
Verdict First: What to Pick
Buy the genuine 18k Pasha if resale value, service history, and true gold color matter to you. Buy a high-end replica only if you accept that it is a lookalike: 316L steel case, 5-micron gold plating, Swiss or Japanese automatic movement. Skip anything under $150. That tier runs brass cases, printed dials, and flash plating that turns copper-green at the crown within a season.
Prerequisites
- 10x jeweler's loupe
- Digital caliper rated to 0.01 mm
- Small weak magnet
- Postal scale accurate to 0.1 g
- Photos of the exact reference you are checking, including dial layout and case size
How to Compare, Step by Step
- Weigh the watch head on the scale and write the number down. Solid 18k gold sits near 15.5 g/cm3, steel near 7.9, so a genuine gold Pasha feels dense for its size and a plated replica feels light in the same case diameter.
- Measure diameter and thickness with the caliper and compare to the reference spec. Fakes frequently run 0.5 to 1 mm thick to fit a cheaper movement.
- Open or photograph the caseback. Genuine gold carries a 750 or 18k stamp plus a maker's mark and a serial, all struck into the metal. A replica either has no stamp or a laser-etched "18k" sitting on the surface.
- Loupe the crown cabochon. The real one is a faceted blue synthetic spinel set in a fluted cap that screws down with clean, tight threads and stops square to the case.
- Examine the dial print at 10x. Genuine numerals have hard edges and consistent lacquer depth. Fakes show wavy edges, thin paint, and date windows cut off-center.
- Check the bracelet or strap hardware. Genuine gold deployants close with a solid click and show crisp interior engraving. Plated clasps show rounded lettering and wear through to base metal at the corners.
- Hold the magnet near the case. Strong attraction means a steel or brass core under the plating, which no solid gold case will do.
- Listen to the movement with the watch held to your ear. A clean, even beat at 28,800 vph is a good sign. A gritty, uneven tick usually points to a cheap quartz or a low-grade copy.
Option 1: Genuine Cartier Pasha in 18k Gold
Solid rose or yellow gold, in-house or high-grade automatic, full Cartier service backing, and a serial that survives resale. The caseback hallmarks are struck, not printed. Weight, color, and engraving depth all read correctly under a loupe. This is the only version that holds value and the only one a jeweler will refinish without risking a burn-through.
Option 2: High-End Replica
Typically $400 to $900. Steel case, thick gold plating, correct 41 mm proportions, automatic movement, sapphire crystal. It photographs well and wears close to the original on the wrist. Under a loupe it fails on engraved hallmarks, cabochon setting quality, and clasp interior finishing. Plating wears at the lugs and crown guard after heavy daily use.
Option 3: Budget Replica
Under $150. Brass or pot-metal case, printed dial, glued cabochon, quartz movement in most examples. Case thickness is off by a millimeter or more, the crown cover threads are coarse, and the gold tone skews orange. Avoid this tier if you plan to wear the watch more than a few times.
Quick Field Test Summary
Weight plus hallmark plus cabochon quality answers the question in most cases. A heavy watch with struck 750 marks inside the caseback and a crisply set blue cabochon is almost always real gold. A light watch with laser-etched markings, a loose cabochon, and warm soapy-looking gold tone is not.