Short answer

A "fake Patek Philippe 720" is a counterfeit copy of a Patek Philippe dress reference that sellers list under a short numeric code. What you get is a steel or plated case with a Miyota, Seiko, or Asian-made clone movement inside, finished to imitate a watch that costs five figures. Quality runs from $80 junk to $600 builds that pass at arm's length. Nothing about the watch is Swiss. Nothing about it is Patek. The only real question is how good the copy is, and you can answer that before you pay.

Why the number 720 is slippery

Patek publishes full reference numbers that encode case metal, dial, and bracelet variant. A bare "720" is shorthand, not a complete reference. Listings that use it are either pointing at a family of dress models or using a seller's internal SKU, and often both. Before you compare anything, ask for photos of the caseback and the full reference as engraved. If the seller dodges the question, you are not talking to someone who handles the watch.

What separates a good copy from a bad one

  • Case thickness and profile. Dress Patek cases are thin. Replicas often add a millimeter or two to fit a thicker movement, which changes how the watch sits under a cuff and gives it away in profile.
  • Dial printing and finishing. Check the fonts, the spacing of the text, the crispness of the applied markers, and whether the sunburst or guilloche has real depth or looks flat and printed.
  • Hands and lume. Thin, well-finished hands with a clean sweep. Cheap builds have thick hands with rough edges and lume that glows the wrong tone.
  • Crystal and caseback. Sapphire with the right amount of distortion. Engraving that is laser-crisp instead of shallow and mushy.
  • Crown and winding feel. A gritty crown with sloppy threads is the first thing a watch person notices when they handle it.

Movements: what the listing will not say

"Swiss movement" in a replica listing almost never means a movement made in Switzerland. It usually means a Chinese copy of an ETA design, sometimes with a decorated rotor and engraved bridges. The honest builds use a Miyota 9015 or a Seiko NH series, both of which run well, keep decent time, and cost little to replace. Patek's own calibers are in-house, hand-finished, and held to a standard no replica factory matches. That gap is invisible in photos and obvious the moment you open the caseback.

Price tiers, roughly

  1. $80 to $150. Obvious fakes. Wrong proportions, plating that feels like plastic, noisy rotor. Fine for a costume, not for a wrist that gets looked at.
  2. $200 to $350. Mid tier. Correct dial layout, decent movement, case still a touch thick, cheap strap.
  3. $450 to $700. The top of the replica market. Proper case profile, real sapphire, Miyota or a good clone movement, dial hardware close to the original. This is where most serious buyers land.

Anyone quoting $1,200 or more for the same watch is selling the same watch with a bigger markup.

Red flags in a listing

  • Stock photos only, no video, no movement shots.
  • "1:1 Swiss original" or "same factory as Patek." Both are nonsense.
  • No returns, no buyer protection, or payment by gift card and crypto only.
  • Pressure to buy today.

What I check when it lands

  1. Measure the thickness with calipers against the reference spec.
  2. Look at the dial under a loupe. Font edges and marker polish tell you more than any photo.
  3. Wind and set it. Listen for a scraping rotor.
  4. Time it over 24 hours in a few positions.
  5. Check the bracelet or strap hardware for sharp edges and plating that flakes.

The part most guides skip

In the US, importing counterfeit goods is illegal, and Customs and Border Protection seizes them on a regular basis. Reselling one is trafficking in counterfeit goods, which carries real penalties. A seized package usually means you lose the money and get a letter. Budget for that possibility instead of assuming it away.

Care and reality

A replica movement is a wear item, not an heirloom. When it stops, you replace it or you throw the watch away, because a service costs more than the movement is worth. Keep it dry. Skip swimming even if the listing claims water resistance, since gaskets on replica cases are hit or miss. Wear it because you like how it looks. Treat it as a watch and not as an investment, and it will do its job.