The short answer
A replica Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars self-winding is a copy of a genuine Swiss dress watch from the brand's round-cased collection, made from the late 1990s until the Code 11.59 replaced it in 2019. The line is named for the two founders, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. Copies mostly target the extra-thin and self-winding references. Here is the honest verdict: this is one of the harder AP lines to fake convincingly, because the entire point of the watch is a very thin, very well finished automatic movement that sits under a sapphire caseback. Copies rarely survive a loupe, they can be seized by US Customs, and no authorized watchmaker will touch them.
What the real Jules Audemars self-winding is
Audemars Piguet built this line as its classic round dress watch, positioned against the Royal Oak rather than alongside it. Self-winding versions came in steel, yellow gold, rose gold, white gold and platinum, with cases running roughly 36mm to 41mm depending on the reference and era.
The movement is the part that matters. Early extra-thin models used caliber 2120, a 2.45mm automatic that traces back to the Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 base, the same thin automatic architecture used by Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin. Later self-winding models moved to the in-house caliber 3120, a 21,600 vph automatic with a gold rotor and about 60 hours of running time.
Why copies struggle with this one
Most fake-watch effort goes into the Royal Oak, because the octagonal bezel and tapisserie dial read from across a room. The Jules Audemars is the opposite problem. It is quiet. There is almost no design to hide behind, so everything depends on proportion, dial printing and movement finishing. A case that is half a millimeter too thick looks wrong on the wrist straight away. A date aperture cut slightly off center stands out. The indices may be brass instead of applied gold, and the hands may be too fat or too flat. Since the caseback is sapphire, the movement is on display, and laser-cut bevels with printed stripes do not read like hand finishing even in ordinary light.
What to check on a real example
- Caseback engraving: reference and case numbers should be crisp, evenly spaced and consistent with the papers.
- Dial printing: the signature and the minute track should be sharp, and the indices should sit level with clean polished edges.
- Movement: look for Geneva stripes over a frosted base, polished bevels on the bridges, and a signed gold rotor.
- Thinness: measure the case, not the listing. Extra-thin models are the whole selling point, and copies add height.
- Service history: a genuine watch can be serviced by the brand or a qualified independent. A copy cannot.
The legal and practical side
In the United States, trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 2320, and shipments can be seized by Customs and Border Protection. Outside the courtroom, a replica has no parts supply and no service path. Independent watchmakers often decline them because replacement components do not exist, so a failed movement turns the watch into a paperweight. Resale value is close to nothing, and selling one can expose you to the same liability as importing it.
If you want the thin dress-watch look for less
Buy a real watch from a real brand. A Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin, a Nomos Orion, a Grand Seiko SBGW or a vintage Omega gives you a slim, round, properly finished dress watch for a fraction of Audemars Piguet money, and all of them can be serviced for decades. If the goal is specifically a Jules Audemars, buy used from a reputable dealer or an auction house. You pay more upfront and you get a watch that holds value instead of one that is illegal to resell.