Short answer
The Patek Philippe reference 3445 is a real watch. Patek made it from 1961 into the 1980s. It was the first regular-production Patek Philippe automatic with a date window. A replica 3445 is a counterfeit. It puts a modern third-party movement in a case shaped like the original. No replica maker builds the caliber 27-460M.
The original reference 3445
The case measures about 35 mm across, without the crown. The bezel is smooth. The date sits at 3 o'clock. Patek made the reference in yellow gold, white gold and pink gold. Platinum examples exist and are scarce. The movement is the caliber 27-460M, an automatic with a gold rotor, a Gyromax balance and 37 jewels. Patek introduced the base caliber 27-460 in 1960. The M version adds the date mechanism.
Production ran into the early 1980s. Patek never published a total. Auction houses and collector groups place surviving examples in the low thousands, spread across three decades and several dial types.
What a replica contains
- A generic automatic movement, from China or Japan in most cases. Beat rate and finishing do not match the 27-460M.
- A plated case with stamped or laser marks. Hallmarks on genuine 3445 cases are punched, and their position is consistent.
- Printed dial text. Period dials use applied gold indexes. The crown on the original carries the Calatrava cross.
- No archives extract. Patek Philippe issues one for a genuine watch when the case and movement numbers match its records.
Check points before you buy anything
- Measure the case from 12 to 6 o'clock. Genuine 3445 cases sit near 35 mm.
- Ask for a clear movement photo. Look for the caliber stamp, the gold rotor and Geneva stripes.
- Request the archives extract. It lists the date of sale, the case metal and the movement number.
- Compare the case and movement numbers. Numbers outside known ranges are a warning sign.
Legal status in the United States
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import and to sell in the US. Trafficking in counterfeit goods falls under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison. Repeat offenses carry up to 20 years. US Customs and Border Protection seizes shipments that carry counterfeit marks under 19 U.S.C. § 1526. An online listing does not change that.
Prices
Auction results for gold reference 3445 watches fall between about $10,000 and $25,000. Pink gold, white gold and rare dials run higher. A counterfeit sells for a few hundred dollars and holds no resale value.