For me, the latest hypebeast Tiffany Nautilus with its matte turquoise dial was a step too far. The original 5711 is a beautiful watch with a scintillating dial. But this? I wouldn’t mind a Tiffany-stamped luxury fake Patek Philippe Nautilus, but at first look, the dial of this one seemed almost like a mod-swap. Gone were the delightful reflections in the striated dial pattern, replaced by a matte, flashy, and unavailable blue. There is a lot more in the perfect replica Patek Philippe catalog that is actually available. In most cases, there is a production and order time, but you’re not looking at six years to infinity. Far from being an ugly duckling but hotly debated when released, the AAA fake Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot ref. 7234G-001 is one of my favorites. With its uneasy mix of retro cool and white gold panache, it pops out from the lineup as the contrarian’s choice.
Quirky by nature, strong in wrist presence
The quirky nature of this unusual Patek Philippe pilot’s copy watch is exactly why it gets my vote. It’s also why it’s been one of my grails since the day it came out. To be honest, I often wonder whether this was conceived and approved while the conservative Mr. Stern was on a long off-grid holiday. Should you describe it to someone who knows best quality fake Patek Philippe from the ubiquitous Nautilus, you would struggle. If you read the description sans images, I’m sure you’d be very confused too. The ref. 7234G-001 is a vintage-inspired pilot’s watch à la the Zenith Pilot with large, intricate white gold numerals. But unlike its big brother, the ref. 5524G, this top copy Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time is unexpectedly small at 37.5mm. With its matte, dark blue dial and intense legibility, this is stealth-wealth functionality at its best.
I’m telling you, the 7234G-001 wears larger
Are you fed up with reading about a small super clone watch UK only to be told that it wears larger? Well, for me, 37.5mm is not small for scrawny-wrist reasons. It is a personal Goldilocks dimension, and here, it certainly wears both larger and tougher. There is a large, very “un-Patek” crown, complemented by two giant pushers on the left side of the case. It is actually a tool watch — the world must be coming to an end! Does the case seem rather lustrous? Between the lugs at 6 o’clock, you’ll find an inset diamond, signifying one thing. The functional case is not divinely polished 904L steel — this is white gold. You’re probably already confused, so I’ll save the explanation of big pushers and timezones for later. Yes, this is also an exemplary travel-time watch, as its name implies. Not many pure, vintage-styled pilot’s replica watches online have this feature, which, when uncovering it, seems anything but out of place.
A busy dial of intuitive functionality
While the cheap fake Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time seems quite busy, the legibility is of textbook quality for non-cockpit-based use. I have had the pleasure of a weekend with an Aquanaut Travel Time before, and I can tell you one thing — the CH 324 S FUS automatic movement is a big win here, and highly intuitive. The big pushers that made you look for a chronograph register or two? Well, they’re here to make adjusting the blued local hour hand a breeze, clicking it backward and forward in one-hour increments. Is it excessive to let the two pushers dominate the aesthetics of the Swiss made copy watch? Maybe. But from the first time your plane lands in another country, you’ll love the practicality.
Crisp details that put the Haute in Haute Horlogerie
Obviously, this is an AAA replica Patek Philippe with a considerable price tag, and that shows on the expertly finished matte dial. There is a razor-thin white gold surround on each lume-filled numeral, and the crispness of the printing is the best you’ll find. The date is as important as the hour when traveling across time zones, so the large date sub-dial at 6 o’clock is entirely justified and rather splendid. But perhaps the best detail of the CH 324 S FUS movement’s functionality is visible in the two circular apertures at 3 and 9 o’clock. In the absence of a 24-hour scale, they indicate night (blue) and day (white) for both local and home time. The caliber itself is visible through the sapphire case back, and it’s as ornate as you would expect. Perhaps this is a tool copy watch in functionality and a quirky dress watch in practice?