A fake Calibre de Cartier 39mm is a replica of Cartier's 39 mm Calibre de Cartier, a steel automatic watch built around Cartier's in-house 1904-PS MC movement. The single most reliable giveaway is the movement itself, visible through the sapphire caseback on every genuine example. Case thickness, dial printing, crown cabochon, and caseback engraving are the next checks in line.
What is the Calibre de Cartier 39mm?
The 39 mm Calibre de Cartier arrived in 2012 as the smaller sibling of the original 42 mm model. It pairs a steel case with a textured dial, Roman numerals, a date window at 3 o'clock, and central seconds.
Inside sits the Cartier 1904-PS MC, a 27-jewel automatic running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a 48-hour power reserve. Most references list 30 m of water resistance and a strap width of about 20 mm.
How do you spot a fake Calibre de Cartier 39mm?
Five areas cover almost every tell: movement, case, dial, crown, and caseback markings.
Movement
The 1904-PS MC is finished with Geneva stripes, blued screws, and clean Cartier engraving on the rotor and bridges. Copies usually hide a 21-jewel Asian automatic that beats at 21,600 vph, winds with a gritty feel, and wears a stamped rotor.
A watchmaker can confirm the beat rate in seconds with a timegrapher, which is the cleanest proof either way.
Case and thickness
Genuine 39 mm cases measure roughly 10 mm thick with alternating brushed and polished surfaces and softly finished lugs. Replica cases often run 1 to 1.5 mm thicker, and the lug edges feel sharp in the hand.
Dial and hands
Check the Roman numerals: the oversized XII and VI should be sharply cut and evenly applied, and Cartier hides its secret signature inside the VII on many references. Copies tend to print the seven as a plain numeral with thick, flat lettering.
The sword hands should be polished with a clean, flat tip, and the date font should match Cartier's own typeface.
Crown and cabochon
The fluted crown carries a blue synthetic spinel cabochon that sits flush and catches light like a gem. Fakes often use cloudy glass or plastic, and the crown threads feel coarse when you set the time.
Caseback and serials
Genuine casebacks are engraved with the reference, a unique serial, "Swiss Made," and the movement number, all cut cleanly into the metal. Replicas reuse the same serials across whole batches, so two watches sharing one number is a clear red flag.
Which references are worth comparing?
Steel 39 mm references such as W7100015 and W7100037 show up most often on the secondary market. Match the engraving on any watch you inspect against the specification page for that exact reference before you trust a listing.
What does a high-end replica get right, and where does it fail?
Well-made replicas copy dial layout and case shape closely enough to fool a photo. They still fail on movement finishing, bracelet and clasp tolerances, crystal coating, and the smoothness of the crown and winding action.
- Movement: the hardest part to fake and the easiest part to verify.
- Clasp: genuine Cartier deployants close with a soft, even click.
- Crystal: real sapphire stays clear at extreme angles with little haze.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 39 mm Calibre de Cartier hard to counterfeit?
Yes. The display caseback exposes the movement, so any buyer with a loupe or a timegrapher can check the caliber before money changes hands.
What is the biggest giveaway on a fake Calibre de Cartier 39mm?
The movement, followed by case thickness. A watch that beats at 21,600 vph instead of 28,800 vph is not a genuine 1904-PS MC.
How much does a genuine Calibre de Cartier 39mm cost?
Used steel examples commonly trade in the low four figures in US dollars, depending on condition, box, and papers. A price far below that range usually points to a replica rather than a bargain.
Does "fake" mean the same thing as "replica" in listings?
Sellers use "fake" for a counterfeit passed off as genuine and "replica" for a watch openly sold as a copy. The authentication checks above apply to both.