The top pick for most buyers is a 42 mm replica of the Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, the reference 5524, built with a second time zone that actually works rather than a painted-on extra hand. That pick rests on four criteria: whether the dual time function is real, how the case and dial are finished, what movement sits inside and whether any watchmaker will touch it, and how the strap and lugs hold up to daily wear. One more thing belongs in the same breath: in the United States, importing or selling a counterfeit trademarked watch is illegal, even though owning one for personal use usually is not prosecuted. Judge the watch on the four criteria and treat the legal side as a separate decision.

What "Aviator Travel Time" Really Means

Patek Philippe does not sell a model called the Aviator Travel Time. The watch buyers mean is the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, a 42 mm pilot-style piece introduced in 2015 with a blue dial, applied numerals, and a true dual time zone display. The original runs the 324 S C FUS movement, which drives a home-time hand and an independently adjustable local-time hand, plus day/night indicators and a date display. Knowing the genuine layout first matters, because weak replicas fail on exactly those functional details rather than on the logo.

Criterion 1: A Real Dual Time Zone

  • Pro: A genuine jumping local-hour hand lets you reset the hour when you land without stopping the watch or disturbing home time.
  • Pro: Day/night indicators for both zones are genuinely useful on long-haul trips.
  • Con: Caller-style GMT builds that only move the 24-hour hand are cheaper but behave nothing like the original.
  • Con: A quartz or modified three-hand movement with a decorative second hand will not hold the illusion once someone handles it.

Use case: Pick a true dual time build only if you actually cross time zones. If you never change the hour, a simpler three-hand replica of the same case looks closer to correct from across a table and costs less.

Criterion 2: Case, Bezel, and Dial Finish

The Pilot Travel Time case is wide and flat with broad lugs and a narrow, stepped bezel, so the dial dominates. Look at the brushing on the case flanks against the polished bevels, the clarity and anti-reflective behavior of the crystal, and whether the applied numerals sit flat or float above the surface. A sunburst blue dial should shift from deep navy to lighter blue as you rotate your wrist.

  • Pro: A solid steel or tungsten case holds its edges and takes a polish without going through to base metal.
  • Con: Heavy gold plating on a base-metal case wears through at the lugs and crown within a year or two of daily wear.
  • Con: Printed indices instead of applied ones read flat and cheap under direct light.

Use case: If you wear the watch daily, favor case material and finishing over dial color accuracy. If it lives in a case and comes out for evenings, dial fidelity matters more.

Criterion 3: Movement and Serviceability

The dual time layout is the hard part to copy, so this is where budgets show. Ask what the movement is based on, how the date changes (instant snap versus slow crawl), and whether the day/night discs turn with the hour hands.

  • Pro: A common automatic base movement can be serviced or replaced by an independent watchmaker.
  • Con: Proprietary or heavily modified clones often cannot be repaired, so a dead watch becomes a paperweight.
  • Con: Sellers rarely stock spare hands, crowns, or day/night discs.

Use case: Buy the version whose movement a local watchmaker will open. Confirm that before you pay, not after it stops.

Criterion 4: Strap, Buckle, and Lugs

The original ships on a leather strap with signed hardware, and this is where replicas vary most. Check stitching density, leather thickness, and whether the buckle engraving is crisp or shallow. Confirm the lug width so you can fit an aftermarket strap, since factory straps on replicas rarely last.

Use case: Budget for a replacement strap from day one. It is the cheapest upgrade that changes how the watch reads on the wrist.

Legal Reality in the United States

  • Pro: Personal possession of a counterfeit watch is generally not a criminal matter at the federal level.
  • Con: Importing, shipping, or reselling counterfeit goods can lead to seizure and civil liability under US trademark law.
  • Con: Never represent the watch as genuine in a sale. That turns a gray-area purchase into fraud.

Recommendations by Buyer

  1. Frequent traveler: True dual time build, automatic, serviceable base movement, one spare strap.
  2. Look-focused buyer: Best dial and case finish you can afford, three-hand movement, accept the compromise.
  3. Collector of replicas: Compare the day/night discs and date position against the real layout before anything else.
  4. Anyone reselling: Disclose clearly in writing that the watch is a replica. That single step keeps the transaction lawful.