The term "fake Patek Philippe Twenty~4 730G" mixes a real collection name with a reference number Patek Philippe does not use. Patek writes round Twenty~4 Automatic references as 7300/ plus a variant code plus a material letter, such as A for steel or G for white gold. "730G" splits that pattern into 7300 and G. No Patek catalog entry carries that form, so the tag comes from replica sellers, not from the brand.
That matters at the point of sale. A short code can describe a steel watch, a gold-colored watch, or a plain copy of the 36 mm automatic, and the code alone gives no way to know which one ships.
What the genuine Twenty~4 is
Patek Philippe launched the Twenty~4 in 1999 as a women's collection with a rectangular case and a quartz movement. In 2018 the line gained a round, self-winding model, the Twenty~4 Automatic, the first round case in the collection.
- Caliber 324 S C: self-winding, 45-hour power reserve, 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
- Case: 36 mm round, in steel, rose gold, white gold or platinum, based on reference.
- Diamond-set bezel versions exist, with stones set at the factory.
- Sales channel: authorized retailers only. Patek runs no direct online store.
Patek has not published a reference named 730G. The closest match depends on the metal shown in the listing photos.
What a copy under this code contains
Movement
Low price copies run a quartz movement. Mid and high price copies use automatic movements from ETA, Miyota, Seiko or Chinese factories, often sold as "Swiss movement" with no proof of origin. None of these is caliber 324 S C. The real movement has a solid gold rotor, striped bridges with polished chamfers, and coverage under the Patek Philippe Seal.
Case and metal
Copy cases are 316L or 904L stainless steel, then plated with gold at 1 to 5 microns. Plating wears at the lugs, crown and case back within months of daily wear. White gold and rose gold are near twice the density of steel, so a genuine gold case weighs much more than a plated steel copy of the same size.
Diamonds and finishing
Bezel stones on copies are cubic zirconia in most cases, and hand setting leaves uneven gaps. Factory-set diamonds on the real watch are described in the paperwork. Dial printing, case back engraving and the crown logo also differ: copy text shows soft edges under a loupe.
Papers and packaging
Copies ship with printed cards and boxes that mimic Patek packaging. A genuine watch comes with a certificate and a serial that the brand can check. Patek offers an Extract from the Archives for older pieces.
Asking prices seen on listing sites
- Plated steel with quartz movement: about $120 to $300.
- Steel automatic with a non-Swiss movement: about $300 to $600.
- Copies sold as "Swiss movement" or "gold wrapped": about $600 to $1,000 and above.
- Genuine Twenty~4 Automatic: five figures, from authorized dealers.
Those figures are seller asking prices, not resale values. Copies carry no warranty from Patek Philippe, and resale demand for them is thin.
Checks that catch a copy
- Weigh the watch. Gold cases feel dense for their size; plated steel does not.
- Look through the case back. A quartz movement needs a battery; the real watch is mechanical.
- Watch the second hand. Quartz ticks once per second; caliber 324 S C runs at 4 Hz and moves in small steps.
- Inspect plating wear at the lugs, crown and case back edge.
- Read the reference and serial inside the case back. Patek uses the full format; "730G" alone is not one.
- Ask for the certificate, then verify the serial with Patek or an authorized dealer.
Legal status in the US
Counterfeit watches that copy protected trademarks can be seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at import. Selling counterfeit goods is illegal, and a buyer who resells a copy as genuine carries liability for trademark infringement. Independent watchmakers also decline service on copies, which leaves no repair path.