What a Villeret moon phase watch is
Villeret is a village in the Bernese Jura in Switzerland. Blancpain traces its founding to 1735 there. The Villeret collection carries that name. The moon phase model is the Quantième Phase de Lune, reference 6654. The case measures 40 mm. Caliber 6654 has a 72-hour power reserve. The moon aperture sits at 6 o'clock. Day and month windows sit below 12 o'clock. A date hand points to a track on the dial edge.
Fake Villeret Moon Phase Brand Guide: Spotting and Avoiding Fakes
How the moon phase works
A moon phase disc carries two painted moons on 59 teeth. The disc turns one step per day. A full cycle takes 59 days, or two lunar months. The synodic month is 29.530588 days. The 59-tooth setup treats it as 29.5 days. The gap adds up to one day of error in about 2 years and 7 months. Owners reset the disc with a pusher or a corrector tool.
Fake Villeret Moon Phase Wristwatch: How to Spot One
What replica versions do
Replica Villeret moon phase watches come from a few assembly shops in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Case sizes run 38 mm to 42 mm. Movements are the main difference. One group uses a Miyota 9015 with a bolt-on module. Another uses a Chinese automatic with a printed disc. Many replicas swap the 59-tooth moon disc for a 24-hour day and night disc. That disc turns once per day. The moon moves from left to right and back in 24 hours. Genuine moon phase discs move one tooth per day and finish a cycle in 29.5 days.
Points to check
- Moon travel: watch the aperture for 24 hours. A full sweep means a day and night disc, not a moon phase.
- Case thickness: a 40 mm Villeret case measures about 10.7 mm. Thicker cases point to a module stacked on top of a base movement.
- Correctors: the reference has recessed pushers on the case band. Replica cases use visible pins or none.
- Dial printing: check the moon aperture edges and the date track numbers under a loupe.
- Weight: gold models weigh more than steel. Replicas in plated brass feel light in the hand.
Legal status in the US
US law bans import of goods that carry a counterfeit trademark. Customs and Border Protection can seize the shipment. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, trafficking in counterfeit goods carries up to 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine for a first offense by an individual. Selling a replica as a genuine Blancpain is fraud under state and federal law. Buying one for personal use is a different charge, but the item can still be seized at the border.
fake villeret moon phase replica
Value question
A replica does not hold resale value, has no service network, and cannot be sold as genuine. Water resistance claims on replicas are not tested to ISO 22810. Blancpain service centers do not work on counterfeit pieces. For buyers who want the complication, the moon phase function on most replicas is cosmetic.