What a replica Clé de Cartier large is

A replica Clé de Cartier large is a 40 mm copy of the Cartier Clé de Cartier, a model Cartier showed at SIHH in 2015. The name comes from the French word for key. The crown is shaped like a winding key and sits flush with the case middle. The genuine large model runs calibre 1847 MC, an automatic movement with a 42 hour power reserve. Replicas copy the case, dial and bracelet. Most do not copy the movement. Common substitutes are the Miyota 9015, the Seagull ST21 and Chinese 2824 clones.

Genuine specs to compare against

  • Case: 40 mm wide, about 11.8 mm thick. Steel or 18k gold.
  • Movement: Cartier 1847 MC, automatic. 23 jewels. 28,800 vph.
  • Power reserve: 42 hours.
  • Crystal: sapphire. Caseback is sapphire on some references, solid on others.
  • Water resistance: 30 m, or 3 bar.
  • Dial: silvered opaline. Roman numerals. Blued steel sword hands. Date at 3 o'clock on references that have one.
  • Crown: key shaped, set with a blue cabochon on gold references.
  • Reference prefixes: WSCL for steel, WGCL for gold.

What replicas get right

Case shape is the strong point. The 40 mm case is wide and thin, which is hard to fake well, and top tiers hold the diameter within half a millimeter. Sapphire crystal is now standard at the mid tier and above. It rates 9 on the Mohs scale, the same as the part Cartier uses. Dial printing at the top tier is close to the original. Roman numerals sit on the flange, and the hidden signature inside the VII numeral appears on some copies.

What replicas get wrong

  1. Crown function. On the real watch the key head pulls out and turns. On many copies the head is cosmetic and the stem behind it is a plain cylinder. Ask for a photo with the crown pulled out.
  2. Case thickness. Copies often measure 12.5 mm to 13.5 mm. The genuine case is about 11.8 mm. A caliper photo settles the question.
  3. Beat rate. The genuine movement runs at 28,800 vph, or 8 beats per second. A 21,600 vph movement, or 6 beats per second, is the tell. Count the ticks in a 10 second video.
  4. Hands. Genuine hands are blued steel. Copies use paint or chrome that reads blue under light.
  5. Cabochon. Genuine is sapphire. Copies use glass or resin.
  6. Movement finish. No replica uses the 1847 MC. Cartier does not sell that calibre on the open market.

Price tiers

  • Low, $80 to $150: mineral glass, 21,600 vph movement, fixed crown, soft case edges.
  • Mid, $200 to $350: sapphire crystal, Miyota 9015 or Seagull ST21, working key crown.
  • High, $450 to $700: 316L or 904L steel, 28,800 vph clone, sapphire caseback, cabochon set in the crown head.

Genuine large steel models list near $6,500 to $7,500 USD. Gold versions list above $20,000. Prices move with the year and the market.

Checks before you buy

  1. Get a caliper photo of the case width and thickness.
  2. Get a video with the crown pulled and the hands set.
  3. Get a 10 second video with sound for the beat rate.
  4. Look at the date window if the model has one. The magnifier should sit flush and center on the numeral.
  5. Confirm the return window, the payment method and the shipping carrier.

Weight is one more test. Most 40 mm steel watches on a bracelet land between 130 g and 160 g. Ask for a scale photo. A weight well under that range points to a hollow bracelet or a light alloy case.