A replica Villeret Perpetual Calendar is a copy of the Blancpain Villeret Perpetual Calendar. The dial copies the layout: day and month windows, a date display, a leap-year indicator, and a moon phase at 6 o'clock. The movement is not a copy. Blancpain builds reference 6656 around in-house calibre 5954. Replica versions use a modified Chinese automatic movement in most listings, and their calendar is not perpetual. It needs setting at the end of most months.
What the Genuine Watch Is
Blancpain sells the Villeret Perpetual Calendar under several references. Case size on the 6656 is 40 mm. Case metals include stainless steel and red gold. The calendar covers day, date, month, leap year, and moon phase. It runs without correction until 28 February 2100. Blancpain lists an 8-day power reserve for the 6656; confirm the figure against the reference page. Water resistance is 30 m. A sapphire case back shows the movement.
How Replica Versions Differ
Case width on replica versions runs from 40 mm to 42 mm. Case thickness is higher than the original, so the watch sits off the wrist. A plated steel case weighs less than red gold. Dials use printed or applied markers with softer edges. The moon phase disc is stamped, not engraved. Case back engraving is shallow, and the reference number is often the wrong one.
Checks Before You Buy
- Measure the case. 40 mm across, crown excluded.
- Look at the corrector pushers. The original has four recessed pushers for day, date, month, and moon phase. They sit flush with the case band.
- Check the case back. The original has a sapphire display back and the correct reference number.
- Test the calendar. Set the watch to 28 February of a leap year and wind past midnight. A true perpetual calendar shows 29 February.
- Time the reserve. Wind the watch full and leave it. The 5954 runs 192 hours.
What a Replica Cannot Do
A replica calendar does not track leap years. The moon phase disc is a 29-day graphic, not a 135-tooth gear train. Power reserve stops at 36 to 40 hours on most automatic movements used in copies. Bridges are unfinished, and the balance runs at 21,600 or 28,800 vph against a free-sprung balance in the original.
Legal Position in the U.S.
Import of counterfeit watches breaks 19 U.S.C. § 1526. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize the shipment. Civil penalties apply per item. Resale as genuine adds fraud charges. Warranty and service support come from the seller, not from Blancpain.