When it comes to showing the world that you’re horologically savvy and your wrist is grail worthy, few dial names do a better job than perfect Patek Philippe replica watches.

The problem is, playing ‘PP’ is regarded as a game for the Jay-Z level super-rich – after all, the record price for UK 1:1 fake Patek Philippe wrist watches currently stands at the $31.1 million paid at a charity auction in 2019 for a one-off version of the range-topping Grand Master Chime. Madness.

Anyone with more than a passing interest in best replica watches will know that prices for steel versions of the three hand Nautilus Ref 5711 1A/-010 went absolutely bonkers after production came to an end in 2021, causing some pre-owned examples to change hands for a five-times-retail £150,000 apiece. Madness take two.

Fortunately, as with other models that became white hot with hype around the same time, Nautilus values have since dipped – but, with current RRPs across top Patek Philippe copy watches’ range starting at £12,860 for a quartz-powered women’s Twenty-4 and rising to an easy seven figures (not to mention the sky’s-the-limit prices for ‘POA’ models) there’s no such thing as a ‘cheap’ Patek these days. But…

Getting hold of a Patek on a budget

If you are desperate to join the PP club but don’t seem likely to make it as a rapper / actor / tech CEO any time soon, don’t despair – because a bit of lateral thinking and a willingness to go pre-owned or vintage could see one on your wrist for the price of mediocre Swiss made replica watches from a B-list brand.

Our first port of call on our Patek-on-a-budget quest is to the David Duggan watch shop in Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade. Duggan has been in the business of buying and selling Pateks for half-a-century, has seen virtually every model made pass through his hands and can always be relied upon to talk sense, not nonsense, when it comes to fake watches online.

“What is considered affordable will vary from one person to another, but let’s say we’re working with a budget of £15,000 – 20,000,” says Duggan.

“The first thing to consider is condition – don’t be tempted to buy something in poor condition simply because it seems cheap. In the end, it won’t be and it will be hard to re-sell.

“At the moment, there are some great value vintage pieces made during the 1940s, ‘50s and ’60s – we have just put in the window a beautiful 1944 Calatrava Reference 1491 in rose gold with a very desirable rose coloured dial.

“It’s all original, in beautiful condition, has an extract from the Patek archives and is priced at £17,000 – considerably less than the least expensive new Patek men’s watch.”

Duggan also cites the many vintage, rectangular-cased replica watches for sale as being excellent buys, such as the Reference 1493 (produced from 1939 until the mid 1950s), a mint, yellow gold example of which he has on offer at £16,500.

The benefit of buying from a reputable dealer such as Duggan is that they will have done all the hard work for you (i.e sourced a good watch), checked it over for authenticity and condition and serviced it. And it will be guaranteed, usually for a year.

Go down the auction house route

But if you want to chance your arm at auction, start keeping tabs on second-tier sales held by houses such as Bonhams, Watches of Knightsbridge and Fellows, the online-only offerings at Christie’s and Sotheby’s and the China super clone watches offered by Phillips through its Phillips Perpetual retail arm.

At its February Knightsbridge auction, Bonhams sold a quirky Reference 3527 TV screen-shaped dress watch oozing ‘60s cool for a mere £3,827 all-in.

Even better value, however, was a 2004 Calatrava in yellow gold that was consigned by its original owner. The 2023 fake watches was sold complete with box, certificate, sales brochure, purchase receipt, point-of-sale document, service receipt and insurance valuation. Including buyer’s premium, it found a new home for just £11,475 – little more than one third the price of a comparable new Calatrava.

So bargain Patek Philippe replica watches wholesale are out there – all you have to do is look.