Reddit threads on the fake Patek Philippe perpetual calendar 5159 settle on one answer: the watch is a dress piece with decorative complications, not a working perpetual calendar. No replica of the 5159 carries a true perpetual calendar movement. The month, leap-year, and moonphase displays run off an add-on module or get set by hand. Buyers in r/RepTime and r/ChinaTime who judge the watch as a visual copy tend to be satisfied. Buyers who test the calendar functions against the real reference do not.
super clone patek philippe perpetual calendar 5159
What Reddit says about the 5159 replica
- Calendar functions are the top complaint. The leap-year indicator often just cycles with the month wheel.
- Dial printing and applied markers get the most praise when the factory does them well.
- Case profile is the second complaint: thickness and lug shape drift from the original.
- The moonphase disc is often a printed sticker or a flat disc with soft detail.
- Threads warn that the 5159 is harder to QC than a Nautilus because fewer factories build it.
Prerequisites before you shop
- Read the spec sheet for the reference you are copying so you know case diameter, lug width, and subdial positions.
- Accept that the calendar functions are decorative. If you need a working perpetual calendar, stop here.
- Set a budget and treat it as money spent on appearance, not horology.
- Know your import rules. Counterfeit watches can be seized at the border.
How to inspect a 5159 replica before you pay
- Ask the seller for QC photos on a plain background: front, caseback, and both profiles.
- Request a 30-second video with the watch running so you can watch the seconds hand sweep and the moonphase disc turn.
- Get the case thickness number from the seller and compare it with the published spec for the reference.
- Check dial printing with a macro shot. Look at the brand signature, the Geneva line, and the subdial numerals for bleeds and uneven weight.
- Inspect the moonphase aperture for gaps at the edges and a disc that sits flat under the dial.
- Advance the date through a full month and watch whether day, date, and month change together or lag behind each other.
- Turn the crown in both directions and confirm the hands move without grit or backlash.
- Study the caseback engraving and hallmarks under 10x magnification. Shallow laser etching is the common failure.
- Check strap stitching, the deployant clasp, and spring bar fit at the lugs.
- Ask for a timegrapher printout or a video of the reading, then compare rate and amplitude with the movement the seller claims.
- Confirm the return policy in writing before you send money, including who pays return shipping.
Flaws to expect on the 5159 rep
- Case thickness runs over spec by a millimeter or more on most builds.
- Subdial spacing sits slightly off center, which shows in a straight-on photo.
- The moonphase disc has flat gold tone and no depth under light.
- Printing on the small calendar numerals can look heavy or filled in.
- The movement is louder than the original, and the rotor can be heard in a quiet room.
Questions to send the seller
- Which factory built this batch, and what movement is inside?
- Can you send photos of three different units from the same batch?
- Does the moonphase disc rotate on its own or does it need a pusher?
- What is the measured case diameter and thickness?
- What happens if the watch arrives with a dial defect?
Legal and disclosure notes
A replica is not a Patek Philippe, and selling one as genuine is a separate and more serious act than buying one. US law treats trafficking in counterfeit goods as illegal, and border agents can seize counterfeit watches in transit. Keep the papers, keep the seller conversation, and disclose the watch as a replica if you ever sell it or hand it to a watchmaker.
Cheap Fake Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 5159: What to Check Before You Buy