Fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time: Short Answer

A fake Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time is a replica of reference 5164, a steel sports watch with a second time zone and separate day/night discs for local and home time. Replica quality splits into three groups: quartz or decorated automatic builds, mid tier builds with a modified clone movement, and top tier builds with a cloned 324 S C FUS style movement. Judge a replica by function and finish, not by the factory name a seller prints in a listing.

The Travel Time is harder to copy than a three hand Aquanaut because the movement has to jump the local hour hand without disturbing the minute train. That single behavior separates a usable replica from a display piece.

What the Genuine Watch Does

  • Two oblong pushers sit on the left case flank at 8 and 10 o'clock, used to step the local hour hand forward or back in one hour increments.
  • The date is tied to local time and advances when the local hour hand passes midnight.
  • Two day/night apertures show local and home time, one at 3 o'clock and one near 9 o'clock on the dial edge.
  • The case is stainless steel, roughly 40.8 mm across, with a composite strap and a folding deployant clasp.

Before You Buy

  • Know which reference the seller claims to copy: 5164A in steel, or the rose gold 5164R.
  • Ask for a short video that shows the pushers being pressed, not only still photos.
  • Confirm the return window in writing before payment.
  • Budget for a service or strap swap, since replica straps age fast.

Step by Step Inspection

  1. Wind the crown 25 to 30 turns and note whether the resistance stays even or turns gritty near the end.
  2. Press the upper left pusher once and watch the local hour hand jump forward one hour with no wobble in the minute hand.
  3. Press the lower left pusher once and confirm the hour hand steps back one hour and the date does not move.
  4. Push the local hour hand past midnight and check that the date flips in one clean motion, not a slow creep.
  5. Watch the local day/night disc as the hour hand passes 6 and 18, and confirm it changes at the right point.
  6. Pull the crown to the setting position and set home time, then compare the home day/night disc against it.
  7. Check the second time zone hand against the chapter ring markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 to spot misalignment.
  8. Inspect the pushers for play by pressing each one halfway and feeling for a spongy dead zone.

Case, Dial, and Strap Checks

Look at the bezel bevel under a lamp. The genuine case has a brushed top and a polished chamfer that meet on a crisp line, while low grade replicas round that transition. Check the dial print with a jeweler's loupe: the text should sit flat with sharp edges and no ink bleed. The applied numerals should catch light on their top facets and sit level with the dial surface.

The composite strap should flex without a plastic sheen, and the deployant clasp engraving should be cut into the metal rather than stamped shallow. A clasp that rattles when shaken is a sign of a low cost build.

Movement and Water Resistance

Ask for a movement photo with the caseback removed. A clone with a working local hour jump has a visibly different keyless works from a basic automatic with a glued on GMT hand. Treat any water resistance claim as unverified unless the seller provides a pressure test result. ISO 22810 defines the rating system for wristwatches, and a replica sold without a test has no proven rating.

Legal Note for US Buyers

Counterfeit watches infringe registered trademarks, and US Customs can seize shipments of infringing goods at the border. Selling a replica as a genuine watch is also deceptive advertising under FTC rules. Buy with that risk in mind and keep the transaction record.