The top pick is not a replica. If you want a Nautilus on your wrist, the two paths that hold up are a genuine pre-owned Patek Philippe Nautilus (references such as the 5711/1A or the 5811/1G) and a trademark-free steel sports watch from an established brand. Those two get judged on four things: whether the reference number exists, whether the watch can be serviced, whether it can be insured and resold, and whether owning it runs into US customs and trademark law. A listing for a "fake Patek Philippe Nautilus 6790" fails all four before you even look at the photos.
Why the 6790 reference does not check out
Patek Philippe numbers its watches in a documented sequence, and the Nautilus line runs through the 3700, 3800, 5711, 5712, 5726, 5980, 5990 and 5811, with the 7010 and 7118 for smaller cases. No Nautilus in Patek's own materials is sold as a 6790. That number shows up in replica listings, marketplace tags and search strings, attached to photos of a steel case with a blue dial. A listing that leads with 6790 is telling you the seller manufactured both the watch and the reference. If a reference number matters to you, check it against Patek's published collections or ask a watchmaker who routinely handles the brand.
Three paths and what each really costs
1. Buying the counterfeit
- Pros: lowest sticker price of the three, and the silhouette reads as a Nautilus from across a table.
- Cons: illegal to import into the United States and subject to seizure; no manufacturer service, no parts network, no valid warranty; resale value close to zero; sellers rotate storefronts and take payment methods that leave you with no recourse; two units from the same listing can arrive with different movements.
Use case: none that beats the alternatives. The savings are real until the watch stops, which is the point at which a repair shop declines the job.
2. Genuine pre-owned Nautilus
- Pros: documented provenance, factory service, insurance and resale all work normally; the reference number on the caseback matches a catalog entry.
- Cons: the most expensive path by a wide margin; the secondary market has its own counterfeits and frankens, so authentication by a specialist is part of the cost; condition, box and papers all move the price.
Use case: a buyer who wants the actual object, plans to keep or resell it, and can budget for a pre-purchase inspection.
3. Trademark-free Nautilus-style watch
- Pros: legal to buy and import, comes with a real warranty, uses a movement any competent watchmaker can service, and costs a fraction of the alternatives.
- Cons: it is not a Patek and will never be valued as one; inspired designs vary in how close they sit to the original.
Use case: someone who likes the integrated-bracelet steel sports look and wants to wear the watch rather than store it in a safe.
How to screen out a bad listing
- Search the reference number against the brand's own published collections. If it returns replica shops and forums only, stop there.
- Ask for movement photos with the caseback removed. Sellers of counterfeits send stock images or refuse.
- Ask for the legal entity behind the storefront and a written return policy before payment.
- Avoid wire transfers, crypto and gift cards. Those are the payment methods that end the conversation after the money moves.
- Have any high-value watch authenticated in person, since photos cannot confirm an escapement or a case profile.
The honest answer to the search term is that a fake Patek Philippe Nautilus 6790 is a product built around a reference number that does not exist. Buy the real thing pre-owned, or buy something legal that borrows the look, and you keep the option to sell, service and insure what you own.