A replica Hippocampus 2013 is a counterfeit copy of the Blancpain Hippocampus, a luxury sports watch Blancpain sold from the mid 1990s into the 2000s. The "2013" label comes from the replica trade and marks the year the most complete copies of this model reached the market from Chinese factories. Those copies mix a 38 mm to 40 mm steel case with a triple calendar, a moon phase, and an Asia Valjoux 7750 or 7751 inside.
What does the original Hippocampus look like?
Blancpain placed the Hippocampus in its sports range, between the Fifty Fathoms dive watches and the dressier Villeret models. It stayed in the catalog through the 1990s and shared its case language with the Leman line that followed. Two sizes turn up most: about 38 mm and 40 mm, both in stainless steel.
Case and bracelet
The case has thick lugs, a wide bezel, and polished flanks with brushed tops. Most examples left the factory on a steel bracelet with rounded center links, though rubber straps were an option. Sapphire crystal and a screw-down crown came standard on the better references.
Dial and complications
Plain models show hour, minute, second, and a date window. Calendar models stack day and month windows near 12 o'clock, add a pointer date around the dial edge, and place a moon phase near 6 o'clock. Applied markers, printed text, and a signed crown complete the look.
Movement
Blancpain used an automatic calibre with a calendar module for the complicated Hippocampus models. That module is the hard part to copy, and it explains why the replica market splits into cheap versions and costly ones.
What did the 2013 replica Hippocampus get right?
Around 2013, factories moved from crude copies to convincing ones. The best of them copied the case profile from a genuine watch instead of from catalog photos, which fixed the lug curve and the bezel height.
- Case proportions: 38 mm to 40 mm, close to the original.
- Sapphire crystal with single-sided coating on the top tiers.
- Steel bracelet with solid links and a signed clasp.
- Dial texture and applied markers that hold up under a loupe.
- Working day, month, and pointer date on the better movements.
What did the 2013 copies get wrong?
Shortcuts show up in three places: the movement, the moon phase, and the finishing.
- Cheap copies run a plain 7750 with a glued-on calendar plate. The day and month change together or not at all.
- The moon phase disc on budget models is a printed sticker over a 24-hour wheel, so it drifts from the real lunar cycle.
- Bevels on the lugs are wider than the original, and the crown sits a touch proud of the case.
- Water resistance is a guess. A copy rated "100 m" on a listing has not been pressure tested.
What are the three tiers of Hippocampus copies?
Replica listings sort into three rough bands, and the movement tells you which band you are in.
- Entry tier: mineral glass, stamped dial, 7750 with a fake calendar plate, price under a few hundred dollars.
- Mid tier: sapphire crystal, real day and month windows, Asia 7750 with a working module.
- Top tier: Asia 7751 with moon phase, solid end links, engraved rotor, and a case built from a scanned original.
How do you spot a replica Hippocampus 2013?
Start with the calendar, because the calendar is the hardest function to fake. On a real watch the day and month advance at midnight and the pointer date lines up with the printed track. On a copy, the pointer sits between markers or the windows jump early.
- Set the calendar and watch it change at midnight. Note the sequence and the timing.
- Feel the crown. Genuine watches have crisp, defined positions; copies feel mushy or grind.
- Check the rotor and bridges through the caseback. Copy engraving is shallow and the font is wrong.
- Lay a ruler across the lugs. A small size error throws off the whole silhouette.
- Look at the moon phase under a loupe. Printed foil under a domed disc reads flat, while a genuine disc has depth.
What should you ask before buying?
Ask for macro photos of the dial, caseback, and clasp, plus a short video of the calendar changing. Sellers with nothing to hide send both.
- Which movement is inside, and is it a 7750, a 7751, or a modified 7750?
- Was the watch serviced, and when?
- Do the day, month, and date all work in both directions?
- Is the bracelet original to the watch or a swap?
- What is the return policy if the calendar fails?
Owning and caring for a replica Hippocampus 2013
Treat it as a mechanical watch, not a tool watch. Keep it out of the pool and the shower, because water resistance on a copy is unverified even when the caseback says otherwise.
Avoid setting the calendar between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. The calendar gears are engaged then, and turning the hands can strip teeth. Wind it on a schedule, store it in a dry box, and budget for a service every three to five years.
Frequently asked questions
Is a replica Hippocampus 2013 worth buying?
It depends on the movement. A copy with a working 7751 and a real moon phase gives you the look and the functions. A copy with a glued calendar plate gives you a watch that breaks within months.
How much does a replica Hippocampus cost?
Prices move with the factory, the movement, and the condition of the watch you find. Treat any listing well below the market for its movement type as a red flag and ask why.
Can a watchmaker service a replica?
Many can. Parts are the problem, not labor. Asia 7750 parts are easy to source; custom case parts, dials, and hands are not, so a damaged dial often means the end of the watch.
Did the 2013 version stay the best one?
No. Later factories improved cases and dials, and some reissued the Hippocampus with better finishing. The 2013 tag marks a turning point, not a ceiling.
The short version
The replica Hippocampus 2013 sits at the point where copies of this Blancpain model stopped looking like toys. Judge one on the calendar, the crown, and the rotor, not on the badge. If those three check out, the rest of the watch holds up too.