A fake Cartier Roadster 38mm is a counterfeit copy of the barrel-shaped steel automatic Cartier produced from 2002 to roughly 2012. The genuine large Roadster measures 38mm across, runs the Cartier 3110 automatic movement, and uses a sapphire crystal with a molded cyclops over the date at 3 o'clock. Replicas sell for $50 to $300 and give themselves away at the cyclops, the bezel screws, the date font, and the movement under the caseback.
Roadster Cartier Fake Watch Guide: Your Ultimate Resource
What are the real specs of a Cartier Roadster 38mm?
The 38mm Roadster is the large size, not the 32mm version sold for smaller wrists. Cartier offered it in steel, steel and gold, and solid gold, on a Roadster bracelet or a strap using the brand's quick-release system.
- Case: 38mm wide barrel shape, about 11mm thick
- Crystal: sapphire with a cyclops ground into the glass at 3 o'clock
- Movement: Cartier Caliber 3110 automatic, ETA 2892 base, about 42 hours of reserve
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Date: at 3 o'clock, under the magnifier
- Crown: fluted, set with a blue synthetic spinel cabochon
How can you tell a fake Cartier Roadster 38mm?
The cyclops lens
A genuine Roadster magnifier is cut into the sapphire as one piece, so there is no seam at the edge. Fakes glue a separate plastic or sapphire blob onto a flat crystal, which usually shows a visible ring, a distortion halo, and the wrong magnification. Tilt the watch under a lamp: a molded cyclops stays clean, a glued one flares.
Bezel screws
Roadster bezel screws are functional and sit in polished counterbores with shallow slots. Replicas often use decorative screw heads that do not turn, sit proud of the bezel, or sit at random angles with slots that are far too wide. Look at the screw heads with a loupe, not a phone photo.
Fake Cartier Watch Roadster 38mm: How to Spot One
Dial, date, and printing
Genuine dials carry a fine silver or white finish with crisp Cartier printing and a fine date font. Fakes show heavier ink, a bold or oversized date numeral, and misaligned markers. On the genuine, "Swiss Made" sits at the bottom edge of the dial and is never split around the 6 marker.
Movement and caseback
A real 38mm Roadster automatic holds a finished Swiss movement with a signed rotor and smooth winding. Replicas run unbranded Chinese or cloned ETA movements with unsigned rotors, gritty winding, and loose rotor noise. Caseback engraving on a fake is shallow and machine-stamped, while the genuine is deep and cleanly cut.
Bracelet and clasp
Roadster bracelets taper in a specific way and close with a hidden folding clasp bearing crisp engraving. Fakes use hollow end links, sharp edges, and stamped clasps that feel tinny. The quick-release strap system on the real watch clicks positively, while replicas wobble or need force.
Is a fake Cartier Roadster 38mm legal to buy in the US?
No. Counterfeit watches infringe Cartier's trademarks, and US Customs and Border Protection can seize them at the border. Selling or trafficking in counterfeits also exposes a seller to civil liability and, in repeat cases, criminal penalties under federal law.
What is a genuine Cartier Roadster 38mm worth?
Pre-owned steel 38mm Roadsters commonly trade in the $3,000 to $5,000 range, with box and papers at the top of that band. Gold versions run higher. That price gap is why replicas flood the market and why the cyclops and bezel screws remain the fastest checks.
Quick authenticity checklist
- Confirm the case measures 38mm across, not 32mm or 36mm
- Check that the cyclops is molded into the sapphire
- Test that every bezel screw turns
- Compare the date font to a known genuine dial
- Have a watchmaker open the caseback before you pay