A fake Clé de Cartier Large is a counterfeit copy of Cartier's 40 mm key-crown wristwatch, typically built on a generic automatic movement and sold for $150 to $800. The genuine watch runs Cartier's in-house Calibre 1847 MC, uses a key-shaped crown cut to precise tolerances, and carries a silvered opaline dial with a secret signature hidden inside the VII numeral. Those three details are where most counterfeits fail.
What is the Clé de Cartier Large?
The Clé de Cartier launched in 2015 and takes its name from the French word for key. The large model measures 40 mm across the case and pairs a rounded profile with a crown shaped like a key head, which works as both the winding mechanism and the design signature.
Cartier offers it in stainless steel and 18k pink gold, on leather straps or metal bracelets. The large size sits at the top of the line, above the 35 mm medium and 31 mm small versions.
- Case: 40 mm, steel or 18k pink gold
- Movement: Calibre 1847 MC automatic, 23 jewels, 42-hour power reserve
- Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz)
- Dial: silvered opaline flinqué, Roman numerals, blued-steel sword hands
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 30 meters (3 bar)
How can you tell a fake Clé de Cartier Large?
The key-shaped crown
The crown is the hardest element of the watch to copy. Genuine crowns are milled from solid metal, turn with a smooth weighted click, and sit flush in a recessed channel in the case band. Counterfeit crowns usually look flat, feel loose, or sit proud of the case.
The dial and the secret signature
Cartier hides the word "Cartier" inside one of the Roman numerals at 7 o'clock. On fakes that hidden lettering is often oversized, smudged, or missing entirely. Authentic numerals also print with crisp, uniform stroke widths, and the opaline finish shows a fine radial grain under light.
Blued-steel hands are another tell. Real hands are heat-blued metal with a deep even color. Replica hands are painted blue and show brush marks or a purple tint at the edges.
The movement and caseback
A genuine Calibre 1847 MC has Côtes de Genève striping, polished bevels, and engraved Cartier branding on the rotor. Replicas typically hide a Miyota, Seagull, or generic Swiss clone behind a decorative plate. Open the caseback and compare the movement number to the case number, which Cartier records as a matched pair.
Weight, finish, and strap hardware
Solid gold and steel have a density that plated brass cannot fake. A counterfeit large Clé tends to feel light in the hand and shows uneven brushing at the lug edges. The deployant clasp on a genuine Cartier strap is stamped cleanly and shuts with a firm single click, while fakes rattle.
Price and paperwork
No legitimate seller offers a new large Clé de Cartier for a few hundred dollars. Genuine steel models trade in the thousands even when used. Missing boxes, blank warranty cards, and mismatched serial numbers point to counterfeit or stolen goods.
Is buying a fake Clé de Cartier illegal in the US?
Yes. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, with penalties that reach $2 million and 10 years for repeat offenses. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at the border and can destroy them, and buyers often lose their money with no legal recourse.
How much does a genuine Clé de Cartier Large cost?
Steel large models on leather generally start around $5,000 to $7,000 on the secondary market. Pink gold versions routinely sell for $15,000 and above depending on condition and box set. Any asking price far below those ranges deserves scrutiny before money changes hands.
What should you do before buying a used Clé de Cartier Large?
- Ask for the reference number, case number, and movement number, then verify them with a Cartier boutique.
- Have an independent watchmaker open the caseback and inspect the movement finishing.
- Request dated high-resolution macro photos of the crown, the numeral at 7 o'clock, and the caseback engraving.
- Pay only through a method with buyer protection, and insist on the original box, papers, and warranty card.
A five-minute inspection by a qualified watchmaker settles more questions than any online photo comparison.