Short answer
The 26401TI is an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph. The code splits into 26401 for the model and TI for the titanium case. Full reference: 26401TI.OO.A027CA.01. It carries a 44 mm titanium case, a black ceramic bezel, and the caliber 3126/3840 automatic chronograph. A fake 26401TI is a copy built to look like that reference. No copy matches every dimension, finish, and movement part.
Reference specs to check against
- Case: titanium, 44 mm wide, about 14.4 mm thick
- Bezel: black ceramic, eight hexagonal screws
- Dial: black Mega Tapisserie, applied hour markers
- Movement: caliber 3126/3840, automatic, 59 jewels, 50-hour power reserve, 21,600 vph
- Layout: date at 3, 12-hour counter at 12, small seconds at 6, 30-minute counter at 9
- Water resistance: 100 m
- Strap: rubber or alligator on a titanium pin buckle
Checks that catch most fakes
Weight comes first. Titanium reads light for a 44 mm watch. A steel copy feels about 30 g heavier. Weigh the head with the strap off.
Then the movement. A real 26401TI runs a column-wheel chronograph. Press the top pusher. The chronograph seconds hand starts with no jump. The reset snaps to zero in one motion. A module-based copy stutters at start and resets soft.
Look at the date. The window sits at 3 o'clock, cut clean, with no gap at the rim. Copies show an off-center disc or a printed date wheel.
Tapisserie pattern: the genuine dial has raised squares with beveled edges. Copies print the pattern or mold it shallow. Check under a 10x loupe at an angle.
Caseback engraving carries the reference number, the serial, and Swiss Made. Compare the font weight against a photo of a confirmed 26401TI. If a listing shows no movement photo, treat the claim as unverified.
What replicas get right and wrong
High-end copies match the case shape, the bezel screws, and the 44 mm size. Most miss the movement. The 3126/3840 uses a Frederic Piguet 1185 base. That base is not sold to copy makers. Copies use a modified ETA or Seagull chronograph module. Rotor engraving, jewel count, and bridge finishing differ.
Price
Retail for the 26401TI sat in the $26,000 to $30,000 range. Resale listings sit in the high teens to high twenties in USD, based on year, box, and papers. An offer far under that range needs a movement check.
Limits of online checks
Photos hide weight, sound, and finish. A case that looks right in a 2000 px image can still be a copy. Box and papers get copied too, so they are not proof. A watchmaker with the watch in hand can confirm the movement.