Short answer: the 1701 clone is a replica build of the 47 mm Calibre de Cartier Astrotourbillon. It copies the case, dial and the orbiting arm at the center, but the arm is decorative or driven by a generic Chinese tourbillon, not by Cartier caliber 9451 MC. Photographs flatter it. A loupe, a timegrapher and a slow motion clip expose it.
fake cartier astrotourbillon 1701 replica
What the 1701 code actually covers
In the replica trade, 1701 is a build code, not a Cartier reference. It points to one factory tier: a 47 mm case, a center aperture with a sweeping arm, and a hand wound movement behind it. The real watch uses caliber 9451 MC, where the balance and escapement ride on an arm that circles the dial once per minute. On the clone, that motion is theater. Sometimes the arm is a plate that turns on its own gear, sometimes it is a low beat Chinese tourbillon in the wrong position. Either way, the escapement you are looking at does not do the work Cartier designed.
Before you evaluate one
- Digital calipers
- 10x loupe and a macro lens or phone macro mode
- Timegrapher app or a real timegrapher
- Reference photos of the genuine 47 mm model, plus its spec sheet
- A kitchen scale that reads grams
Inspection steps
- Pull the factory spec sheet and press photos for the 47 mm Calibre de Cartier Astrotourbillon and keep them open on a second screen.
- Measure the case diameter at 3 and 9 o'clock and write the numbers down.
- Measure case thickness across the caseback and crystal, then compare it with the reference figure.
- Weigh the watch on the scale and compare it with a known weight for the same case metal.
- Set the watch to 12 o'clock and confirm that the arm and the hands clear each other through a full revolution.
- Film the dial at 240 fps for one minute and count the balance oscillations against the reference beat rate.
- Pull the crown to hacking position and confirm that the arm stops with the movement.
- Examine the arm pivot and the cage under the loupe for stamped edges, flat bevels and unpolished screw slots.
- Turn the watch over and inspect the bridge finishing for perlage, Geneva stripes and hand anglage.
- Read the caseback engraving depth and the font of the Cartier script, then compare it with reference photos.
- Check the crown, pushers and caseback threads for machining marks and loose fit.
- Inspect the strap, stitching and deployant clasp for signed hardware and correct font weight.
- Ask the seller for a timegrapher printout, a video with the crown pulled, and a slow motion clip of the arm.
Red flags
- The arm keeps turning after the crown is pulled.
- The balance oscillates at a rate that does not match the reference spec.
- Case thickness is more than 1 mm off, since a thin case cannot hide the module.
- Laser etched engraving with no depth, and a serial number that appears on more than one watch.
- Gold models that weigh close to a steel watch.
- No video, no timegrapher data, and pressure to pay through an untraceable channel.
What to expect at this tier
A 1701 build gets the silhouette right. It does not get the movement right, so do not pay Astrotourbillon money for one. Treat the water resistance claim as decoration, have any watch you keep pressure tested, and budget for a service on arrival. If the seller cannot supply movement video and a timegrapher reading, walk away.