A good fake Cartier Baignoire 2717 replica gets four things right: the elongated oval case profile, the Roman numeral dial, the blued sword hands, and the sapphire cabochon set into the crown. Nail those and the watch reads right on the wrist from a few feet away. Miss them and no strap upgrade will hide it.
Fake Cartier Baignoire 2717 Imitation: What to Check
What is the Cartier Baignoire 2717?
Baignoire means bathtub in French, and the case shape explains the name: an oval stretched until the sides curve like the rim of a tub. The 2717 reference is the elongated version, the Baignoire Allongée, built in yellow gold with a slim profile and a leather strap.
The Baignoire shape dates to 1912. The 2717 sits at the longer end of the line, which is why replicas of it live or die on case proportions.
Fake Cartier Baignoire 2717 Copy: Buyer's Inspection Guide
What separates a good replica from a bad one?
Case shape and proportions
The case is the whole watch here. A correct 2717 copy has an oval that is long, narrow and even, with a bezel that flows into the case band without a visible step.
Cheap copies take a round case and stretch it, so the curve turns lumpy at 12 and 6. Hold the watch sideways and look down the profile. The line should run smooth from lug to lug.
Dial, numerals and hands
The dial is silvered with a fine sunburst finish, printed Roman numerals and a rail track minute ring. On the original the printing sits sharp and raised, not fuzzy at the edges.
Hands are blued steel in a sword shape. Blue paint on a replica looks flat and purple under light; real blued steel shifts from near black to deep blue as you tilt it.
Check the secret signature. Many Baignoire dials work the word "Cartier" into the strokes of the VII numeral. If your dial has it, the letters should follow the numeral's shape, not sit on top of it as a printed blob.
Crown and cabochon
The crown is fluted and tipped with a sapphire cabochon. Good copies use a synthetic sapphire with a domed top and deep blue color; budget ones use glass that looks flat and washed out.
The stone should sit centered and flush against the crown face. A crooked or glued-on cabochon is the fastest tell on any Baignoire replica.
Strap and buckle
The 2717 came on a leather strap with a gold-tone pin buckle or a deployant clasp. Strap quality matters more than people expect on a slim dress watch, because a stiff, plastic-feeling band drags the whole piece down.
Check that the strap tapers toward the buckle, that the stitching runs even, and that the Cartier engraving on the buckle is crisp. Blurred engraving is a common miss.
Movement and caseback
The genuine 2717 runs on a hand-wound mechanical movement, and most replicas run quartz to keep the case thin. Neither choice is wrong for a copy, but the seller should tell you which one you are getting.
Quartz copies keep better time and need less service. Mechanical copies feel closer to the original when you wind them. Ask before you pay.
Caseback engraving should be sharp, centered and even in depth. Reference numbers, gold marks and serial lines on cheap copies are laser-etched too shallow to catch light.
How much does a Baignoire 2717 replica cost?
Replica pricing splits into three tiers, and the gaps show up in case finish and dial printing first.
- Budget tier: correct overall shape, soft-edged dial printing, glass cabochon, quartz movement.
- Mid tier: better case polishing, sharper numerals, synthetic sapphire cabochon, decent leather strap.
- Top tier: closest case proportions, blued steel hands, clean engraving, sapphire crystal, choice of quartz or hand-wound movement.
Pay for the tier you pick. A price that sits far below the rest of the market for the same photos is a warning, not a bargain.
How do you check a replica before you buy?
- Ask for photos of the case from above and from the side, plus a close shot of the crown.
- Request a macro shot of the dial at 7 o'clock so you can check the secret signature.
- Ask which movement sits inside and who services it.
- Confirm the strap material and the buckle type.
- Read the return window, and check whether the watch ships with the box and papers in the photos.
Questions buyers ask
Does a Baignoire 2717 replica keep good time?
Quartz copies run within seconds a month and need a battery change every couple of years. Hand-wound copies drift more and need winding each day, the same as the original.
Can a jeweler tell it is a replica?
Yes, under a loupe. Engraving depth, the cabochon material and the movement finish give it away. On the wrist and from a normal distance, a top-tier copy is hard to pick out.
Is the sapphire cabochon real on a replica?
Synthetic sapphire is common on mid and top tier copies; glass shows up on budget ones. Ask the seller, and look for a stone that reads deep blue with a soft highlight rather than a flat shine.
What wrist size suits the 2717?
The elongated case wears like a dress watch: long and narrow, so it sits within the wrist edges on most people. Check the lug-to-lug length against your wrist before you commit, because the shape shows any overhang.
What should you confirm with the seller?
Get the movement type, cabochon material, strap material and return policy in writing. A seller who answers all four in one message knows the product.
Also confirm shipping terms and whether the watch ships in the packaging pictured. Photos of a full box set with a listing that ships a bare watch is a common mismatch.