Quick answer
Reference 5167G is the Aquanaut in 18k white gold. Patek Philippe built it with a 40 mm case, an embossed dial, a composite rubber strap, and the caliber 324 S C. Copies sell in two bands. The low band runs $80 to $150 and uses quartz or a low grade automatic. The mid band runs $400 to $900 and uses a copied automatic movement. Neither band uses gold. Cases are steel with rhodium plating. That one gap drives most of the tells below.
Real 5167G specs
- Case: 40 mm, 18k white gold, about 8.5 mm thick
- Movement: caliber 324 S C, automatic, 45 hour power reserve
- Water resistance: 120 m
- Dial: raised checkerboard emboss, applied white gold numerals, date at 3
- Strap: composite rubber, cut to fit, white gold fold-over clasp
- Crystal and caseback: sapphire
The Aquanaut line started in 1997. The 5167 arrived in 2007 as the second generation. The steel 5167A outsold the white gold version by a wide margin. Patek Philippe does not publish production totals for the 5167G.
Case metal
18k white gold has a density near 15.5 g/cm3. Steel sits near 7.9 g/cm3. A gold case of the same size weighs close to twice a steel one. Copy cases are steel with a rhodium flash. Wear shows on the lugs, the crown, and the caseback edge where the plate thins. Ask a seller for the case weight in grams. A 40 mm steel case in this size lands near 40 g to 50 g. Gold of the same volume lands near double that.
Movement
The caliber 324 S C carries a 21k gold rotor, Geneva stripes, a Gyromax balance, and a Spiromax spring. Copy movements in the $400 to $900 band start from a Miyota 9015 or a Seagull base. Rotor decoration is printed or stamped, not striped. The balance uses a flat hairspring. Caseback engraving depth is shallow, and the fonts differ at the G and the P.
Dial and strap tells
Genuine dial emboss: raised squares with sharp walls and a matte top. Copy dials print the pattern and the walls are soft. The genuine date window uses a specific numeral set. Copies show wider numerals and off-center placement. The strap on the real watch is a composite with a molded pattern on both faces. Copies use silicone. Silicone picks up lint and holds a shine the genuine strap does not.
Buying checks
- Case weight in grams
- Movement photo with the caseback off
- Hallmark photos: the Patek Philippe Seal, the 750 gold mark, and the Swiss assay stamp
- Engraved reference number on the caseback
- Clasp engraving depth and crown profile
Price and legal facts
Genuine 5167G asking prices on the secondary market sit in the tens of thousands of USD. Steel 5167A prices sit below that. Numbers move with condition, box, and papers. On the legal side, 18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a federal crime. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at ports of entry. A first offense involving a counterfeit mark carries a statutory maximum of 10 years and a $2,000,000 fine for an individual.