Short answer
A replica Drive de Cartier is a copy of a Cartier watch built by a third party. Cartier launched the Drive de Cartier in 2016. The time-and-date model has a cushion-shaped case at 40 mm by 41 mm and 11.6 mm thick. The genuine watch runs Cartier's 1904-PS MC automatic movement. Replicas copy the case shape, the Roman numerals, and the dial layout. They do not copy the movement, the metal, the finishing, or the warranty. Cartier does not make, sell, or service them.
Genuine specs to compare against
- Case sizes: 40 mm by 41 mm for the time-and-date, 41 mm for the chronograph, 35 mm for the small model.
- Case metal: 316L stainless steel, 18k pink gold, 18k yellow gold, and platinum on limited pieces.
- Movement: 1904-PS MC automatic, 27 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, about 48 hours of power reserve.
- Crystal: sapphire with an anti-reflective coating.
- Dial: stamped guilloche center, Roman numerals, blued steel sword hands.
- Crown: fluted, set with a blue cabochon.
- Water resistance: listed at 30 meters on the time-and-date model.
Three grades of replica
Quartz
Price band runs about $50 to $120. The second hand jumps once per second. The genuine movement steps 8 times per second. Case finishing is coarse and the caseback engraving is shallow.
Entry automatic
Price band runs about $150 to $350. The movement is a Chinese automatic, often a 2824 pattern. Rotor decoration is stamped, not hand finished. Date font and date window alignment differ from the genuine dial.
Higher grades
Price band runs about $350 to $900. Some use sapphire crystal and dial stamping closer to the original. Gold-plated copies weigh less than a solid gold watch. Steel has a density near 7.9 g/cm3. 18k gold sits near 15.6 g/cm3, so a plated case of the same size is about half the weight.
Price comparison
Genuine steel Drive de Cartier models sold near $6,500 at retail. Gold versions ran higher. Replica listings sit between $50 and $900. Sellers set those numbers. No grading body certifies a replica, so grade names such as super clone are marketing terms.
US legal position
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the United States. Section 526 of the Tariff Act, 19 U.S.C. 1526, lets US Customs and Border Protection seize and destroy goods that carry a copied trademark. Selling counterfeit goods can bring criminal charges under 18 U.S.C. 2320, with fines and prison terms. A personal-use exemption for one article of each kind can apply to a traveler's accompanied baggage. It does not apply to goods shipped by mail. CBP can seize and destroy a single watch sent through the mail.
What replicas miss
- Movement layout: the 1904-PS MC has a set bridge shape and finish. Copy movements show different screw placement and different perlage.
- Case thickness: many copies measure 1 mm to 2 mm thicker than the 11.6 mm spec.
- Crown cabochon: the genuine stone sits in a machined seat.
- Dial print depth and Roman numeral spacing.
- Service and parts. Cartier will not touch a counterfeit. Independent watchmakers may refuse the work.
Questions to ask a seller
- Movement make and model, with a photo of the movement itself.
- Case thickness in millimeters.
- Crystal material, sapphire or mineral glass.
- Weight in grams.
- Return policy and payment method.