Short answer

A fake Audemars Piguet perpetual calendar at $3,399 is a top-tier replica of the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar 26574. The price covers a 41mm case, a sapphire crystal, a decorated automatic movement, and a dial with four subdials. It does not cover a true perpetual calendar. Most replicas in this bracket need a date reset after February and after 30-day months.

The watch it copies

Audemars Piguet released reference 26574 in 2015. Genuine specs: 41mm case, 9.5mm thick, caliber 5134, 40-hour power reserve. The dial shows week, day, date, month, moonphase, and a leap-year window. A $3,399 copy matches the layout. It does not match the mechanism.

Movement inside a $3,399 replica

Most builds at this price use a Miyota 9015 or a Chinese automatic, plus a calendar module stacked on the base plate. The stack adds height. Case thickness lands at 11mm to 13mm against 9.5mm on the genuine watch. Subdial hands can be glued or printed. The moonphase disc may run on a 29.5-day gear or on a fixed 24-hour wheel. Ask the seller which one before you pay.

Finish checks

  • Dial: Royal Oak squares on the genuine watch sit raised above the base. Copies at this price are flat-stamped or printed.
  • Bezel bevels: eight sides, even width, sharp edges.
  • Bracelet: screw heads flush with the link sides, no burrs.
  • Caseback: engraving depth and font. A sapphire caseback shows the rotor and bridge finish.
  • Crown: signed, flush with the case band.

Questions for the seller

  1. Movement maker and model number.
  2. Case thickness in millimeters.
  3. Does the leap-year indicator move on its own?
  4. Does the date flip at midnight or drift over three hours?
  5. Crystal material: sapphire or mineral glass.
  6. Return window in days, and the refund method.

Value and limits

A replica holds no resale value. Genuine steel 26574 listings run above $80,000 on the secondary market. Watchmakers decline replica service in most shops, so a failed module means a new watch. Water resistance on replicas is not tested to ISO 22810. Keep it dry. Treat $3,399 as the cost of a display piece, not an investment.