Short answer
The Cartier Baignoire is an oval watch. The shape goes back to 1912. Cartier put the name Baignoire, French for bathtub, on the line in 1973. By 2020 the collection held several references: quartz and mechanical movements, 18k yellow, rose, and white gold cases, plus the stretched Baignoire Allongée. Watches sold as a fake Baignoire 2020 copy the oval outline. They miss on four points: metal content, caseback stamps, dial print, and the crown cabochon. Those four decide most authentications.
What the 2020 Baignoire is
Cartier does not publish one global 2020 catalog, so reference numbers differ by market. The pieces share a set of traits.
- Case: oval, with the long curve running 12 to 6. No lugs on most references. The strap or bracelet meets the case at hidden bars.
- Metal: 18k gold, stamped 750 inside the caseback. Yellow, rose, and white gold all appear. Steel is rare in this line.
- Dial: silvered opaline. Roman numerals. Blued steel sword hands. The minute track rings the outer edge.
- Crystal: sapphire, cut to the oval shape.
- Crown: fluted, set with a blue cabochon.
- Movement: quartz in the smaller cases, mechanical in the larger ones.
Baignoire Allongée is a separate reference. The case is longer, the oval is narrower, and the size is larger. Buyers mix the two names. They are not the same watch.
Where a replica fails
- Metal. Real cases are 18k gold. Copies use brass or steel with gold plating. Plating wears at the crown and the caseback edge.
- Weight. Gold is dense. A plated case of the same size weighs less than the genuine piece. Put both on a scale.
- Hallmarks. Swiss assay marks and the maker stamp sit inside the caseback. Fakes laser-etch a 750 mark with a flat, shallow cut.
- Cabochon. Genuine crowns carry a blue spinel. Copies use glass or plastic. The color reads flat and the dome is off.
- Dial print. Cartier prints numerals and the track with sharp edges. Copies show thick paint, uneven spacing, and a blurred "Swiss Made" line at 6.
- Crystal. Mineral glass scratches. Genuine sapphire does not.
- Movement. Quartz copies run a generic module. Mechanical fakes show a rotor stamped with a caliber that does not match the reference.
Check a watch you already own
- Read the reference number on the caseback and match it to the case metal.
- Weigh the watch. Compare the figure to the same size in 18k gold.
- Look at the cabochon under a light. Check for bubbles inside the stone.
- Check the crown action. A quartz module feels loose and turns with no detent.
- Open the caseback with a qualified watchmaker. Read the caliber number and the stamps.
Law and import
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the United States. Customs and Border Protection can seize and destroy a shipment. 19 U.S.C. § 1526 sets the import rules. Selling a watch that carries a Cartier mark you have no rights to is trademark infringement under 15 U.S.C. § 1114. A high quality replica claim describes the outside of the case, not the metal or the movement inside it.