The "v4" on a fake Blancpain 5050-11A0-52B is a workshop revision number, not a Blancpain reference. It means the fourth production run of that replica from one maker, usually with small fixes applied after v3. Genuine Blancpain references do not carry version tags. If a listing is pushing v4 as a selling point, the honest question is which specific parts changed, because some runs fix real flaws and some just get a new box.
fake blancpain 5050-11a0-52b v3
What v4 usually refers to on this reference
A version bump on a Fifty Fathoms style case tends to touch the same handful of parts. Across the runs I have compared, the differences between v3 and v4 show up in the bezel insert, the dial printing, the crown guards, the caseback engraving and the movement finishing. Sometimes the update is one of those. Sometimes it is all five, and sometimes the photos are the only thing that changed.
fake blancpain 5050-11a0-52b v1
It helps to remember what the number cannot tell you. It is assigned by the seller, not by any standards body, and two different sellers can both call their stock v4 while shipping different watches.
Fake Blancpain 5050-11A0-52B V8: How to Spot It and What to Buy Instead
What the genuine 5050-11A0-52B actually is
The 5050-11A0-52B belongs to Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms family, a dive watch line that goes back to 1953 and is one of the oldest surviving designs of its kind. The reference suffix points to the strap configuration rather than a separate case. Blancpain publishes the real specifications, so checking case diameter, thickness, lug width, water resistance and movement on the maker's own materials costs nothing and settles most arguments. If a replica listing contradicts the published numbers, the listing is wrong.
Fake Blancpain 5050-11A0-52B v7: What to Check Before You Buy
Details that separate a careful v4 from a rushed one
- Bezel insert: lume pip centering, font weight and the sharpness of the minute track.
- Dial: spacing between the brand text and the depth rating, and whether the printing sits flat under magnification.
- Date window: font shape, position and how it aligns at the 3 or 4:30 mark depending on layout.
- Case finishing: brushed flanks against polished chamfers, with a clean line where the two meet.
- Crystal: dome profile and anti-reflective treatment. The real watch coats the inside face only.
- Movement: rotor decoration, beat rate and whether the seconds hand hacks when the crown is pulled.
- Hardware: buckle and strap keeper engraving depth, which is often shallow on replicas.
How I compare versions before deciding
- Ask for photos of the same watch at three angles, not stock images pulled from a catalog.
- Request a video of the date flipping near midnight and of the bezel rotating through its full range.
- Ask for caliper measurements of case diameter, thickness and lug width.
- Ask what changed in this specific batch compared with the previous one, in writing.
- Confirm the return terms before payment, since version claims are hard to prove after delivery.
Practical and legal reality
In the United States, importing counterfeit goods is prohibited and shipments can be seized and destroyed. Selling them opens the door to trademark liability. A version number does not change any of that, and it does not add resale value either. Replicas in this range trade for a fraction of the real watch and lose value the moment they arrive.
None of this is an argument against reading up on the replicas. It is an argument for knowing what you are buying: a fourth-run copy of a dive watch, with the flaws that come with that, and not a Blancpain.