The build worth choosing in this class is a mechanical one: an automatic chronograph base with a working big date and a moon phase disc that actually turns, not a quartz lookalike with decorative subdials. Judge any fake grand complication 720.025 V10 listing against four things: the movement family inside, whether the calendar registers track a real date, the finishing on the case and dial furniture, and whether the seller can name the workshop that assembled it. The version tag proves nothing by itself. Different sellers attach "V10" to completely different watches.
Fake Grand Complication 720.025 V9: A Buyer's Guide
What the 720.025 V10 Code Actually Means
"720.025" reads like a catalog or reference number, and "V10" reads like a tenth revision of that entry. In the replica trade these strings are marketing furniture. A workshop or reseller invents a version ladder, then claims each step fixed the flaws of the last. Sometimes that is true. Often the tenth version is the fourth dial in the same case with the same movement underneath.
fake grand complication 720.025 v7
That matters more here than in any other category, because a grand complication is the hardest watch to copy. A real one stacks several functions on a single gear train: a perpetual or annual calendar, a chronograph column wheel, frequently a moon phase, sometimes a tourbillon. Replica builders start with an off-the-shelf base movement and bolt modules on top.
- Version numbers describe a seller's batch, not an industry standard.
- The same code can sit on a quartz watch and on a mechanically serious build.
- Ask what movement base is inside before you ask about anything else.
Movement Choice: Wearable Build vs. Prop
Three movement families show up behind grand complication dials. Automatic chronograph bases derived from the Valjoux 7750 line, hand-wound chronograph movements derived from the Seagull ST19, and quartz. The first two are what you want. Quartz grand complications exist because the hands are easier to position, not because the watch is better.
Pros of a mechanical chronograph base
- Running seconds sweep instead of ticking once per second.
- Chronograph pushers usually do something, even if the module is simple.
- Serviceable by any watchmaker who handles Asian chronograph movements.
- Weight and rotor noise feel closer to a real complication watch.
Cons of a mechanical chronograph base
- Thicker than the genuine article, often by two millimeters or more.
- Perpetual calendar behavior is almost always simulated. You will reset the date at month ends.
- Modular add-ons add failure points, and parts are hard to source.
- Correctors on the case flank are frequently decorative and should not be pressed hard.
Use case: a mechanical base suits someone who wants a complicated-looking watch to wear a few times a week and who accepts a service interval. If you want a set-and-forget daily watch, buy a simple three-hand replica instead. Complications are the wrong place to save money.
Dial and Calendar Layout: Where Fakes Give Themselves Away
On a genuine grand complication, the subdials sit at positions the movement dictates. On a replica, the subdials sit wherever the base movement's existing hand positions allow, and the printer works around them. That single fact explains most of the tells.
Pros of a carefully finished dial
- Applied indices with clean edges and even lume fill.
- Subdial hands that reach their tracks instead of floating short.
- Date or month windows that sit centered in their apertures.
- Moon phase disc with a printed, not painted, sky.
Cons you should expect at any replica price
- Month and day discs that jump together instead of stepping correctly.
- Subdial spacing shifted a millimeter from the reference photos.
- Print that looks sharp in a seller's macro shot and soft on the wrist.
- Calendar functions that need a pusher to advance, which no real perpetual calendar does.
Use case: if the calendar layout is the reason you want the watch, compare the listing photo against the genuine reference at the same angle before ordering. Misaligned apertures are the flaw you will notice every single day.
Case, Crystal, and Bracelet Finishing
Case work is where a batch earns or loses its version number. Look at the lugs under raking light, the polish break between brushed and mirrored surfaces, and the fit of the caseback against the midcase.
- Lugs should taper with an even bevel on both sides, not one polished edge.
- Crystal should sit flush or slightly proud, with anti-reflective coating that does not turn blue.
- Bracelet end links should meet the case with no visible gap at the lug line.
- Pushers and crown should return crisply, without grit.
Use case: a grand complication replica is usually worn on leather. If the listing only shows a bracelet, ask for strap photos. Thin lugs and a tall movement make strap fit the difference between comfortable and awkward.
Red Flags in a V10 Listing
- No movement identification, or the phrase "original clone movement" with no base named.
- Water resistance claimed at 100 meters or more. Pushers and correctors are rarely sealed well. Do not swim in it.
- Version ten with no list of what changed from version nine.
- Photos borrowed from a different seller, which you can spot by matching room lighting and hand position across listings.
- A price far below the rest of the market for the same movement family.
Legal and Practical Reality in the United States
Counterfeit watches infringe trademarks, and selling or importing them is illegal in the US. Customs seizures of counterfeit watches are routine, which means a shipment can be stopped and destroyed with no refund. Treat that risk as part of the cost. A replica grand complication also holds no resale value and cannot be serviced by the brand. Buy it as a novelty, price it as a novelty, and keep the receipt expectations low.
Bottom Line
Pick the mechanical build, verify the movement base in writing, and compare the dial layout against the genuine reference photo before you pay. The version number is the least useful piece of information in the listing.