Short answer
A fake Pasha gold watch is a steel or brass case with gold plating over it. A real Cartier Pasha in gold has a solid 18k case. That case carries a 750 stamp, an assay office hallmark, and a serial number that matches the caseback, the movement, and the paperwork. Copies skip the assay mark and show base metal where the plating has worn off.
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What 18k means on a Cartier Pasha
18k gold is 75 percent gold by weight. Makers stamp it "750" or "0.750". Cartier stamps the case and the clasp. A solid gold case also carries a national assay mark, applied after testing by a government assay office. France used the eagle head for 18k gold. Switzerland stamps 18k gold with a St. Bernard dog head. Plated watches do not get an assay mark because there is no solid gold to test.
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US rules set a minimum plating thickness before a product can be sold as gold plated. A solid gold Pasha case is the same alloy from the surface to the core.
Weight and density
18k gold has a density near 15.5 g/cm3. Stainless steel sits near 7.8 g/cm3. Brass sits near 8.5 g/cm3. A gold Pasha case with the same outer dimensions as a steel one weighs about twice as much. Put both in the same hand and the gap is easy to feel.
Case details that fakes miss
- The grid over the crystal. On a real Pasha the grid sits flush and centers on the dial. Copies sit high or sit off center.
- The crown cap. Pasha crowns have a screw-down cap on a short chain. Copies use a fixed cap, a glued cap, or a chain with rough links.
- The cabochon. Cartier sets blue sapphire or spinel in the crown. Copies use glass or dyed plastic.
- "Swiss Made" flanks the 6 o'clock marker. Copies print it at the wrong height or with the wrong letter spacing.
- Vendome lugs. The lug profile is thin and even on a real case. Plated copies show thicker lugs because the base case is cast.
Movement and caseback
Cartier used quartz and automatic movements in the Pasha line over its production run. The caseback lists a reference number and a serial number. On a real watch those numbers, the movement number, and the certificate agree. Copies reuse the same serial number across many units. Shallow, laser-cut engraving is a sign of a copy. Cartier cuts deep and polishes the inside of the letters.
How to test gold without damage
- Magnet. A magnet pulls on a steel case. It does not pull on gold. It does not pull on brass either, so this test only rules out a steel core.
- XRF. An X-ray fluorescence tester reads the surface alloy. Thick plating can read as gold. Ask for a reading at a worn edge or inside the caseback.
- Density. Weigh the watch in air, then weigh it suspended in water. Divide the dry weight by the difference. A result near 15.5 points to 18k gold. A result near 8 points to brass or steel.
- Acid test. A jeweler scratches a hidden spot and applies nitric acid. Gold resists it. Base metal turns green or bubbles.
- Caseback removal. A watchmaker can see the plating line on the case threads and the caseback rim in about a minute.
Price and paperwork
Gold Pasha models list above their steel equivalents, and the gap tracks the gold price. Scrap value follows the same price. A seller asking below the melt value of the case has no solid gold to sell. Ask for the original certificate, Cartier service papers, and a recent service invoice.