Short answer
Patek Philippe does not list a reference 720. The number is shorthand. It maps to the ref. 7200/200R Calatrava, or to a factory batch code that sellers attach to a Calatrava-style replica. Ask the seller which case and which movement the watch copies before you compare prices.
Where the number comes from
Patek Philippe reference numbers carry four digits, sometimes with a slash and a suffix. The ref. 7200/200R is a rose gold Calatrava with a 34.6 mm case and a guilloché dial. It runs the calibre 240, an automatic movement with a micro-rotor. The 7200 family sits in the mid-size segment of the catalog. A listing that says only "720" matches no catalog entry. Check the caseback engraving first.
What a replica version differs in
- Case metal. The catalog watch is 18k rose gold. Replicas use steel with gold plating. Density tells the story: 18k rose gold is near 15.5 g/cm3, steel is near 7.8 g/cm3.
- Case thickness. A micro-rotor movement is thin. Clone movements add 1 mm to 2 mm to the profile.
- Dial finish. The genuine dial has a cut guilloché pattern. Replica dials use stamped or printed patterns. Under a loupe the lines lose depth and the crossings go soft.
- Movement. Look at the rotor and the bridges in a photo. No micro-rotor means no calibre 240 layout.
US legal status
Counterfeit watches are illegal goods in the United States. Trafficking in counterfeit goods falls under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, with a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison for a first offense and higher fines for repeat offenses. US Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit shipments at the border and destroys them. A seized order means the buyer loses the payment. Reselling a watch with the Patek Philippe name or logo is trademark infringement under the Lanham Act.
Checks before you compare listings
- Reference: 7200/200R against an unlabeled "720".
- Case size: 34.6 mm.
- Dial: cut guilloché against a printed pattern.
- Movement photo: micro-rotor present or not.
- Weight: gold against plated steel.
What is not known
No public record confirms which workshop makes a watch sold as "720". Factory codes change between batches. Price quotes for the same label vary between sellers. Treat any single claim as unverified.