We are living in an era of vintage remakes, with seemingly no end in sight to the new/old models inspired by the archives of heritage watch brands. Purist collectors may prefer authentic vintage, but there’s a case to be made for the remakes. Wearing an authentic (old) vintage AAA UK replica watches with an original (faded and patinated) dial that looks like it’s seen better days may be status-conferring among collectors, but there’s nothing like a sturdy remake that remains true to the original design but is made with better materials, contains a state-of-the-art movement, and is finished to modern standards.
Most of the big icons have been covered—the Rolex Daytona, Zenith El Primero, Breitling Chronomat and TAG Heuer Glassbox Carrera, to name only a few. Is there anything left to explore? Plenty, if you include lesser-known models from the past or even the more recent past that were discontinued before they had a chance to catch on. Some may have been just ahead of their time—the Rolex Paul Newman Daytona was a flop when it first launched. Many are worthy of a comeback, because they were unusual in some way, or because good design is good design, and it seems sad to see them lie dormant. Social media is rife with requests for remakes, and in that spirit, here are top Swiss fake watches I’d like to see resurrected.
Replica Cartier La Doña Watches
Cartier is the fearless trailblazer of the shaped watch category and isn’t afraid to experiment with a new case configuration every few years. Some stick and some don’t, for whatever reasons. Who could have predicted that the twisted-up Crash would become one of the most the sought-after collector’s pieces that it is today? The high quality fake Cartier La Doña watches, introduced at a massive launch party in Geneva in 2006, didn’t fly quite so high.
At the time I remember thinking it was a winning idea, like the Tank Française was 10 years earlier. La Doña was named for a famous Cartier customer, the 1940s Mexican actress Maria Felix, whose nickname, La Doña, came from one of her movie roles. The bracelet, constructed of interwoven half-circle links, was meant to resemble the scaled surface of an alligator’s hide—her favorite Cartier jewelry motif was the alligator. The case was a unique trapezoid shape that sat nicely on the wrist. It was chunky, and bottom heavy, but it was dramatic. It seems ripe for a comeback at a time when perfect Cartier copy watches’ funky shapes are being celebrated to the hilt.
Fake Rolex Daytona John Player Special Watches
I am one of what must surely be a million people who would love to see Rolex relaunch the Paul Newman Daytona, in one form or another. Those square lollipop hash marks and Art Deco font were a winning combination. But I’ll go one step further and suggest a reissue of the JPS, a.k.a the John Player Special version. They now sell at auction for as much as seven figures, so we need a modern remake. The JPS was named after the British tobacco-sponsored Team Lotus Formula One car of the 1970s, with its black and gold corporate colors. It was a rare special edition made in 18-karat yellow gold with a black and gold dial. Yes, it’s flashy as hell, but isn’t it wonderful? Given that an authentic replica would have to be yellow gold, there is a good chance I wouldn’t be able to afford a modern remake either, but it would be nice to see it. If you’re going to redo the Swiss made replica Rolex Paul Newman Daytona watches, you might as well redo it with a bang. Of course, the short-lived revamed LeMans Daytona (June 2023 – April 2024 – R.I.P.) did celebrate the Newman Daytona, so perhaps Rolex is going to continue playing the oldies.
Cartier CPCP Tank à Vis Replica Watches
Cartier fake watches online has already successfully relaunched the Panthère, Tank, Santos, Pasha and Crash, and there is no reason a relaunch of the quirky Tank à Vis would not be equally well-received. It fell within the Collection Privée Cartier Paris (CPCP), which was produced from 1998 to 2008, dedicated to revisiting Cartier’s greatest hits. The CPCP Tank à Vis launched in 2005, and was based on the design of the Tank Etanche (waterproof), made in 1931, so a comeback now would actually be a remake of a remake. It is notable for its four screws on the bezel and elongated shape. This one, currently for sale in a Sotheby’s online auction, is a Wandering Hours, with hours in an arc at 12 o’clock, minutes with a traditional hand and date in an aperture at 6 o’clock. Remaking this would also constitute a welcome revisitation of luxury Cartier super clone watches’ days as a maker of fun complications.
