I’m by no means an expert with mid-century AP dress watches, but doesn’t it seem like the spacing is more consistent with the ‘Genève’ dials that during this period had a comma between ‘Audemars’ and ‘Piguet’ - except this one lacking the comma that justifies the space?
Just in case not known, a bit of nuance here around the notion of “fake.”
For most of recent history and to most purchases of watches, it was not uncommon for dials to be “restored.” Craftsmen did these restorations on the request of and at times as usual course in freshening up a watch. Average Joe in New Jersey had a nice watch showing its age, and wanted not only the movement to be serviced but finally also the watch to look “good as new.” To the average consumer, this was perhaps normal course and they liked the look of the watch better once it was “restored.”
Contrast that mentality to the one you’ll find on forums like this, where collectors want a watch as it left the factory. They’d most like a pristine watch just as it was when left the factory, or as close to that as possible - or, especially for some tool watches, one that still has not been touched but looks pretty rough to the average eye. To these collectors, a “refinished” dial is pretty far down the desirability scale (and so the valuation); many would never buy one, if only because they’d reserve those funds for another watch.
A similar dynamic can be seen when it comes to “polishing” a watch: many average consumers may not mind but even prefer a watch that has been polished because to them it seems to “freshen up” the watch; collectors see it quite the opposite, in terms of collectibility.
So two points falling out of the above;
First, bare in mind there is a difference (around here) between “fake” in the colloquial sense that you might be using it, vs a watch with a “restored” or “refinished” dial. To over-simplify the matter, a “restored” watch (frowned upon around here among collectors) may be a watch with an AP case and movement and hardware of the dial, but having been polished (as many consumers did/wanted), with some AP service parts in the movement (as many such watches needed over the years), and with a “refinished” dial (also as many consumers did/wanted, over the years). It’s a ‘67 mustang, but with non-original (but nice) paint, a new stereo, and an aftermarket exhaust. Plenty of today’s consumers may still find that ‘67 mustang to be plenty Ford for their purposes (for the right cost).
Contrast that with something being sold as a ‘67 mustang that had entirely (or largely) never seen the inside of a Ford factory, and was essentially cobbled out of parts made by a family in Taiwan, but attempting to be sold as factory original.
Second, perhaps unlike with the auto analogy, there tends to be both (A) a wider delta in watch prices between a watch with a new paint job and one still with its factory original paint, and (B) potentially and equally wider delta between what today’s average consumer may want out of a vintage watch and what the average collector around here is looking for.
So, maybe bare these (over simplified) points in mind as you consider what you are or not the high bidder on, and whether you do or do not care about in your watch selection. It may be you find that for your purposes a ‘67 mustang with a new paint job and a replaced exhaust is just fine (assuming it’s for the right price) - especially if it turns out you discover that a ‘67 mustang barn find with perfect factory paint is way more expensive and precious than you want for purposes of having for a drive to the beach regularly.
Now, I’m not here taking the position on what’s what with this specific watch. Instead, just that as you try to determine what’s what the above side rails may help you determine what you do or don’t care about, and how much you will or won’t feel you’ve paid.
Or, you may have decided you are bitten with the collecting bug, and you’re going to regret this specific piece not being factory fresh. In which case, I have last potentially mitigating point for you: that happens to everyone starting out, is fairly described as the noob tax, and whatever you may have (or will) overpay for the first few missteps will be worth the price for the experiential education it provides you.
At the end of the day, if this is a merely “refinished” dial, then you’re at worst potentially somewhat overpaying (not being scammed) for a watch that 99% of the world will never have a clue is not factory fresh (and is in fact in the stare many average customers throughout time have paid money to have as a result).
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