This question comes up pretty often for me. Mainly from friends in, or adjacent to, the fashion industry. I normally try to tailor this to the individual by playing “what’s your fake watch archetype?” The results of this game lead me to believe that most people in my circle are looking for one medium- to big-ticket watch, something to elevate their everyday look. It’s usually a luxury replica Cartier UK vs. Rolex conversation. Sometimes I try pushing my enthusiast agenda by sprinkling in a few offbeat suggestions but people like a recognizable name and I get that!
So my blanket recommendation would be to keep it timeless with a perfect replica Tank Louis Cartier. Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy, and Andy Warhol all wore a Tank – which is probably more convincing than anything I could actually say about the watch itself. What I really love about this super clone watch though, is that it will always be cool, regardless of what’s trending.
I know the LC is on the pricey side for a first-watch suggestion, starting at around $9.5k retail for the small quartz model. My advice would be to get a vintage mechanical 1:1 fake Cartier Tank LC, which will set you back about $6-8k (in small or medium). The dollar amount might go down easier if you think about this as a cost-per-wear situation. I’m certainly not about to do the math here but the Cartier Tank replica for sale is a staple, a watch you buy and wear forever and it goes with pretty much everything, so that should keep the daily cost down some! I tried forcing myself to come up with an alternate answer, a Style Editor recommending a Swiss made copy Cartier Tank…how predictable! But hey, the classics are classic for a reason.