The short answer
Cartier reference 2717 is a Baignoire, the oval "bathtub" case Cartier has made since 1912 and branded as the Baignoire in the 1970s. A replica of that watch is a copy, almost always quartz, built to mimic the gold original. The reference number matters because it tells a seller which case size, dial layout and crown you expect. Listings that use 2717 usually mean a small oval case around 22 by 31 mm, a thin profile, Roman numerals and a cabochon crown.
If you are searching that exact phrase, you are probably comparing a $120 quartz copy with a $600 "super clone." The gap between them is not the box or the paperwork. It is the case curve, the dial printing and the crown.
Why this shape is hard to copy well
The Baignoire is not a round watch squeezed into an oval. The case is a continuous curve, thin at the sides, slightly domed top and bottom, with lugs that melt into the profile. That curve is where cheap replicas give themselves away. Look at the watch from the side. A good case has one smooth arc. A poor one has a flat slab with rounded corners, and the lugs sit on top of it like separate parts.
Cartier Baignoire Replica Watch 2717: What Buyers Should Check
Thickness matters too. Originals are close to 7 mm. Many replicas run 9 or 10 mm, which changes how the watch sits under a cuff and makes a small dress watch look chunky on the wrist.
fake cartier baignoire replica 2717
What to check, in order
- Dial print. The Baignoire dial is tiny, so errors are obvious. Check the weight of the Roman numerals, the spacing of "Swiss Made" at 6 o'clock, and whether the Cartier script looks thin and even. On some references there is a hidden signature inside the VII.
- The crown. It should be a smooth dome cabochon, set straight, in a color that matches the case. Glass and dyed plastic look flat and cloudy.
- Case metal and plating. Originals are 18k gold. Replicas are steel with plating, and plating wears first at the lugs and the caseback edge. Feel the weight and the warmth.
- Movement. Plenty of genuine 1990s and 2000s Baignoire references are quartz, so a quartz replica is not automatically wrong. It should still tick once per second and set cleanly, not feel gritty.
- Crystal and caseback. Sapphire on most modern versions. Engraving on the back should be shallow and crisp, not stamped-looking.
How it wears
The small Baignoire reads as jewelry more than as a watch. On a 6.5 inch wrist it covers the top of the wrist and stops there, which is the point. If you have a larger wrist, the size can look undersized, and the strap becomes as important as the case. Most come on leather with a gold ardillon buckle, and a flimsy buckle is a common shortcut.
Legal and practical reality
Counterfeit watches are trademark-infringing goods in the US. Importing them is illegal, and Customs can seize a shipment. That risk sits with the buyer, not just the seller. Cartier will not service or authenticate a replica, and no jeweler with a reputation will touch the movement for warranty work. Resale is effectively zero. If you want the look for a season, a copy can deliver it. If you want something to keep, that math changes.
Bottom line
Judge a 2717 replica on the case curve, the dial print and the crown, in that order. Those three decide whether it reads as a Baignoire from across a table. Everything else is detail you can only see up close, and nobody else will be that close.