The top pick for most buyers is the 41 mm rose-gold-tone Jules Audemars self-winding reproduction built on a decorated Miyota 9015 base, because it holds the original's slim case profile and shows a credible automatic movement through the sapphire caseback without the service headaches of a cloned in-house calibre. The criteria used here are case thickness and side profile, dial printing and applied markers, movement reliability and parts support, hand finishing on the case and bracelet or strap, and how easy the watch is to live with day to day. Everything below is written for someone comparing specification tiers, not for someone chasing a logo.
What the Jules Audemars self-winding actually is
The Jules Audemars was Audemars Piguet's round dress watch family, positioned apart from the Royal Oak and standing on classical proportions rather than sports-watch presence. References in the line ran roughly 39 mm to 41 mm across the range, with the Extra-Thin variants sitting under 7 mm on the wrist. Movements varied by reference, with thin calibres used in the extra-thin models and a fuller automatic in the standard self-winding pieces. AP no longer lists the Jules Audemars in its active collection, so almost everything a buyer sees today is either secondary market or a reproduction, and that is exactly why the details matter more than the name on the dial.
Top pick: the decorated Japanese automatic tier
This is the version most people should buy. It pairs a correct-looking case with a Miyota 9015 or a close equivalent, and the movement is a known quantity that any competent watchmaker can regulate or replace.
audemars piguet jules audemars self-winding imitation
- Pros: reliable beat rate and power reserve, thin enough to keep the case profile honest, easy and cheap to service or swap, wide availability of spare parts, decorated rotor and bridges can be finished to look presentable through the caseback.
- Cons: rotor noise is more audible than on a well-machined Swiss calibre, engraving on the movement is cosmetic rather than structural, and the finishing will not survive a loupe inspection next to a genuine watch.
Use case: daily wear under a shirt cuff, weddings, office settings, and anyone who wants the silhouette without worrying about a rare movement.
Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars Self-Winding Clone Guide
Alternative: the cloned in-house calibre tier
Some sellers offer a movement styled after the calibre used in the genuine self-winding references, complete with a gold-tone rotor and engraved bridges.
- Pros: closer visual match through the caseback, correct-looking rotor geometry, stronger appeal if the watch will be shown off with the back open.
- Cons: higher price for no accuracy gain, parts are scarce, servicing often means replacement rather than repair, and quality varies sharply between batches.
Use case: collectors who display their watches and accept that a failure may mean buying a new movement.
Alternative: the quartz or thin-battery build
Less common for this model because the caseback is usually transparent, but it exists.
- Pros: cheapest entry point, very thin, no winding routine.
- Cons: a sweeping seconds hand is the whole point of a self-winding dress watch, and a ticking hand gives the watch away instantly, glass casebacks expose the missing rotor.
Use case: only if the watch will be worn behind a cuff and never handled.
Case profile and dimensions
This is where most reproductions fail. The Jules Audemars is a thin watch with a gently stepped bezel and long, slim lugs, and a case that is 1.5 mm too thick reads as a different watch entirely. Ask for measured thickness with the caseback fitted, not the seller's listed number. Check lug width, because a 20 mm strap on a case cut for 21 mm leaves visible gaps at the spring bars.
Dial and handset details
The dial carries the whole look: applied baton or Roman markers, a clean outer track, and thin leaf or baton hands. Look for markers that sit flush and cast a crisp shadow, printing that is sharp under a phone macro shot, and a date window, where fitted, that is centred and framed. Crooked markers at 12 o'clock are the single most common defect on this model.
Quality-control checklist on arrival
- Measure case thickness and diameter with callipers and compare to the spec you ordered.
- Wind 30 turns and set the time; confirm the crown engages cleanly in both positions.
- Check the date flips at midnight rather than hours either side of it.
- Photograph the dial straight on and inspect marker alignment at 12, 3, 6 and 9.
- Time it over 24 hours against a reference clock and note the daily deviation.
- Inspect the caseback crystal for dust, fingerprints or a misaligned rotor.
- Tug the strap at each lug to confirm the spring bars are seated.
Red flags to walk away from
Stock photos instead of images of the actual unit, refusal to send a macro shot of the dial, no measurement of thickness, pressure to pay outside a trackable method, and claims of Swiss origin on a watch at a price that cannot support Swiss labour. A seller who answers technical questions with marketing lines is a seller to skip.
One honest note
A reproduction is not a genuine Audemars Piguet and cannot be represented as one. Selling or passing off counterfeit branded goods is trademark infringement in most jurisdictions, and resale value is effectively zero. Buy it as a look-alike for personal wear, disclose what it is if anyone asks, and never accept it in trade as the real thing.