A fake Pasha Must is a counterfeit Cartier Pasha, built to copy the model's screw-down crown cap and short chain. The name "Pasha Must" is a marketplace label rather than a Cartier reference, so any listing that uses it is already worth questioning. Genuine Cartier Pashas are catalogued as Pasha de Cartier or Pasha C, and each one carries a case-back reference, a serial, and a movement stamp that a counterfeit rarely matches.

Does Cartier make a watch called the Pasha Must?

No. Cartier's own catalog uses Pasha de Cartier for the 1985 design and Pasha C for the smaller steel sports version that followed in the 1990s.

"Must" belongs to the separate Must de Cartier line, the gold-over-silver watches Cartier sold from the 1970s onward. Sellers who merge the two names are describing a watch they cannot document, or copying a term from another listing.

How do you tell a fake Pasha Must from a real Cartier?

Work through four areas in order: the crown cap and chain, the dial, the case back, and the movement. A counterfeit will fail at least two of them.

The crown cap and chain

Every Pasha has a screw-down crown cover held by a short chain that anchors to the case. On a genuine watch the cap threads smoothly, sits flush, and the chain has even links with no tool marks.

On a fake the cap feels loose or gritty, and the chain is stamped from thin metal or glued at the lug. The cabochon in the crown should be a deep blue synthetic spinel, not bright glass or plastic, and it should show no bubbles.

Dial printing and the date

Genuine Cartier dial printing is sharp under magnification, with even letter spacing and clean serifs on the "Cartier" signature. Fakes show thick or broken fonts, uneven "SWISS MADE," and a date window cut off-center.

Most Pasha references place the date between 4 and 5 o'clock. If the aperture sits at 3 o'clock, or the numbers are printed crooked, the dial is wrong for the model.

Case back, screws, and hallmarks

The case back should carry a reference number, a serial, and the metal hallmark, all engraved to the same depth with crisp edges. Gold Pashas bear the Swiss precious-metal hallmark and a "750" stamp; vermeil Must-era cases are sterling silver and marked 925.

Look at the fastening. Real Pashas use functional screws or a screw-down ring that accepts a proper tool. Fake cases have decorative screw heads that strip, spin, or turn out to be molded into the metal.

Movement and weight

Cartier automatics in this family are based on the ETA 2892-A2, known as caliber 049, while the 2020 relaunch uses the in-house 1847 MC. A counterfeit hides a generic Chinese automatic that is unmarked or stamped with a brand name in the wrong font.

Weight is a fast test. Solid gold and steel Pashas feel dense in the hand. Gold-plated brass and thin steel copies feel light for their size.

Which reference numbers should a genuine Pasha have?

Pasha de Cartier references begin with W310 and run to four or five digits depending on size and metal. Pasha C references follow the same W310 pattern in 35mm steel. The engraved number on the case back must match the paperwork and the movement holder.

Write the reference down and check it against Cartier's catalog and a reputable pre-owned database before you pay. Numbers that return nothing, or that belong to a different model, are a hard stop.

Why is the price the clearest warning sign?

Pre-owned steel Pasha C watches trade in the low thousands of dollars, and solid gold Pasha de Cartier models run higher. A "new" Pasha Must at a few hundred dollars is not a discount. It is a counterfeit.

What should you do if you bought a fake Pasha Must?

Stop wearing it, photograph the listing and the watch, and open a dispute with the platform or your card issuer while the return window is open. Counterfeit trademarked goods are illegal to sell in the United States, and the seller, not the buyer, carries that exposure.

You can also report the listing to the brand's anti-counterfeiting team and to the National IPR Center. Cartier's after-sales service can confirm a watch's status when it is submitted for service, but boutiques do not issue authentication letters on the spot.