The Short Answer

A fake Rendez-Vous Moonphase My Star copies a Jaeger-LeCoultre ladies' dress watch: a round case, a stone-set bezel on gold references, a moon aperture at 6 o'clock with a star field behind the moon, and hands whose tips flare into a five-point star. Most copies get the outline right and fail on three points. The moon disc is a printed sticker instead of a stamped, brushed metal disc. The dial is flat print instead of woven guilloche. The hands end in a blunt taper instead of a star. Judge a copy on those three things and the rest of the watch usually follows.

Before You Open a Listing

  • Know your case size target. Genuine references sit near 34 mm to 37 mm. A copy that measures 39 mm or wider will sit wrong on the wrist.
  • Decide on steel or rose-tone. Diamond-set bezels belong on the gold references, not the steel ones.
  • Check your local law. In the United States, importing or selling counterfeit goods is illegal and parcels get seized at the border.

Inspection Steps

Dial Texture and Hands

  1. Hold the watch at an angle to a window light and look for a woven guilloche pattern that shifts as you tilt it. Flat, even print means a stamped blank.
  2. Check the hour and minute hands. Rendez-Vous hands end in a sharp star; copies end in a plain taper or a squashed lump.
  3. Read the printed signature with a loupe. Letterforms should be crisp and spaced apart, not crowded or fuzzy.
  4. Confirm the date window sits near 6 o'clock beside the moon aperture and that its frame is beveled, not a raw punch.

Moon Phase Aperture

  1. Track the disc for one week. A working moon phase travels about a quarter of its full cycle in seven days.
  2. Inspect the moon itself. It should be a stamped metal disc with brushed shading, not a printed dot with a flat outline.
  3. Look at the stars behind the moon for depth. Applied or stamped stars cast a small shadow; printed stars do not.
  4. Advance the complication with the corrector and count one day per push. A disc that jumps two days or drifts back is a broken or fake mechanism.

Case, Bezel, and Stones

  1. Run a fingernail along the bezel edge. Stones should sit flush in a channel with even spacing and matching color.
  2. Check the lugs for a taper and a sharp transition between polished top faces and brushed or polished sides.
  3. Weigh the case in your hand. Rose-tone copies are steel underneath and feel light for their size.
  4. Study the caseback engraving for depth and centered text. Double-struck or shallow letters point to a low-grade case.

Movement and Winding

  1. Wind the crown 20 turns and feel for grit or a rubbery stop.
  2. Listen for the rotor. A faint sweep suggests a thin automatic calibre; a loud rattle suggests a cheap clone.
  3. Pull the crown to each position and set the time. Positions should click into place without slack.
  4. Lay the watch flat for 12 hours and compare it against a phone clock. Drift past 30 seconds across one night means the movement needs service.

Strap and Clasp

  1. Flex the strap at the fold. Alligator copies crack there within weeks; embossed cowhide stays stiff and shiny.
  2. Check stitch density and thread color against the leather tone.
  3. Close the clasp. A pin buckle or deployant should engage with one clean click and no side wobble.

Quick Verdict

  1. Stamped moon disc, star-tipped hands, textured dial, flush stones: upper tier copy.
  2. Blunt hands or printed moon: mid tier, fine for occasional wear.
  3. Wrong case size, flat dial, rattling rotor: skip it.

Practical Note

A copy carries no brand warranty, no service history, and no resale value. A jeweler will spot the moon disc and hand tips within seconds under a loupe, so treat the watch as costume jewelry rather than a stand-in for the real reference. Keep the receipt if you buy, and avoid shipping counterfeit parcels across a border.