Do you know that Patek Philippe’s reference and movement numbers also include letters? Like many of the biggest names in watchmaking, most of these letters and numbers have a purpose. They can tell you valuable information about your watches, such as the materials used and the functions built into the movement. If you’re not sure what the letters in these alphanumeric codes mean, don’t fret. 
A reference number is a model number that helps to distinguish a watch from other products in the Patek Philippe catalog. Other watchmaking companies follow a strict numbering system, where each number provides information about the replica watches. Patek Philippe is not one of them. While they follow a particular pattern, not every number stands for something. In addition, the rules they seem to follow are not always specific, which is essential to keep in mind when reading this guide.
Patek Philippe’s numerical structure usually follows a loose format like this. 5726/1A-014, although most people refer to these models by the first four digits because they are generally easier to remember. In addition, models in the same series seem to share the first two digits in most cases.
The first digit of the reference number usually indicates the gender of the watch. Numbers beginning with 3, 5, and 6 are generally assigned to men’s models, while reference numbers starting with 4 and 7 are usually given to women’s copy watches. The sequence following the backslash marks the specific details of the eye itself, such as the bezel, bracelet, or case.
For example, the backslash following the number 1 means that the watch is wearing a metal bracelet, similar to the reference number example used above. The letter at the end of the sequence represents the material used, but we will discuss this in more detail later. It is also important to note that if a fake watch has no apparent distinguishing features, it is not uncommon to leave out the reverse part altogether. One such example is the currently produced Ref. 5726A-001. Finally, the last three digits after the hyphen are designated for the dial at the end of the whole reference number.
On the other hand, the letters in the Patek Philippe movement number represent the movement’s complications. Patek Philippe’s reference numbers and movement numbers are overwhelming to the untrained eye. However, if you know how to read them, you can learn much about a watch without even looking at it.
