Short answer
Yes. Most replicas sold as the Blancpain Villeret 5221 include a moonphase at 6 o'clock. The Villeret 5221 is a complete-calendar moonphase model. The replica copies that dial layout: day and month windows under 12 o'clock, a date pointer, and a moon disc at 6 o'clock.
villeret 5221 replica vs genuine
What the dial should show
A correct Villeret 5221 replica has four calendar displays. The day window sits at 12 o'clock on the left. The month window sits at 12 o'clock on the right. A date hand points to numbers around the edge. The moon aperture sits at 6 o'clock. The moon disc has a dark blue field, stars, and one or two moon faces. The disc advances one step per lunar day. A full cycle takes about 29.5 days.
How to check the moonphase
- Ask for a close-up photo of the 6 o'clock aperture. You should see a moon and stars, not a sun and moon.
- Ask for a video that covers 24 hours, or use the pusher to advance the calendar. A true moonphase disc moves one small step per day. A day/night disc turns 180 degrees in 12 hours.
- Check the day and month windows. A replica with a moonphase but no day and month windows is not a 5221 copy.
- Set the watch near 6:30 before you change the calendar. Do not use the pushers between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
What can go wrong
Some low-grade replicas fit a 24-hour day/night disc in the 6 o'clock aperture. That disc shows a sun and a moon and rotates once per day. It looks like a moonphase in photos. It does not track the lunar cycle. Other replicas print a moon disc but drive it with the hour hand. The moon then moves too fast. A true moonphase replica uses a separate calendar plate or a modified automatic movement with a 29.5-day gear. The function can work, but the setting sequence matters. A wrong setting sequence can jam the calendar or skip a day.
Questions for the seller
- Does the moon disc move one step per day or one full turn per day?
- Do the day and month windows change with the pushers?
- Is the moon disc printed with stars and a moon face?
- Can you send a video of the moon aperture over 24 hours?
A replica with a true 29.5-day moonphase and working day, month, and date displays is a faithful copy of the Villeret 5221 layout. A replica with a 24-hour disc is not.