diff --git a/_pytest/python_api.py b/_pytest/python_api.py
index acc3ea286..ab7a0bc5d 100644
--- a/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ class ApproxNumpyBase(ApproxBase):
     def __repr__(self):
         # It might be nice to rewrite this function to account for the
         # shape of the array...
-        return repr(list(
+        return "approx({0!r})".format(list(
             self._approx_scalar(x) for x in self.expected))
 
     def __eq__(self, actual):
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ class ApproxMapping(ApproxBase):
     """
 
     def __repr__(self):
-        return repr(dict(
+        return "approx({0!r})".format(dict(
             (k, self._approx_scalar(v))
             for k,v in self.expected.items()))
 
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ class ApproxSequence(ApproxBase):
         seq_type = type(self.expected)
         if seq_type not in (tuple, list, set):
             seq_type = list
-        return repr(seq_type(
+        return "approx({0!r})".format(seq_type(
             self._approx_scalar(x) for x in self.expected))
 
     def __eq__(self, actual):
diff --git a/testing/python/approx.py b/testing/python/approx.py
index 3005a7bbe..a21f644f5 100644
--- a/testing/python/approx.py
+++ b/testing/python/approx.py
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ class TestApprox(object):
         if sys.version_info[:2] == (2, 6):
             tol1, tol2, infr = '???', '???', '???'
         assert repr(approx(1.0)) == '1.0 {pm} {tol1}'.format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1)
-        assert repr(approx([1.0, 2.0])) == '[1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 2.0 {pm} {tol2}]'.format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2)
-        assert repr(approx((1.0, 2.0))) == '(1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 2.0 {pm} {tol2})'.format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2)
+        assert repr(approx([1.0, 2.0])) == 'approx([1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 2.0 {pm} {tol2}])'.format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2)
+        assert repr(approx((1.0, 2.0))) == 'approx((1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 2.0 {pm} {tol2}))'.format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2)
         assert repr(approx(inf)) == 'inf'
         assert repr(approx(1.0, rel=nan)) == '1.0 {pm} ???'.format(pm=plus_minus)
         assert repr(approx(1.0, rel=inf)) == '1.0 {pm} {infr}'.format(pm=plus_minus, infr=infr)
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ class TestApprox(object):
 
         # Dictionaries aren't ordered, so we need to check both orders.
         assert repr(approx({'a': 1.0, 'b': 2.0})) in (
-                "{{'a': 1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 'b': 2.0 {pm} {tol2}}}".format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2),
-                "{{'b': 2.0 {pm} {tol2}, 'a': 1.0 {pm} {tol1}}}".format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2),
+                "approx({{'a': 1.0 {pm} {tol1}, 'b': 2.0 {pm} {tol2}}})".format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2),
+                "approx({{'b': 2.0 {pm} {tol2}, 'a': 1.0 {pm} {tol1}}})".format(pm=plus_minus, tol1=tol1, tol2=tol2),
         )
 
     def test_operator_overloading(self):