Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Spot errors on the watch face
• Part 2 of 2: Compare quality indicators
• Tips
• Warnings

The watch manufacturer Breitling prides itself on making luxurious, elegant and very robust watches. Due to its unsurpassed reputation as a maker of top class watches, the market is flooded with all kinds of counterfeit Breitlings. Pay close attention to the characteristics below when looking for an authentic Breitling watch. This way you can avoid coming home with an imitation.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Spot errors on the watch face

1. Study the logo on the watch face. The Breitling logo consists of an anchor printed or printed between a pair of wings and a graceful "B". The logo can be on the top, center, or side of the watch face. Every now and then Breitling is printed at the bottom. Breitling also uses not immediately conspicuous custom logos. If the logo is excessively large or vague, it is most likely not real.
   • Sometimes their watches have a small anchor symbol on the counterweight of the seconds hand. Some models, such as the colt a17350, do not have this anchor. Nevertheless, they are real. There are those who claim that the absence of the anchor, or if it is placed in a careless way, indicates a forgery. They have absolutely no knowledge of the matter, and should therefore certainly not ask for advice about a Breitling.
2. Know what to look for in the calendar view. Take a close look at the dials below the Breitling logo and find the one displaying the date. Some Breitlings are chronographs. This means that they have a stopwatch function. The sub-dials on most genuine Breitling watches are to display different measurements of the chronograph. However, none of them reflect the days of the week or month. If your Breitling does have a date display, it will appear in a separate window.
   • Imitation watches usually show the day and month directly on one of the subdials.
3. Check for spelling mistakes. Carefully check the letters on both the front and back of the watch for errors. Breitling is originally Swiss, so there are several Swiss-German or French words on the watch that are misspelled on imitation watches. Pay particular attention to the quality of prints. Forgeries usually use cheaper printing methods. This is often at the expense of quality, which makes the letters appear grainy and vague.
   • Since the text on a Breitling is written in Swiss German and sometimes in French, it is difficult to find out if something is misspelled. In this case, consult online images of authentic Breitling models to see if the spelling and printing are actually genuine.
4. Be alert to so-called "open heart" models. Check whether the anchor escapement, also called escapement, is visible. This makes it an "open heart" model. The anchor escapement is a small device that controls the mechanical movement of the watch. Breitling only has one open heart model in production and the number of models produced is extremely limited. If the interior of your Breitling is clearly visible, you can be sure that it is an imitation.
   • The "Breitling for Bentley Mulliner" is the only Breitling watch with an open heart design.
5. Look at the way the second hand moves. Does the second hand of your watch move continuously and in a smooth movement (automatic movement), or is it ticking at every second (quartz movement)? Breitling makes both automatic and quartz timepieces. Check that the movement of the second hand matches the advertised timepiece type.

Part 2 of 2: Compare quality indicators

1. Trace the model and serial number. Look for the model and serial number of the watch. Every Breitling has a hallmark with production details. You can find these on the strap, the case or both. If you cannot find this unique hallmark, or if the hallmark shows an incorrect model or serial number, it is not an authentic copy.
   • A Breitling with a metal strap usually has the model and serial number stamped on this. Models with a leather strap often have the hallmark on the back of the watch. This is because a leather watch strap could be replaced.
   • Depending on the material, authentic leather watch straps bear the French words "cuir genuine" (genuine leather) or "croco veritable" (genuine crocodile leather). You will not find these kinds of details with replicas. The leather used is also not in accordance with what is on the binding.
2. Test the reverberation. Hold the watch up to the light to see if there is a glare on the face. The crystal glass plate on a genuine Breitling has been treated with a special coating to reduce the amount of reflected light. So it shouldn't reflect too much. The reflection there will be slightly blue due to the color of the crystal. If the glass plate creates a dazzling reflection, you can be sure it is a counterfeit watch.
3. Assessing the weight. Hold the watch in your hand to determine the weight. Because of the heavy, stainless steel design as well as the quality of the parts inside the watch, the real Breitling should feel heavy. Most of the replicas are made of cheaper metal or even plastic. This makes them much lighter and breaks easily.
   • Although there are many different models, the average weight of a Breitling watch will be somewhere between 90-120 g.
   • Weight should not be the only measure of the authenticity of a watch. Some counterfeiters put unnecessary parts in their watches to make them heavier in this way.
4. Make sure the watch comes with a certificate. When you buy a new watch, it should always come with a printed certificate of authenticity stating the technical specifications as well as the original production location. The information on the certificate describes individual parts of the watch. This already makes it possible to distinguish a real watch from a fake watch. Someone who makes fake watches will not easily bother to forge a certificate.
   • When purchasing a used Breitling, you should always ask the current owner for an official certificate.

Tips

• Only the best materials and craftsmen are used to make a Breitling. Use common sense when investigating the authenticity of a Breitling. If the watch doesn't seem technically and aesthetically perfect in every way, chances are it's a bad imitation.

Warnings

• Always buy your Breitling from a reputable dealer. While it may be tempting to buy such a watch from a pawn shop or outlet store, it is extremely difficult to determine the authenticity of such a watch.
• Merchants who cannot provide proof of purchase for the watch may be trying to sell you a fake product.