The top pick for most buyers is a mid tier automatic Breguet 3317 replica: a watch built around a 28,800 vph automatic movement, with a guilloché style dial that has real pattern depth, correctly shaped Breguet hands, and a fluted caseband that follows the genuine case profile. I judged options on four criteria: dial execution (pattern, printing, secret signature), hand and numeral accuracy, case finishing and proportions, and movement quality with an eye on whether it can be serviced at all. Cost matters, but a cheap 3317 that misses the dial is a worse buy than a mid tier copy that nails the silhouette.
How to Spot a Fake Breguet 3317 Replica Watch
What the Breguet 3317 Actually Is
The 3317 sits in Breguet's Classique family, which means a thin precious metal case, a guilloché dial, Roman numerals, Breguet's pomme hands with the eccentric moon tips, and a fluted caseband. Breguet also etches a hidden maker's mark into the dial, the so called secret signature, and that detail matters here because it is one of the first things a replica gets wrong. Replica catalogs often attach the 3317 name to cases and dial layouts that do not match the real reference, so before you compare builds, pull photos of the genuine variant you want and match the layout first.
The Four Criteria That Decide Quality
- Dial: pattern depth, whether the guilloché is engine turned or stamped, crispness of printing, and the placement of the secret signature.
- Hands and numerals: pomme hand shape, the moon tip, the finish on blued steel, and the weight of the Roman numerals.
- Case: fluted caseband, lug shape, crown size, thickness, and caseback engraving.
- Movement: automatic versus quartz, beat rate, hacking, hand winding, and whether a watchmaker will touch it.
Entry Tier: Quartz and Basic Automatic Copies
These are the cheapest 3317 replicas on the market, usually plated brass with a stamped dial and a quartz or low grade automatic inside.
- Pros: low cost, light on the wrist, fine as a prop or a photo stand in, easy to replace if damaged.
- Cons: quartz ticking seconds that no Classique should have, plating that pits and wears through at the lugs, a flat dial pattern with no depth, thick printed numerals, and a caseback that is clearly not the real thing.
Use case: a costume piece or a shoot prop. Not a daily wear watch.
Mid Tier: The Top Pick
This is where a fake Breguet 3317 replica starts to look convincing at arm's length. You get a steel or better cased watch with a decorated automatic, a dial with visible pattern depth, and hands with the correct pomme profile.
- Pros: correct hand sweep and beat rate, dial pattern that catches light like engine turning, blued hands with a clean moon tip, solid caseback engraving, a caseband that reads as fluted rather than grooved.
- Cons: the guilloché is stamped rather than cut, case proportions can be off by a fraction of a millimeter, the secret signature may be missing or too bold, and water resistance is claimed rather than tested.
Use case: the best balance for someone who wants the look on the wrist, wears it to dinners and meetings, and does not want to baby it.
Top Tier and Custom Builds
These are assembled from better cases and hand finished movements, sometimes with a custom dial.
- Pros: closest case geometry, thinner profile, better engraving on bridges, fonts and printing that hold up under a loupe.
- Cons: cost climbs toward a used entry level luxury watch, wait times are long, service support is limited, and resale value is close to zero.
Use case: someone with a watchmaker on call who wants the closest visual match and accepts that the money is spent, not invested.
Dial Details That Give a 3317 Replica Away
Look at the dial under a lamp, not under a phone screen. On a good copy the guilloché pattern shifts and darkens as you tilt it, and the lines stay sharp where they meet the numerals. On a weak copy the pattern looks printed and flat. Check the pomme hands for the small ring near the tip, check that the bluing is even rather than painted, and check whether the secret signature is placed where Breguet puts it on the reference you are matching. Too many replicas add a bold signature that is easier to spot than no signature at all.
Case, Size, and Wearability
A Classique lives or dies on thinness. Ask for the case thickness and compare it to the genuine reference, since an extra millimeter ruins the profile on a slim dress watch. Check the fluting on the caseband for depth and even spacing, look at the lug shape from the side, and confirm the crown is not oversized. On the caseback, the engraving should be crisp and correctly spelled, because sloppy text is the fastest tell on any replica.
Movement and Service
Ask what is inside before you buy. A 28,800 vph automatic with hacking and hand winding is the sensible floor for this reference. Quartz is a hard no unless the watch is purely decorative. Find out whether your local watchmaker will service the movement, and budget for a gasket and seal check if you plan to wear it near water. Treat any water resistance claim as unproven until it has been tested.
Which One Should You Buy
- First replica, everyday wear: mid tier automatic, steel case, sapphire crystal.
- Photo, film, or display only: entry tier is enough, since nobody handles it.
- Closest visual match with a watchmaker available: top tier or custom build.
- Gift or occasional wear: mid tier, but skip plated cases that wear through at the lugs.
Buying Checklist
- Match the dial layout to genuine photos of the exact 3317 variant first.
- Ask for macro photos of the dial, hands, and caseback engraving.
- Confirm the movement type, beat rate, and whether it hacks.
- Ask for the measured case thickness, not the catalog number.
- Check the return policy and whether the seller will swap a misaligned dial.
- Budget for a service and seal check after delivery.