What a fake Breguet tourbillon is
A fake Breguet tourbillon is a watch that copies the look of a Breguet model with a tourbillon. Breguet did not make it. The case, dial, and movement come from another factory. Some copies hold a working tourbillon movement. Others hold a plain movement under a fake cage or an open balance wheel.
What a tourbillon does
Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the tourbillon in 1801. The device puts the balance wheel and escapement inside a rotating cage. The cage turns one full circle per minute in most designs. The aim is to average out rate errors that gravity causes when a watch rests in one position.
Breguet was founded in Paris in 1775. The brand is now part of the Swatch Group. Real Breguet tourbillon references include the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5367 and the Tradition Tourbillon 7047. Retail prices for these sit above $100,000 USD in most markets.
Real cage against fake cage
- Real: the balance wheel and escapement orbit with the cage. The cage makes one turn per minute.
- Fake: an aperture at 6 o'clock with a balance wheel that oscillates but does not orbit.
- Real: the cage bridge carries finishing on both faces. Screw heads are polished and chamfered.
- Fake: screw heads show tool marks and flat edges. No chamfer.
- Real: the caseback shows a serial number and a reference number that match the papers.
- Fake: one number, stamped, or no number at all.
Movements found in copies
Working tourbillon movements from Chinese makers include the Seagull ST8000 series and the Hangzhou 3000 series. Movement cost runs from about $250 to over $1,000. A copy priced under $150 cannot hold a real tourbillon. It holds quartz or a standard automatic with a decorated rotor.
Breguet details to check
- Hands: straight, with a hollow eccentric tip.
- Case band: fine coin-edge fluting on many references.
- Dial: hand-turned guilloche cut on a rose engine.
- Secret signature: hidden in the dial artwork on some historic models.
- Text: the word Tourbillon printed at 6 o'clock or on the barrel bridge.
Price bands
Real Breguet tourbillon watches: above $100,000 USD at retail. Swiss tourbillons from other makers: $40,000 to $150,000. Chinese tourbillon watches sold under house brands: $400 to $2,500. Copies that use a Chinese tourbillon movement: $500 to $1,500. Copies with a fake cage: $80 to $250.
Legal position in the US
Sale of goods with a counterfeit trademark is illegal under the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 1114. US Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments and destroy them. A buyer faces no criminal charge for personal possession, but resale carries civil liability.
What is not known
Breguet does not publish production numbers for the 5367 or 7047. The exact count of tourbillon movements that leave Chinese factories each year is not public.