Quick answer
A fake Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar watch copies the outside of the reference 5327. It does not copy the movement. The genuine 5327 has an in-house perpetual calendar and a hand-cut guilloché dial. Retail is about $90,000. Fakes sell for $200 to $2,000.
Fake Breguet Classique Perpetual Calendar Comparison: Which Is the Best Replica?
Genuine reference 5327 specs
- Case: 39 mm, 18k yellow, white, or rose gold
- Functions: perpetual calendar, retrograde date, day, month, leap year, moon phase
- Movement: Caliber 502.3 DRP1, 38 jewels, about 46 hours of power reserve
- Dial: hand-engraved guilloché on a rose engine
- Caseback: sapphire crystal
- Hands: Breguet style with hollow eccentric tips
Five checks
- Perpetual calendar test. Set the watch to February 28, 2023. Advance one day. A true perpetual calendar shows March 1. Set it to February 28, 2024 and advance. It shows February 29. Many fakes use a simple annual calendar or a fixed disc. The leap year subdial will not move.
- Dial texture. Genuine guilloché lines are cut, not stamped. The pattern is continuous and sharp under a loupe. Fake dials show shallow grooves or printed lines. The Breguet name and the numerals are sharp under a loupe. Fake printing shows dot patterns.
- Caseback and movement. Genuine has a sapphire back. The movement shows Geneva stripes, perlage, and an engraved rotor. Fake movements show plain bridges, rough screws, and laser-etched text. The rotor may spin with a loud noise.
- Weight and metal. An 18k gold case has a density of about 15.5 g/cm³. Steel is about 7.8 g/cm³. A gold 5327 weighs more than a plated brass fake. Wear on the lugs and caseback shows brass or copper under the plating.
- Serial numbers and papers. Genuine numbers appear on the caseback, movement, and warranty card. They match. Fakes have no number, a number that does not match, or a sticker instead of an engraving. The Breguet buckle is signed on genuine straps.
Details that differ
The genuine 5327 uses a retrograde date hand. The hand jumps back at the end of the month. A fake may use a printed date scale and a hand that moves in a circle. The moon phase on a genuine watch has a gear ratio that stays accurate for 122 years. Fake moon phases use a simple 29.5-day disc and drift. The genuine crown is signed. Many fake crowns are blank. The genuine case has a fluted caseband. Fake casebands show soft edges or wrong proportions.
Legal note
In the US, 18 U.S.C. § 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a crime. Customs can seize counterfeit watches at import. Selling a fake as genuine is fraud. Buying a fake for personal use is not a federal crime, but the watch can be seized and destroyed.