Replica Breguet Tourbillon 7787: Short Answer
Reference 7787 is not a tourbillon. It is a Breguet Classique with a moon phase and a power reserve display. Breguet puts tourbillons in other Classique references, including 3357, 5317, 5357 and 5367. A listing for a "replica Breguet tourbillon 7787" either mixes two model names or sells a 7787 copy with the wrong word attached. Ask for a photo of the caseback and the movement before payment.
What the genuine 7787 is
- Line: Breguet Classique.
- Reference: 7787BR/12/9V6 in rose gold. White gold and other dial variants exist.
- Case diameter: 39 mm.
- Movement: calibre 591 DRL, self-winding.
- Power reserve: 38 hours, shown by an indicator on the dial.
- Second display: moon phase.
- Caseback: sapphire crystal.
Breguet product pages carry these figures. Variants differ, so confirm the reference number against the maker's data.
Why the word tourbillon shows up
The tourbillon is Breguet's signature complication. Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the device in 1801. Sellers use the term to signal a high-end watch. A working cage turns the balance and escapement once per minute. The 7787 dial has no aperture for a cage, and there is no cage above the movement. If a product photo shows a rotating cage at 6 o'clock, the watch in the photo is not a 7787.
How copies are built
Most copies run a third-party automatic movement. Common picks: a Chinese clone of the ETA 2824, or a Miyota 9015. The moon phase disc sits behind a dial aperture. On cheap copies the disc advances once per 24 hours instead of once per lunar month, near 29.5 days. The power reserve hand on many copies is decorative. Case thickness varies by factory and runs higher than the original. Dial guilloche on low-cost copies is stamped or printed. The real dial is cut with an engine-turning lathe.
Checks before purchase
- Measure the case. The reference figure is 39 mm.
- Look at the dial lines under a loupe. Printed lines sit flat. Cut lines catch light.
- Watch the moon phase for two days. It should not move more than one small step.
- Request a movement photo. Calibre 591 DRL shows striped bridges, chamfered edges and a signed rotor.
- Read the caseback engraving. Reference and serial numbers should be cut into the metal, not printed on the surface.
Price and legal notes
Copies of the 7787 sell for roughly USD 200 to USD 600. Copies with a true working tourbillon movement, which are separate models, run from about USD 500 to USD 1,200. Price tracks movement grade, factory and seller. Import of counterfeit goods into the United States is barred under 19 U.S.C. and Customs rules, and shipments can be seized. No public data lists replica output by factory, so any claim about "best factory" copy is unverified.