The Breitling Watch Source Forums

what is the difference between the reference number vs. the serial number?

Reference number is a 'decodable' number that tells you about the watch - see this article - http://www.breitlingsource.com/articles_refnos.shtml. All watches of the same model with the same face / case combination will have the same reference number.

The serial number is unique to the individual piece and is your assurance that the watch and papers match - of course it also has significance to Breitling for tracking what it was, where it was originally sold, etc (which is why grey market watches often have the serial removed).

thanks for the info

the reference # i'm refering to is not on the case, but rather on the outer white box, on the plastic bag containing the documents and the card from the dealer. it is a 10 digit # and says reference #.

this is what i was asking about