The Breitling Watch Source Forums

After more than a year of looking, I finally bought my first Breitling, I think... Now I am petrified that it is a fake... How can I be certain? Please review the pictures in the attached eBay URL and provide assistance!

Thanks!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=008

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Hermosaman, CA

That looks absolutely fine to me. I know there are some very VERY good fake Evo's out there, but it looks like you've got a genuine one there. Nice purchase!

On the poll, well I personally prefer the AD route to avoid the very uncertainty you are currently feeling! But if you are careful and "buy the seller" in the first instance, then you can pick up some very good deals on-line.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

The watch you purchased looks authentic.

As far as my vote, I voted for "online purchase" because of my recent transaction with PrestigeTime.com. I've not had the best experiences with authorized dealers (with discounts, etc). Of course buying directly from an AD would be ideal if you could get a 25-30% discount everytime.

~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

Fair point on the discount front Brian. If you get a couple of hundred knocked off in an AD then you've done very well. I would definitely buy from somewhere like PrestigeTime or similar. I'm just a little more wary of random sellers on eBay.

As an aside AuthenticWatches on eBay have a Montbrillant Legende (Bronze dial) for sale for £2200 GBP, which is a GREAT price. But (and it's a BIG BUT in my opinion) it doesn't have serial numbers, so that totally writes it off for me.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Very true on the serial numbers. Not everyone online leaves them intact. Luckily, Prestigetime.com does, and that's one of the reasons I purchased from them (That and they beat Jomashop and AuthenticWatches by a few hundred dollars).

Hats off to Hermosaman on his purchase, he saved a minimum of 6-800 just on the watch itself (Not to mention the extra band your timepiece comes with).

~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

I voted for online as I bought my first Breitling from Authenticwatches.com. Substantial savings buying from the gray market, but be sure they have a good track record.

Concerning the Ebay link you posted, it looks genuine. Only the subdial hands are questionable. Only the seconds hand should have the arrow styled pointer. The rest should have a straight pointer (unless Breitling revised it). Anybody knows?

Just to further reassure you - it is genuine.

There are 2 fake versions of the Evo, both identical apart form the movements used, and they are very very accurate having been modelled form a genuine watch that was bought then taken apart and CAD/CAM'd. All the case dimensions are identical to the real watch and so is all the caseback engraving.

The first version has an Asian made copy of the Valjoux 7750. This will sometimes have a winding rotor with the correct Breitling engraving which is good enough to fool most people but sometimes will have a plain rotor (which is very obvious!!). Crucially missing from the Asian 7750 movts is the correct perlage finish on the movement bridge plates and more noticeably the fine timing adjuster that is found on the balance wheel bridge. A genuine Breitling 7750 movt will also have an engraved movt serial number visible whereas the asian movt won't have any engraved numbers (but they will sometimes have stick on gold numbers). The Asian version also will not have the ETA mark under the balance wheel nor will it have the 25 Jewels, Twenty Five, Swiss engraving on the bridge plates.

The second version of the fake Evo has a genuine ETA Valjoux 7750 and that movt will be marked with ETA's mark under the balance wheel and will also be engraved with 25 jewels etc but it will be the plain Rhodium finish with no perlage finishing on the bridge plates and no serial number.

The hands on all the fakes are identical to the real watch but crucially the luminous material on the dial/hands is not Super Luminova so will not glow very brightly or for very long.

Otherwise the fakes do have the correct engraving on the inside of the caseback and some fakes (although not sure about the Evo) will have sequential serial numbers too!!! Be careful guy's n gals.

I initially thought it was genuine, but then looking at the movement.. it looks wrong. The Rotor is signed incorrectly, and there is decoration that should be on the movement that does not appear to be there.

As pointed out, all the hands have arrows, rather than just the second hand.

I have a photo of a correct Caliber 13 from a Chronomat Evo.. and it doesn't look like that.

And the final thing.. which is definately wrong, is the dating on the bracelet.. it has 53 in it... there are only 52 weeks in a year. Ive seen only fakes with 53 on the bracelets for the week, which means it is fake.

My conclusion, a new breed of fake.. which has what looks like a very close to correct date font. I dont have the date handy to check, but the three looks right but a bit off..?? or maybe its right. I think the middle line is longer on the real one but i could be wrong.

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BreitlingSource Admin
http://www.breitlingsource.com - http://blog.breitlingsource.com

I hope it's not a fake....Looks like he gave $3000 for it!

~Brian

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Breitling Super Avenger
Fortis Flieger Chronograph
Rolex Submariner Date

Crikey. I hope you are wrong for hermosaman's sake, Admin. If it is a fake, then it's by far and away the best I've ever seen. More fuel to the "buy from an AD" fire if it is..... although that'll be ZERO comfort to hermosaman if you are correct.

Hermosaman - maybe worth getting yourself and your watch to an AD as soon as poss to get it checked out. Hope it's genuine.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

In the actual chronolog, there is a picture of an open Chrono Evo on page 112. The Breitling engraving on the rotor is in a different font. And the text is not the same.

Also the crystal does not look right.

Put it on a scale and compare it. It should have 213 gramm.

As an AD, I certainly vote for AD...

BG
Thomas

That's the best fake i have ever seen,hope for the buyer that it's real..

Thats the point:
The hands on the totalisers have small arrows, which in the original only the second hand has.

damned, thats a good fake!

If that watch isn't real then it is the only justification I will evenr need to vote AD!!! It truly is scary good.

Discounts can be had at an AD beyond the 'couple of hundred bucks' mentioned above and while they might not be to the same degree as online they will still be pretty good.

I would also suggest that you shop around for international ADs - they can't sell online but there is nothing to stop you from phoning up an AD in a part of the world where Breitling's are cheaper and arranging your purchase. Especially true with the US right now because of the exchange rate.

Driver8 - I can get a bronze dial Montrbillant Legende for $4,700 Canadian - almost the same as the GBP2200 that Authentic Watches are offering it for - online just isn't worth it for me unless it is a watch that I can't get from an AD - like an older / vintage model.

I had to vote for an authorzied dealer. Little Swiss is an authorzied dealer and they did offer to ship me a watch, but I would responsible for shipping and customs fees so that added about $175. The price from a local AD with taxes still was $400 more. Since I'll be down there in a few months, I've opted to just wait until I'm there to buy it, but if anyone was looking for a decent discount, I'd be more than happy to provide you with the email address of the person I've been in contact with at Little Swiss.