The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Hi folks,

May I have your opinion on the authenticity of a watch I've been offered.

It's a Blackbird with an asking price of $3,000 Australian and I'm told it was purchased in 2005.

It's offered complete with the bakelite box and yellow cardboard box. The International Warranty, Chronometer certificate and instruction book are included.

The numbers on the warranty booklet match the numbers stamped on the back of the watch (A13353) and the serial number. The number on the chronometer certificate matches the serial number on the back of the watch.

What puzzles me is that the picture of the watch on the front of the instruction booklet is slightly different to the watch in 2 discrete ways.

1. The picture has numbers on the watch dial and the watch I've been offered has pegs?
2. The words "Serie Speciale" are printed above the chronograph dial at the 6 o'clock position in the picture on the front of the instruction book but on the actual watch the words "Edition Speciale" are printed?

The International warranty booklet has the name of the shop from where it was purchased embossed in small dots on the back page as well as a warranty certificate number embossed at the top of the back page. Unfortunately, the date of purchase hasn't been filled in which seems strange as surely that's when the warranty period starts?

I've weighed the watch on our digital kitchen scales and it comes up at 172gms (complete with what appears to be the pilot bracelet). Bracelet and side buttons look exactly as they appear in the picture on the instruction booklet.

Your thoughts before I part with cash would be very much appreciated. Hopefully I'm about to become the proud owner of my first Breitling.

Much obliged,

John

Welcome to the site John.

I don't find anything concerning about the info you have provided.
The watch you have has batons instead of arabic numbers which is OK. The original Blackbird came in both varieties.

The "Edition Speciale" is proper as well. I believe it varied from year models.

It's possible the instruction booklet is from another year model where a change was made hence the picture is different.

All in all it sounds really good as far as provenance with all the numbers matching.

If you could, please post a good pic of the dial and back of the watch so we could authenticate it for you for sure.

Thanks,

Elwyn

If the watch was originally purchased gray market, the original dealer will not fill out the date information since the warranty is invalid.

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-RJ

Elwyn and RJ,

Many thanks for your very quick response.

What does gray market mean?

I know Hardey Brothers in Australia is a Breitling AD?

Other than taking the watch to a dealer and paying for it to be authenticated I guess I just have to trust mankind and not be so suspicious. The seller has given me his full details including home address, car registration number, cell phone number and email account details so I'm inlcined to believe he is a genuine guy.

I'm also thinking that it would be quite an effort to fake all those documents and include the bakelite and cardboard boxes, but I guess friends on this forum will know to what lengths people will go to sell a fake watch.

Thanks again folks - much obliged.

every breitling you buy outside a Breitling AD, 2 hand deals , internet is considered gray market

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Thank you Cometman.

I guess the guy offering it to me may have bought it secondhand but that still doesn't explain why the AD didn't write in the date of purchase when it was sold by Hardey Brothers, Australia?

John

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-RJ

RJ,

Very informative link - thank you!

Cheers,

John