Quick answer
A fake Breguet Classique 5287 fails on three points: case metal, dial finish, and movement. The real 5287 is a hand-wound chronograph in an 18k gold case with an engine-turned dial and Breguet calibre 533.2. Any "5287" with a steel case, a closed caseback, or an automatic movement is a different watch carrying the name.
What the reference is
- Hand-wound chronograph, Breguet calibre 533.2, built on the Lemania 2310 architecture.
- 18k gold case with a fluted case band, welded lugs, and a sapphire caseback.
- Two counters: 30-minute totalizer at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 9 o'clock.
- Hand engine-turned guilloché dial, Roman numerals, blued steel Breguet hands.
- Case number on the caseback, matching number on the movement bridge.
Breguet stamps the case number on the caseback and repeats it on the movement. The two must match. Breguet applies a secret signature to many Classique dials. Confirm placement against reference photos before you use it as a test.
Common tells on replicas
- Case metal. Gold plating wears through at the lug edges, the crown, and the caseback rim. Look at the inside of the lugs and the band under bright light.
- Dial. Real guilloché is cut into the metal. Stamped or printed patterns look flat under raking light, and the ridges do not run parallel to the chapter ring.
- Subdial layout. Lemania-based chronographs place counters at 3 and 9. Replicas built on Asian automatic chronographs put counters at 6, 9 and 12, or add a date window at 3.
- Movement finish. Côtes de Genève stripes, circular graining, and an engraved brand signature on the bridges. Laser engraving on counterfeit bridges is shallow, even, and lacks chamfered edges.
- Hands. Breguet hands are blued steel with a hollow pomme tip. Painted or chrome hands show a solid tip.
- Hallmarks. Swiss gold hallmarks sit on the caseback and case band. Plated cases carry a stamped imitation or nothing.
- Weight. An 18k gold case weighs more than a plated case of the same diameter.
- Serial and papers. A matching certificate, service record, and serial number on both case and movement. A seller with no caseback photo has no proof.
Price and paperwork
Genuine 5287 examples trade in the five figures at auction and on the secondary market. Counterfeits sell for a few hundred dollars. A Breguet boutique or authorized service center can check a serial number against factory records.
Legal notes for US buyers
Under 18 U.S.C. § 2320, trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal offense. U.S. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watches at import. A watch that copies the Breguet name, logo, and reference number is a counterfeit. A watch with a similar layout and no trademarks is a homage, and US law treats it as a separate category.