What "Type XXI" means
Type XXI is the name Breguet gave to the Type XXI Transatlantique, a self-winding flyback chronograph the brand sold from the late 1990s. Reference 3810 used a 42 mm case in stainless steel or titanium, a sapphire crystal, and a dial with three subdials. The same name gets attached to French military chronographs of the 1950s and 1960s. The French air force ordered Type 20 chronographs from Breguet, Dodane, Auricoste, and Vixa. Later Dodane variants are called Type 21. A replica Type XXI copies one of these designs. It is not made by Breguet, and it was never issued to a military unit.
What a replica Type XXI copies
Most replicas follow the reference 3810 layout:
- 42 mm case, steel or titanium finish, 14 mm to 16 mm thick
- Sapphire or mineral crystal, many with a domed profile
- Dial with three subdials: running seconds, a 24-hour day and night indicator, and a chronograph counter
- Date aperture
- Steel bezel with engraved graduations
- Leather strap, rubber strap, or steel bracelet, 20 mm or 21 mm lug width
Smaller cases exist at 39 mm and 40 mm. Photos and caliper measurements from the seller confirm what a listing ships.
Movements used in replica Type XXI watches
Three movement families cover most of the market. Quartz chronograph modules are the cheapest and run on a battery. The Seagull ST19 is a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph from China. The Asian 7750 is an automatic chronograph built on the Valjoux 7750 layout. The 7750 adds height. A replica Type XXI built on one runs 2 mm to 3 mm thicker than the 42 mm original, so the case back sits higher on the wrist.
A real Type XXI uses a Breguet calibre with a flyback function. A replica with a 7750 has no flyback. The chronograph stops, resets, and restarts in three separate steps.
Checks before you pay
- Run the chronograph. Start, stop, reset. The hand should return to 12.
- Watch the 24-hour subdial across one full day. It should make one turn in 24 hours, not 12.
- Check the date change at midnight. A slow or stuck change points to a worn movement or a misaligned dial.
- Line the bezel graduation up with 12 o'clock. Gaps past half a millimeter show in photos.
- Ask for case diameter and thickness measured with calipers, not a tape measure.
- Ask about crown threads and gasket condition. Replica water resistance claims are not tested to ISO 22810.
Price bands
Listings for a Type XXI replica run from about $120 for a quartz model to $450 or more for an automatic with a decorated movement and sapphire crystal. Case finish, dial printing, and the movement drive the spread. No replica holds resale value.
Legal notes
In the United States, selling a counterfeit watch as a genuine one is trademark infringement, and US Customs can seize shipments. A replica is not a Breguet, and it carries no Breguet serial number that checks out with the brand. Service work goes to independent watchmakers, because Breguet will not touch a counterfeit.