A fake Breguet 5287 is a counterfeit version of the Breguet Classique Chronograph reference 5287, an 18k gold hand-wound chronograph with an engine-turned guilloché dial. Copies match the silhouette but almost never match the dial engraving, the Swiss gold hallmarks, or the column-wheel chronograph inside. Genuine examples trade in the tens of thousands of dollars, while replicas commonly sell from about $80 to $600.
What does the genuine Breguet 5287 look like?
The reference 5287 is a gold dress chronograph with a silvered gold dial, hand-turned guilloché patterns, and blued steel Breguet hands. Two subdials handle chronograph minutes and running seconds, and the caseband carries Breguet's fluted coin-edge finish. Inside sits a hand-wound chronograph calibre built on a Lemania base, which is why the pushers feel crisp and mechanical rather than soft.
Reference points to memorize
- Case: 18k yellow, rose or white gold with a fluted caseband
- Dial: hand-guilloché silvered gold with a secret signature
- Movement: hand-wound column-wheel chronograph
- Hands: blued steel with hollow eccentric tips
- Display: sapphire crystal and sapphire caseback
How can you tell a fake Breguet 5287 from the real one?
Work through four areas: the dial, the case and hallmarks, the movement, and the hands. Fakes fail at least two of them, and usually at the dial first.
Dial and guilloché
The genuine dial is cut on a rose engine, so the patterns have real depth and the light shifts as you tilt the watch. Most fakes print or stamp the guilloché, which looks flat and slightly blurry under a loupe. Look for the secret signature, a serial or signature etched into the pattern that fades at certain angles.
Case, gold and hallmarks
Real 5287 cases are solid 18k gold and carry Swiss hallmarks, including the St. Bernard head stamp for 18k, plus matching Breguet case numbers. Fakes are often gold-plated steel, so the watch feels light and the caseback engraving looks shallow. Fluting along the caseband is hand-finished on the original and uneven or too deep on copies.
Movement and caseback
Through the sapphire back, the real calibre shows Geneva stripes, polished steel, blued screws and a finished column wheel. Replica casebacks often hide a cheap movement behind a decorated plate, or show a rotor where a hand-wound movement belongs. A hand-wound chrono also clicks cleanly when wound, while a quartz fake is silent and its chrono hand ticks once per second.
Hands, subdials and printing
Breguet hands have hollow eccentric tips, a detail replicas often render as solid teardrops or rounded blobs. Subdial spacing follows the movement, so a fake built on a modular chronograph places its registers wrong relative to the case. Genuine dial printing is thin and sharp, while fakes use heavier ink with slightly off letterforms.
Why is the 5287 hard to copy well?
It is a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph in solid gold, so a faithful copy needs an expensive movement and a real gold case. That combination pushes cost far past what most counterfeit buyers will pay. Most fakes chase appearance alone, which leaves pusher feel, sound and dial depth noticeably wrong.
What movement do replica Breguet 5287 watches use?
Low-end replicas use quartz or generic automatic movements with a bolt-on chrono module. Mid-range replicas often use the Seagull ST19, a hand-wound column-wheel chronograph that copies the correct architecture. Even there, finishing, jewel count and beat rate rarely match the original calibre.
What should you check before buying a 5287 online?
- Ask for live photos and video of the actual watch, never stock images.
- Compare pusher position and subdial spacing against official reference photos.
- Request video of the chronograph starting, stopping and resetting to zero.
- Confirm case numbers, hallmarks and paperwork line up before paying.
- Read the return policy first, since counterfeit watches rarely have any manufacturer support.
Is buying a fake Breguet 5287 legal in the US?
No. Counterfeit watches are illegal to import, sell or traffic in the United States, and US Customs can seize and destroy shipments. Counterfeits also carry no service support and effectively no resale value, so the money spent is gone.