Answer

A fake Breguet Classique 5177BR is a watch built by an unnamed factory to look like the Breguet Classique 5177. The letters BR in the reference stand for rose gold. The real 5177BR has a 38 mm 18k rose gold case, a grand feu enamel dial, and Breguet caliber 777Q, an automatic movement. Breguet has built watches since 1775 and is part of the Swatch Group. Copies sell for a few hundred dollars, use plated base metal, and run third-party movements. No copy is a Breguet. Sale and import of counterfeits breaks US law.

Genuine 5177BR specs

  • Case: 18k rose gold, 38 mm diameter, sapphire crystal front and back
  • Dial: white grand feu enamel with painted Breguet numerals; some versions use a silvered guilloche dial
  • Hands: blued steel Breguet hands
  • Movement: Breguet 777Q automatic, 55-hour power reserve, silicon parts in the escapement
  • Strap: alligator leather with a gold buckle
  • Retail: about $25,000 USD and up. Market prices move.

How copies differ

  • Dial: copies print or stamp the dial. Grand feu enamel is fired at high heat and shows a glossy surface with depth. Copy dials look flat.
  • Case metal: plated brass or steel, not 18k gold. Swiss gold hallmarks are missing or wrong. The 750 stamp and the Helvetia head appear on genuine cases.
  • Weight: a gold case is heavier than a plated case of the same size.
  • Movement: a Chinese or Japanese automatic with a decorated rotor. The 777Q has a gold rotor and Breguet engraving. Copy bridges show machine marks under a loupe.
  • Numbers: Breguet stamps a case number on the caseback and a movement number on the bridges. Copy numbers repeat across units.
  • Finish: copy hands have burrs. Copy screws show tool marks.

Price gap

Sellers use labels such as first copy, master copy, and AAA to rank replica grades. These labels have no standard definition and no link to Breguet. Listings for these copies run from about $150 to $800. The gap between that and a $25,000 gold watch is the first signal. Gold has a scrap value. A 38 mm solid gold case is worth more than the whole copy.

US law

18 U.S.C. 2320 makes trafficking in counterfeit goods a crime. The Lanham Act lets the brand owner sue for damages and seize goods. US Customs and Border Protection can hold and destroy counterfeit imports. The personal-use exemption that covers one trademarked item does not apply to counterfeits.

Checks before you buy

  1. Weigh the watch. Solid gold is heavy.
  2. Look at the dial surface at an angle. Enamel has depth. Print does not.
  3. Check hallmarks inside the caseback with a loupe.
  4. Compare the case number on the caseback with the movement number.
  5. Ask for the box, papers, and service history. Fakes come with copied paperwork.
  6. Have a watchmaker open the case. This costs little and settles the question.

Case weight, dial thickness, and copy caliber names vary by factory and are not published.