Short Answer
A knockoff Cartier Ballon Bleu is a watch built to copy the shape of the Ballon Bleu de Cartier. Cartier launched the model in 2007. Copies sell from about $60 to $500. The genuine steel 33mm version retails near $6,000. A buyer gets the outline of the case. The buyer does not get the movement, the gold, the sapphire, or the Cartier warranty.
Counterfeit Cartier Ballon Bleu Item
The Genuine Watch
The Ballon Bleu has a round case and a domed sapphire crystal. Cartier set the crown inside a metal arc at 3 o'clock. A blue cabochon sits on the crown. Case sizes run 28mm, 33mm, 36mm, 40mm, and 42mm. The 28mm uses a quartz movement. The larger sizes use automatic movements. Case metals include steel, yellow gold, rose gold, and white gold. The dial carries Roman numerals and a guilloché pattern. Cartier engraves a reference number and a serial number on the caseback. Retail prices change by market, and Cartier does not publish a single global price list.
What Copies Change
- Cabochon: copies use glass or dyed spinel. Color reads dark or flat next to a sapphire.
- Movement: quartz inside sizes that use automatic in the real line. Automatic copies use low grade Chinese or Japanese movements.
- Case metal: brass with gold plating. Plating thickness runs 3 to 5 microns. Worn plating shows brass at the lugs and clasp.
- Weight: a steel copy weighs less than a steel original of the same size.
- Crystal: mineral glass on low tiers. Sapphire glass on better tiers.
- Caseback: shallow engraving, wrong fonts, missing or repeated serial numbers.
Price Tiers
Tier 1, $60 to $120: quartz, mineral glass, base metal case. Tier 2, $150 to $250: automatic movement, sapphire glass, better case finish. Tier 3, $300 to $500: closer case dimensions and cloned dial print. Above $500 the gap to a used genuine steel Ballon Bleu narrows.
How to Check a Copy
Turn the crown. A jumping second hand shows a quartz movement. Weigh the watch. A steel Ballon Bleu 36mm with a bracelet weighs about 120 grams. Hold the cabochon to a light. A sapphire shows depth and a blue core. Check the caseback text with a loupe. Genuine engraving has sharp edges and even depth. Ask the seller for the reference number and compare it against Cartier records. Cartier does not release serial data to the public, so a boutique or an independent watchmaker is the check.
Fake Cartier Ballon Bleu Watch: Tiers, Telltale Signs, and What Buyers Should Know
Legal and Shipping Facts
Cartier holds trademarks on the Ballon Bleu name, the crown guard shape, and the cabochon crown. US Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit watches at import. The agency sends a seizure notice to the buyer. Resale of a counterfeit watch is a separate offense under the Trademark Counterfeiting Act. Penalties scale with the number of items and the retail value of the genuine goods.