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How To Spot A Fake Breitling Watch?
Breitling watch dials and functions are purposely designed for owners with active lifestyles and specialists in speed. They are designed for pilots, rally drivers, sports men, or professional men and travelers.
Some Breitling watches go beyond just telling time and can be used as tools to calculate speeds and distances. Breitling watches are mainly chronograph watches. That is to say they are watches that have dials inside the main dial designed to record elapsed time like a stopwatch would. It is this chronograph feature, and look, that Breitling watches are known for.
Fakers and replica-makers will work hard to match these intricate, high quality designs so any interested Breitling consumer must look closely to make sure what they are buying is the real thing.
Construction
- Authentic Breitling watches are typically large and they are solidly constructed, therefore they should feel heavy when held
- If the watch is steel and still feels light and flimsy then it is unlikely the real thing
- Working components should be easily adjusted, such as the hands with the winding-crown or a rotating outer bezel
- Test how well everything moves, feels and functions: expect these parts to feel strong and move smoothly
Back Of The watch
Inspect the back of the watch very closely. A valuable attribute of every genuine Breitling watch is a very clear model and serial number printed onto the back of the watch.
Model Number:
- This model number defines the basic look and function of the watch and should always be a sequence that begins with a letter followed by 5 numbers
- The letter indicates the material of the watch: the letter “A” for example denotes the most common material used by Breitling, stainless steel
- This letter and number combination can now become a useful key with which to search and compare the watch with others online
Serial Number:
- Watch-specific serial number: it is smaller and much harder to see, but should be there at the outer edge beneath the model number
- The serial number is typically 7-digits long
- This number, like the model number, should match exactly with the paperwork if you have it
Other Official Stamping On The Back That You Should Expect To See:
- The official “Chronometre” stamping, the water resistant depth rating in meters and a variation of the official Breitling logo
- The logo most often appears as the letter “B” in a distinct script integrated with an anchor and a set of wings
The front Of The Watch
When you look at the front of the watch, at the dial, know that all numbers, hands and smaller dials have a purpose whether it is to show time or calculate something.
The smaller dials are called recorders. They record the elapsed time of an event. The hands on these dials can be started, stopped and reset with the conspicuous buttons on the right side of the case. When used, these recorders can time an event showing its seconds, minutes and hours typically ending at a maximum of 12 hours.
It is common for bad fakes to get this all wrong, which is a clear red flag:
- Some of these bad ones confusingly mix in days of the week or months or years.
- Some really bad imposters even have 7 hour days or 90 second minutes. These are easy to spot.
One way to weed out a good fake is to test the watch. Give it power and push the buttons to make sure the function here is as it should be. The chronograph is a useful tool and not just for show. Observe how it works.
Box And Papers
- All of the items that come with a Breitling, from box to warranty, should match with the model name and numbers. The model number and serial number that is printed on the back of the watch should be the same as the numbers found on the warranty.
- Like most brands, Breitling warranties have been paper documents through the years but they started using a distinct digital device in 2013.
- All Breitling watches produced since 2000 are “Chronometer” rated. That means that they have passed extra tests for accuracy and endurance and have the extra document to prove so. This chronometer certificate should match the serial number of the watch exactly.
How To Buy Real Breitling Watches
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