33701 is the case-back reference stamped on the mid-size Ballon Bleu de Cartier, the 36mm steel automatic that Cartier sells under SKUs like W69012Z4. The short answer on fakes of this reference: the convincing ones run a real automatic movement inside a correctly sized 36mm case, and the cheap ones fail in the same three spots every time. Those spots are the crown guard, the blue cabochon, and the dial printing. Below is what I would check, in order.
What the number 33701 actually means
Cartier does not put model names on the back of the watch. The engraved number is an internal case reference, and 33701 shows up most often on the 36mm automatic in stainless steel, silvered dial, date at three. Inside is Cartier caliber 049, an ETA 2892-A2 base. That detail drives everything else: a thin automatic movement, a slim case profile around 12mm, and a set of exterior details that have to be reproduced well or the watch reads as fake from two feet away.
Why this reference is copied so heavily
It is a simple watch. Three hands, a date, no chronograph, no moon phase, no complications to fake. The silhouette is instantly recognizable because of the crown guard, and the design works in steel on a bracelet. Copying it is mostly a case-machining and dial-printing exercise, which is exactly why the market has so many versions at wildly different quality levels.
The four things I look at first
- Crown guard and crown. On the real watch the crown sits inside a metal guard that flows out of the case at three, and the blue sapphire cabochon is set flush. On bad fakes the guard is a lumpy blob, the cabochon is plastic, and it sits proud of the crown instead of inside it.
- Case profile. The 36mm case is about 12mm thick with a domed case back. Replicas commonly come in half a millimeter to a full millimeter thicker, which you feel in how it sits under a cuff.
- Dial printing. The Roman numerals are printed, not applied, with a crisp edge and consistent weight. Look at the XII and the VI. Thick, blurry, or uneven numerals are the giveaway on cheaper dials.
- Bracelet and clasp. The steel bracelet has brushed outer links and polished center links with tight, equal gaps. End links that rock, sharp edges on the clasp, and screws that strip on first contact are all cheap-build signals.
Movement tiers
The genuine caliber 049 is based on the ETA 2892-A2, which ETA rates at roughly 42 hours of power reserve. Replicas land in three groups.
- Quartz. Under $80. The seconds hand ticks. Skip it.
- Japanese automatic. Miyota 9015 or similar. Smooth sweep, reliable, a bit noisier, and the date font is usually close but not exact.
- Cloned Swiss architecture. Copies of the 2892 or the 2824 with engraved rotors and decorative plates. This is where the good ones live, and where you pay for it.
The tell on any of them is not the engraving, it is the sweep and the date change. If the date flips with a snap and the hand moves in small, steady increments, the movement is doing its job.
Crystal, dial, hands
The crystal should be sapphire with an anti-reflective coating that kills glare at an angle. The dial has a fine engraved pattern in the center and a flatter ring around it; if the whole dial is one flat surface, that is wrong. Hands are blued steel swords, and on the real watch the blue comes from heat treatment rather than paint, so it shifts with the light.
Size, weight, and how it wears
Thirty-six millimeters sounds small on paper and wears larger because the dial is mostly open space. On the steel bracelet the watch comes in around 130 grams. If a replica feels light or the bracelet rattles, the case and links are thinner than they should be.
What the price tells you
Under $100 means quartz and a stamped case. Around $150 to $350 gets a Japanese automatic in a decent case. Above $400 gets into cloned movements, better dial printing, and sapphire. A real 36mm steel Ballon Bleu runs into five figures at retail, so no replica is the same watch. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling.
Practical and legal notes
Counterfeit watches are illegal to import into the United States and can be seized by customs. Cartier will not service a fake, and no authorized repair shop will touch one. Nothing here changes those facts. This is about recognizing quality differences, not about passing a replica off as genuine.
Quick checklist before you pay
- Crown guard smooth, cabochon flush and blue, not purple plastic.
- Case thickness near 12mm, case back domed.
- Roman numerals sharp and evenly weighted.
- Seconds hand sweeps, date snaps at midnight.
- Bracelet links tight, screws engage cleanly.