A fake Breguet 3317 is a watch sold as Breguet reference 3317 that did not come from Breguet. The reference belongs to an older generation of Classique dress watches, so most examples on the used market are either genuine pre-owned pieces or copies built to fill the demand. Fakes split into two groups: cheap counterfeits with quartz or generic automatic movements, and higher-grade replica builds that copy the case and dial shape.
Three things separate any of them from the real watch: the movement, the gold content, and the hand finishing. Those are also the places where fakes give themselves away, no matter how good the listing photos look.
Why the Breguet 3317 Gets Copied So Often
The 3317 is a thin gold dress watch with a simple round case and a clean dial. That recipe is easier to copy than a chronograph or a tourbillon, which is why it shows up in counterfeit catalogs so often.
- The case shape is basic: round, thin, with straight lugs and no complex angles.
- The dial pattern can be stamped or printed instead of hand-turned on a rose engine.
- Genuine supply is thin, so buyers have few real examples to compare side by side.
- The Breguet name carries a high price, which makes a copy at a fraction of the cost tempting.
Red Flags on a Fake Breguet 3317
Dial and Guilloché
Breguet cuts dial guilloché by hand on a rose engine, so the lines shift in depth as light moves across them. Copies use a stamped pattern that looks flat and repeats in a mechanical way. Printing is the other tell: real dial text sits crisp and raised, while fake text looks soft at the edges under a loupe.
Hands and Blued Steel
Breguet hands are blued steel with a hollow eccentric "moon" tip, and the blue comes from heat, not paint. Fakes often use painted hands or a chemical blue that reads dark purple or black in daylight. Check the tip shape under magnification; copies round it off or fill it in.
Case, Hallmarks, and Gold
A genuine 3317 case is solid 18k gold with hallmarks struck into the metal, not laser-etched on the surface. Fakes usually use gold-plated steel or brass, which feels light in the hand and shows wear at the lug tips. Hallmarks on a fake sit shallow and smudged, and the caseback engraving lacks the depth of a struck stamp.
Movement and Caseback
Breguet finished its own movements with polished bevels, Geneva stripes, and a Breguet overcoil hairspring. A fake runs an ETA clone, a Seagull, or a quartz module, and the decoration is printed or plated rather than cut. If a seller will not let a watchmaker open the back, that answers the question on its own.
Serial Numbers and Paperwork
Serial numbers on the caseback should match the certificate and Breguet's own service records. Fake papers are easy to print, so a booklet proves nothing by itself. A Breguet service history, an original box with the correct reference, and a matching serial do carry weight.
How to Check a Breguet 3317 Before You Buy
- Ask for photos of the caseback, the movement, and the hallmarks before you talk price.
- Hold the watch. Solid gold has a heft that plated steel does not.
- Check the dial under a loupe for stamped guilloché and soft printing.
- Have a watchmaker open the case and confirm the movement type and finish.
- Send the serial number to Breguet or a Breguet-trained watchmaker for confirmation.
- Walk away from any deal that skips a documented service history at a price that seems low.
What Does a High-Grade Replica 3317 Look Like?
A high-grade replica of the 3317 copies the outside well: correct case diameter, sapphire crystal, and a dial that photographs like the real thing. On the wrist at arm's length, most people will not spot it. That is the honest limit of what a replica can do.
Inside, the story changes. No replica house makes its own hand-finished movement with a Breguet overcoil, and none uses solid 18k gold at a replica price. Buyers who know this treat replicas as costume pieces and nothing more. Selling one as genuine is fraud, and customs agencies in the US and Europe seize counterfeit watches at the border.
Price Gap Between Real and Fake
- Genuine pre-owned Breguet 3317: often in the low five figures of US dollars, set by gold weight, condition, and papers.
- High-grade replica: a few hundred dollars, with a plated case and a generic movement.
- Cheap counterfeit: under a hundred dollars, often quartz, often with wrong dial text.
If a "Breguet 3317" is listed at a few hundred dollars, it is not a bargain. It is a fake with a story attached.
FAQ
Is a fake Breguet 3317 worth buying?
Only if you want the look and accept that it is not a Breguet. Resale value sits near zero, service is hard, and the gold is not real. For most buyers, the money is better spent on a solid watch from an honest brand.
Can a jeweler tell a fake Breguet 3317?
A trained watchmaker can, and a jeweler with a gold tester can confirm the case metal in seconds. Dial and movement checks need someone who has handled real Breguet pieces before. General retail staff may not catch a good fake.
Do fake Breguet 3317 watches use real gold?
Rarely. Most use gold plating over steel or brass, and a few use low-karat gold with no hallmarks. An acid test or X-ray fluorescence test settles it without opening the case.
Bottom Line
A fake Breguet 3317 can fool a photo, but it cannot pass a loupe, a scale, or an open caseback. Check the gold, the movement, and the serial before you pay. If any of those checks fails, the watch is not a Breguet, whatever the listing says.