The Breitling Watch Source Forums

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-wristwatch- ... 4a9ad10be2

-is it fake or real or frankenstein? Is the asked price OK to pay?

Thanks everyone!!!

General rule of thumb - don't buy a watch from South America, 99% are frankenwatches. The biggest give away on this one quite honestly is the price. Before ever the pictures loaded I was yelling frankenwatch because the price was so low.

However, when the photos started loading I was a bit taken aback - the dial looks real, the caseback looks good and the reference number matches with the dial.

However, it is wrong, and here are the problems.......

The movement is not original to the watch and is not Breitling. The case on the 1356 was gold plated, and while this may be original it has obviously been refinished, the crown is not original.

Don't really have much of a problem with this one. The case looks like it's been replated and the crown has indeed been replaced. The movement appears to be ok to me because the 'Breitling' looks original on the movement. There is one glaring omission though that would require clarification from the seller. Show a picture of the INSIDE of the back cover. For this style and year of watch there should be a serial number. No serial number, no buy.

You really think that the movement is original Paul?

I agree that the Breitling is in the right place, but it doesn't look refined enough to me. Agree that we need a serial number, I just was wary of that movement. Mind you - that might be a natural aversion to South American sources!

If you look closely at the movement it appears to be stamped which would be correct. The fake ones appear to be laser cut. Fakers aren't going to the trouble to tool up a metal stamp to use imho. I didn't know there were Landeron manual wind movements that were used though. Maybe that's why we might be wrong when we say Landeron's were never used in Breitling's. Maybe just not in chronographs.

I see what you mean on stamping.

The Landeron debate is never going to end. I keep seeing things every now and then that suggest Landerons were used, but I haven't yet seen a documented watch. This may be the closest.

This watch is absolut ok.

Offcorse Landeron where used in Breitling, also in 1930th chronographs.

so the serial i got from seller 958978 ???

and photo from inside of back once again!

That serial is 1961.

I would have thought a little earlier, but not a cause for concern.

So the verdict is ??? To buy or not to buy?

Entirely your decision to make. I don't see anything wrong with it. It's just that we're all so leary about anything coming out of South America. Maybe they're getting better and we haven't caught up yet, who knows. I would buy this one based upon what it looks like but probably not for the asking price.

And as a counterpoint, I wouldn't buy it simply because it was South America - no other logic to it than that. There are other watches out there that wouldn't cause me so much doubt.

what would be fair price then?

$29.95!

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S. Craig Bergsma