Welcome Breezy!

If you look through the Feedback Forum here you will some discussion about some specific sellers. Many are selling genuine product, but in most cases the warranty paperwork from Breitling is not included -- instead you get the sellers warranty, and I would guess your exeperience in filing any sort fo claim would vary from seller to seller. You may still take it to Breitling, but you would have to pay. In other cases, the sellers have removed the serial numbers. In that case, it is my understanding that Breitling would never repair/service it, it would be solely between you and the seller, or some other repair shop to get regular maintenance and service.

The best advice I can give is to be patient. Go to your AD and get their best price -- remember this is a negotiation. Understand the warranty and return policy of any online seller (i.e. who pays for return shipping if something goes wrong, what is covered, how long will service take...etc). Ask questions about the condition of the watch (i.e. is the serial number intact, does it come with all the original packaging...). Lastly, be sure to familiarize yourself with the model you are interested in so you can spot a fake with reasonable certainty. If there is a shred of doubt, move on. There are always other opportunities to buy, but there may not be another opportunity to get your $4000 back.

Weigh all of those things and then decide if it is worth it. In my case it was not, I chose to buy from my AD. For some other people they decided it was worth it, and they have been satisfied. To each his own, just go in with your eyes open and understand that there is more to the transaction than just saving money.