Short answer
A fake Breguet Tourbillon 5395 is a copy of the Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395. Most copies use a Chinese-made tourbillon movement, not a Breguet calibre. Case thickness, finishing and engraving diverge from the genuine watch. In the US, selling one as a Breguet is a federal crime.
The genuine reference
Breguet builds the 5395 in the Classique line. The case is about 41 mm wide and about 7.7 mm thick. The movement is the calibre 581SQ, an in-house tourbillon with a cage that turns once per minute. Breguet rates the power reserve at 80 hours and lists the beat rate at 4 Hz. Cases come in rose gold and platinum. US retail runs into six figures. Specs differ by version, so compare against Breguet's own sheet for the exact reference.
What the replicas contain
Two movements appear in most copies: the Seagull ST80 series from Tianjin and the Hangzhou 3300 series. Both are real tourbillons. The cage rotates once per minute, so the watch is not a fake tourbillon in the mechanical sense. It is a fake Breguet.
Differences cluster in the details.
- Thickness. Chinese tourbillon movements are thicker. Copies measure 9 mm to 12 mm against 7.7 mm.
- Finish. Bridges on the 581SQ are hand-chamfered. Copy bridges are machine-cut and plated.
- Skeletonizing. Some copies use a printed or stamped pattern instead of cut-away plates.
- Power reserve. Copy reserves run about 40 to 60 hours.
- Engraving. Caseback text and hallmarks sit shallow or off-center.
Tells on the wrist and on the bench
Breguet cuts the dial guilloché on a rose engine. Copies use a stamped pattern with a repeating seam. The Breguet secret signature, hidden in the dial, is missing or misplaced on most copies. Serial numbers on copies usually do not match Breguet records, and Breguet will not service a watch it did not make. A watchmaker with a timing machine can measure beat rate and amplitude in minutes.
Legal status in the US
Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 2320. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison. US Customs and Border Protection can seize shipments. Trademark owners can also sue sellers under the Lanham Act. Buying a copy for personal use is a different charge, but the item stays subject to seizure at import.
What is not known
No public count exists of how many 5395 copies are in circulation. Breguet does not publish production numbers by reference. Copies vary by batch, so two watches sold as the same model may not share parts.