Fake Ballon Bleu Lady: Real vs. Copy

The Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier comes in 28mm and 33mm cases for women. Both sizes exist as counterfeits. Most fakes fail on four checks: the blue cabochon on the crown, the guilloche dial, the case back engraving, and the movement. The real 33mm runs a mechanical automatic. The real 28mm runs quartz. Many fakes put quartz in both sizes.

Cartier launched the Ballon Bleu in 2007. The case is round with a domed profile. The crystal is sapphire. The crown sits under a curved guard with a blue cabochon. Steel, yellow gold, rose gold, and two-tone versions exist. The 28mm and 33mm sizes are the ones sold as ladies models. A new steel 33mm sells for several thousand dollars, above $5,000 USD in recent years. Check the current price with Cartier, since prices change.

Check 1: Cabochon and crown guard

The real cabochon is a synthetic spinel set in a gold or steel collet. It has depth, a smooth dome, and a color near royal blue. Fake cabochons are often plastic, cloudy, flat on top, or the wrong shade of blue. The crown guard on a real Ballon Bleu curves in one continuous arc from the case band. On fakes the arc is too thick, too shallow, or it breaks where the guard meets the case.

Turn the crown. A real one moves in smooth steps with no grinding. A fake feels loose or gritty.

Check 2: Dial, guilloche, and printing

The dial is guilloche with a fine radial texture. On the real watch the lines are deep, even, and centered on the dial. Fakes use stamped plates with shallow lines that fade near the edge.

• Cartier script at 12. Look at the angle of the C and the tail of the r. Fakes show thick, blurry, or upright lettering.
• Text at 6. Real dials print "SWISS MADE" at the bottom edge, with "AUTOMATIC" above it on automatic models.
• Sword hands. Real hands are polished and set level. Fake hands show burrs, uneven tips, or a loose fit on the pinion.
• Date window, on models that have one. The cut is clean and square with even magnification.

Check 3: Case back and engraving

Real case backs carry the Cartier name, the reference number, a serial number, the case material code, and "Swiss Made." The engraving has sharp edges and even depth. Fakes use laser marking or shallow stamps with rounded edges. Numbers on the case back should match the warranty card and the invoice.

Check 4: Movement

An automatic Ballon Bleu winds from rotor motion. Shake it near your ear. A real rotor is quiet. A fake rotor rattles or spins with a rasp. Open the case back, and a real movement shows Geneva stripes or perlage, blued screws on some calibers, and crisp engraving on the rotor. Fakes show rough plates and printed text instead of engraving. A quartz movement inside a 33mm case is a strong sign of a fake, since that size ships with an automatic.

Check 5: Bracelet, clasp, and weight

Real steel bracelets have tight end link fit and no gap at the lug. Link pins and screws sit flush. The clasp closes with a firm click. Fakes show gaps at the lugs, sharp edges on the links, and a weak clasp. Weight is a rough guide. A real steel 33mm with a bracelet feels dense in the hand. A fake with plated brass or thin steel feels light.

Paperwork, price, and service

Cartier has no public serial lookup tool. A boutique or an authorized service center can check a reference and serial. Cartier service centers refuse counterfeit watches. If a seller offers a steel 33mm Ballon Bleu for a few hundred dollars, the watch is not real.

Legal note in the United States

Trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. U.S. Customs and Border Protection can seize counterfeit watches at import. A mark owner can sue for statutory damages of up to $2,000,000 per counterfeit mark for willful counterfeiting under the Lanham Act. "Swiss Made" is also a protected term. Swiss law requires at least 60 percent of production costs to be incurred in Switzerland and the movement to be cased in Switzerland. A watch built in Asia cannot carry that label.