Short answer
The tag "fake Ballon Bleu 33687 stainless steel" appears on dealer sheets for a replica of the mid-size Cartier Ballon Bleu in steel. A good copy gets four things right: a 36 mm class case with a rounded profile, a fluted crown guard with a blue cabochon, a guilloche dial with printed Roman numerals, and an automatic movement that holds time within a few seconds a day. Box, papers, and "Swiss made" print are decoration. Judge the watch on the case, the dial, and the movement, in that order.
What 33687 usually describes
Factory numbers on replica listings are internal codes, not Cartier references. The specs below match what most sellers ship under this number, and they line up with the genuine mid-size steel model they copy.
- Case: stainless steel, 36 mm to 36.6 mm across, about 11.5 mm thick
- Bezel and lugs: high polish, no sharp edges where the lug meets the case
- Crown: fluted steel guard set with a blue synthetic spinel cabochon
- Dial: silvered opaline with a guilloche texture, black printed Roman numerals, blued sword hands
- Crystal: sapphire, domed
- Movement: automatic, 28,800 vibrations per hour, roughly 40 hours of reserve in the original caliber
- Strap: steel bracelet or leather with an alligator pattern
How to inspect a fake Ballon Bleu 33687
- Measure the case across the 9 to 3 line with digital calipers and confirm it lands between 36 mm and 36.6 mm.
- Read the case back engraving under a loupe and confirm the text is crisp with no double strikes or shallow lettering.
- Examine the crown from the side and confirm the cabochon sits flush inside a rounded, fluted guard.
- Tilt the dial toward a lamp and check that the guilloche rings run even and concentric with no flat patches.
- Study the printed numerals at 10x and confirm the Roman strokes are uniform in width with clean serifs.
- Set the hands to 12 and 6 and confirm the sword tips align with the printed markers.
- Wind the crown 20 turns and listen for grit or a dry scrape from the stem.
- Time the watch flat for 24 hours, then on the wrist for 24 hours, and log the rate against a phone clock.
Movement and timing
Most copies in this size run an ETA 2824 clone, a Seagull ST21, or a Miyota 9015. All three beat at 28,800 vph and can be regulated. Ask the seller for the caliber name before you pay. A rate between minus 10 and plus 15 seconds a day is normal for this tier. Anything past 30 seconds a day needs a regulation or a service, and a service costs more than the watch in some cases. Check the rotor for wobble with a slow wrist roll. A rotor that scrapes the case back will fail inside a year.
Price bands
Expect three tiers. Entry copies with a quartz or basic automatic sit at the bottom, mid tier watches with a clone ETA and sapphire land above that, and top tier builds with a decorated rotor and a real bracelet clasp sit highest. Pay for the movement and the bracelet first. A heavy, well finished bracelet with solid end links and a tight clasp adds more to daily wear than any engraving.
Red flags
- Seller photos that hide the crown or the case back
- Listed thickness over 12 mm, which pushes the watch off the wrist
- Roman numerals with uneven stroke weight or touching letters
- Cabochon that is glued on top of the crown instead of set into it
- Claimed water resistance past 30 m with no gasket service record
Confirm the return window in writing before the watch ships. A seller who will not take a return on a timing fault is telling you what the movement is worth.