A fake Blancpain 5200-0113-52A is a counterfeit copy of the 43mm Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe, and it gives itself away in three places: the movement, the case finish, and the caseback engraving. A genuine watch runs an in-house Blancpain calibre with a five-day power reserve, while counterfeit versions use modified ETA, Sellita or Seagull ebauches that stop in under two days. If the asking price sits in the hundreds of dollars, the watch is not real, no matter what the listing claims.
What does the reference 5200-0113-52A actually mean?
The 5200 prefix identifies the 43mm Bathyscaphe case in the Fifty Fathoms line, a modern dive watch family that traces back to Blancpain's 1953 original. The trailing 52A marker points to the black ceramic case and bezel treatment, which is the version most often copied. Genuine examples are rated to 300 meters and measure roughly 43.6mm across at about 13.8mm thick.
- 5200 = Bathyscaphe case family, 43mm class
- 0113 / 1110 / 0130 = dial, strap and movement configuration codes
- 52A = black ceramic case and bezel variant
How can you tell a fake Blancpain 5200-0113-52A from a genuine one?
Movement and power reserve
Genuine three-hand Bathyscaphe models carry Blancpain calibre 1315, a 227-component automatic with three series-coupled barrels and a 120-hour reserve. Chronograph versions use the in-house F385 flyback calibre. Counterfeits almost always hide a decorated third-party movement behind the display back, and the giveaway is the reserve: wind it, set it down, and a fake dies in 38 to 42 hours.
Case, bezel and crystal
Real black ceramic has a deep matte saturation with crisp, polished bevel edges where the case meets the lugs. Replica cases often show grey haze, soft transitions and a bezel insert that looks painted rather than fired. The sapphire crystal on a genuine watch carries double anti-reflective coating, so the dial stays legible from an angle instead of flashing white.
Dial, hands and lume
Print on a genuine dial is sharp under 10x magnification, with even spacing and no ink bleed on the signature. Applied hour markers sit flush, and the lume glows evenly across markers, hands and bezel pip. Fakes typically show thicker print, misaligned date windows and lume that fades unevenly within minutes.
Caseback engraving and serial
Reference, case and serial numbers are laser-engraved with consistent depth and clean edges on genuine pieces. Counterfeits use shallow stamping, wrong font weights, or numbers that do not match any Blancpain record. Ask a Blancpain service center or an independent watchmaker to verify the serial before money changes hands.
Strap, weight and feel
The factory sailcloth strap has a tight, uniform weave and a signed ceramic or steel buckle. Replicas ship with loose fabric, thin stitching and hardware that feels light. Balanced against a genuine 43mm ceramic Bathyscaphe, most fakes feel either too light or oddly top-heavy on the wrist.
Why do high-end replicas still fail inspection?
Even the best replica 5200-0113-52A cannot reproduce Swiss in-house architecture, so the escapement, jewel count and barrel layout never match. Finishing under the rotor is cosmetic on fakes: Geneva stripes are printed or lightly brushed instead of hand-anglaged. A watchmaker with a loupe and a timing machine can confirm the difference in minutes.
What should you check before buying?
- Insist on box, papers and a serial that traces to Blancpain.
- Request a movement photo through the display back and compare it to calibre 1315 or F385.
- Test the power reserve over four days, not four hours.
- Have a qualified watchmaker inspect the watch before payment.
- Treat any price far below secondary market value as a warning.
FAQ
Are all cheap Blancpain Bathyscaphe watches fake?
No, but any 5200-0113-52A priced in the hundreds is counterfeit. Genuine ceramic Bathyscaphe models trade in the mid four figures and up on the secondary market.
Can a replica pass a Blancpain service center inspection?
No. Service centers verify serials against factory records and inspect movement architecture, which replication cannot match.
Bottom line
The 5200-0113-52A is a ceramic-cased dive watch with an in-house movement, and no replica reproduces that combination. Movement, case finishing and serial engraving remain the three checks that separate genuine from fake every time.