Verifiable Blockchain Demo - Digital Authenticity Certificates for Luxury Goods
Sector: Tertiary sector · Industry: Retail · Organisation: Blockchain Reallabor · Maturity level: Concept
The Verifiable Blockchain Demo by Blockchain Reallabor demonstrates a system for digital authentication of luxury goods such as Rolex watches using smart contracts. The system stores product data including images, descriptions, serial numbers, manufacturing year, and manufacturer in an app, signing this information with a company-specific key to prevent counterfeiting. The demo is presented as a show case at the demonstration center in Hürth to showcase the possibilities of blockchain-based product authentication.
Documentation status
- Project status: Concept
- Evidence: Evidence medium
- Editorial review: Ufuk Avci, 15 April 2026
Description
Breitling, a Swiss luxury watch brand, was the first watch brand worldwide to introduce a blockchain-based Digital Product Passport for all its watches — in partnership with the Arianee consortium. The Arianee protocol uses the Ethereum blockchain and gives each watch a unique, immutable digital identity. The owner scans the electronic warranty card via smartphone and thereby downloads an encrypted digital wallet containing the watch’s digital pass.
On 26 March 2020, Breitling launched a pilot with the Arianee blockchain protocol for the limited Top Time edition (2,000 watches, prices partly over 10,000 US dollars; an early version appeared in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball). After the successful pilot, Breitling decided from 13 October 2020 to equip every new watch without exception with a digital blockchain pass — as the first luxury watch brand worldwide. The Arianee platform is fully decentralised and open source. Each watch receives a unique digital identity with: serial number, warranty activation date, repair history (with timestamps), owner transfer feature. Important for privacy: no personal data is stored — only the wallet address identifies the owner. On resale, the pass can be transferred without paper documents. Around 30% of customers have adopted the feature. Breitling also works with Dentsu Tracking for supply chain tracking and plans insurance products for loss and theft via the digital pass. Georges Kern, Breitling CEO: "This is what brand innovation in 2020 should be: transforming the relationship with our customers."
Perspectives
B2B — organisations perspective
Jewellers and authorised dealers can instantly verify the authenticity and production history of a watch via the digital blockchain guarantee — without enquiries to Breitling or physical document checks.
B2C — consumers perspective
Watch owners can prove the authenticity, warranty status and repair history of their Breitling watch in seconds using a smartphone — when reselling, they transfer the digital pass directly to the buyer without paper documents. Complete anonymity is guaranteed.
Employees perspective
Sales staff receive a reliable digital tool for product authentication that simplifies manual verification processes. At the same time, they need to familiarise themselves with new blockchain-based technologies.
Benefits
General
- Immutable digital certificates offer the highest security against product counterfeiting through cryptographic signatures.
- Integration into mobile apps enables user-friendly authentication for all parties involved.
- Reduced paper documentation saves costs and protects the environment.
B2B — organisations
- Companies can develop new business models and participate in the resale of their products through traceable ownership transfers.
B2C — consumers
- Consumers gain certainty about the authenticity of their luxury goods and can increase value on resale through verified authenticity.
Employees
- Sales staff can offer customers fast and reliable authentication, which increases trust and willingness to buy.
Challenges
General
- Secure management of cryptographic keys requires specialised IT security measures and expertise.
- Acceptance of new technologies by customers and employees can be challenging and requires appropriate training.
B2B — organisations
- Companies must make significant investments in blockchain infrastructure and integration into existing systems.
Employees
- Employees need training in handling blockchain-based authentication systems and must learn new workflows.
Technology foundation
The system uses smart contracts on a blockchain platform to create immutable digital certificates of authenticity for luxury goods. This technology is particularly suitable for product authentication, as data once stored on the blockchain cannot be altered and cryptographic signatures confirm the manufacturer’s authenticity.
Implementation examples
Verifiable Blockchain Demo for Luxury Goods Authentication
The Blockchain Reallabor aimed to demonstrate the practical applicability of blockchain technology for product authentication. The goal was to show companies how they can use digital certificates of authenticity to combat counterfeiting and build trust.
The Blockchain Reallabor developed a demo application that shows how digital certificates of authenticity for luxury goods can be created using Smart Contracts.
The Verifiable Blockchain demo from the Blockchain Reallabor demonstrates the practical use of Smart Contracts for product authentication using the example of a Rolex watch. The system stores relevant product data such as image, description, serial number, and year of manufacture in a blockchain-based app and signs this data with company-owned cryptographic keys. The demo is presented as a show case at the demonstration centre in Hürth to illustrate the possibilities of blockchain-based authentication to companies.
The demo addresses the problem of counterfeit luxury goods and lack of transparency in supply chains. It shows how blockchain-based solutions create immutable product certificates and strengthen trust between manufacturers, retailers, and customers.
Tags
Product authentication, Smart contracts, Luxury goods, Counterfeit protection, Digital certificates