If you are searching fake IW323766, the short answer is this: the reference sits inside a numbered IWC block, and the replica market handles it in three quality tiers. The pick that holds up on a wrist is a mid-tier stainless automatic with a display back you can actually inspect, judged on four criteria: whether the reference number is used correctly, what movement is inside, how the case and dial are finished, and whether the seller describes the watch honestly instead of calling it genuine.

Start With the Reference, Not the Watch

IWC reference numbers use an IW prefix, and the digits after the family code pin down one exact build: case metal, dial, bracelet, and movement. Two watches can share a family code and differ in every visible detail. Before you compare photos, confirm the number a seller uses matches a configuration that was catalogued at all. If a listing mixes plates from two different references, or the number exists nowhere outside marketplace pages, you are looking at a marketing label rather than a model.

Ask three questions: which reference is being replicated, what movement is inside, and can you see the caseback and any display back. Sellers who have handled the watch answer in specifics. Sellers moving stock do not.

Option A: Quartz or Basic Automatic

The entry tier looks acceptable in a listing photo and reads wrong the moment someone holds it.

  • Pros: lowest cost by a wide margin, keeps time fine if it is quartz, no servicing to think about, works as a prop or a visual stand-in.
  • Cons: a ticking seconds hand is an instant tell, case edges feel sharp, dial printing looks flat under any close look, engraving on the caseback is shallow, and resale value is effectively zero.

Best for costume use, a shoot, or a display piece nobody will hand around.

Option B: Mid-Tier Automatic

This is the sensible buy for most people. You get a mechanical automatic, a sweeping seconds hand, sapphire crystal in most builds, and a caseback you can open or view. The reference details are usually researched rather than guessed.

  • Pros: correct hand sweep, real weight on the wrist, credible dial printing, usually serviceable by an independent watchmaker, price sits well below anything with a genuine movement.
  • Cons: finishing degrades under magnification, rotor noise can be noticeable, date alignment may be a hair off, and quality varies sharply between sellers of the same model.

Best for daily wear where nobody is handing you a loupe.

Option C: High-Grade or Clone Build

The top tier copies architecture as well as appearance: decorated bridges, closer thread pitch on screws, better lume, and dial printing that survives magnification.

  • Pros: closest match to the reference in hand and in photos, best materials, strongest feel at the clasp and crown.
  • Cons: cost climbs toward what a used watch from a legitimate brand costs, and you are paying a premium for photos you cannot verify.

Best for collectors of replicas who enjoy the details, not for anyone hoping to pass it off as real.

How to Inspect One in Hand

  1. Check the reference number against the dial layout and the case metal. If the number implies a different configuration, stop.
  2. Run the functions on the dial, whether that is a date, a chronograph, or a power reserve. Each should match the reference exactly.
  3. Turn the watch over. Caseback engraving should be crisp, evenly spaced, and consistent with the case metal.
  4. Look at dial printing at arm's length and then up close. Font weight, spacing, and finish are where cheap replicas give themselves away.
  5. Feel the crown and any pushers. They should engage cleanly, not grind or wobble.
  6. Weigh it. A watch that feels hollow usually is.
  7. Ask about paperwork and service history. Honest replica sellers describe what they are selling.

Red Flags in a Listing

  • A reference number that appears nowhere except marketplace pages.
  • Stock photos used for a watch the seller claims to have in hand.
  • Claims of genuine parts, original movement, or factory-direct sourcing.
  • Pressure to buy immediately, or payment methods with no recourse.
  • No caseback photo, no movement photo, no answers about weight.

Best Fit by Use Case

For occasional wear and photos, the entry tier does the job and costs little. For daily wear, the mid-tier automatic is the pick, because it feels and behaves like a mechanical watch. For replica collectors who want the closest match and will inspect it, the high-grade build is worth the premium. If your goal is to pass the watch off as genuine to a dealer, jeweler, or buyer, no tier works, and the risk is legal rather than financial.