The short answer
The best fake IW371642 copies the 41 mm Portugieser Chronograph case and puts the running seconds at 6 o'clock and the 30-minute counter at 12. Subdial spacing is the first check. On good copies the two counters sit at the correct distance from the center. On poor copies they sit too wide or too close to the edge.
Fake IWC IW371642: Specs, Tells and Buyer Checks
IWC builds the IW3716 family with several dial variants. Confirm the dial color and index finish for IW371642 on IWC's own page before you compare seller photos. Reference lists change, and a copy of the wrong dial color is a copy of the wrong watch.
Specs the copy has to match
- Case: 41 mm wide, about 13 mm thick
- Lug width: 20 mm
- Dial: two counters, no date window
- Crystal: domed sapphire with antireflective coating on both faces
- Caseback: sapphire display back, movement visible
- Water resistance: 30 m on the genuine, and a claim only on most copies
Movement tiers
Three groups exist. Quartz copies cost the least and the seconds hand jumps once per second. Mid-tier copies use a Chinese automatic chronograph with a 7750 layout, and the pushers feel soft at the start of travel. Top-tier copies use a better finished automatic with a decorated rotor and engraved bridges. The open caseback makes this the easiest part of the watch to grade.
What to inspect in seller photos
- Subdial centers vs. the 12 and 6 markers
- Print weight on the dial text and the minute track
- Hand length at the tip of the chronograph seconds hand
- Gap between the case and the strap at the lugs
- Rotor engraving and perlage through the caseback
Flaws that stay
Case finish at the lug edges is a frequent weak point. So is the crown engraving depth. Date of manufacture codes on the movement plate will not match genuine numbering. Treat any copy as a watch with no factory service and no parts support.
Price and risk
Quartz copies sell under $100. Automatic copies run from about $200 to $500. Sellers who show stock photos instead of the actual unit add risk. Ask for a timestamped photo of the caseback.