The best replica IW371619 is the one built on a clone of the IWC 69355 style automatic chronograph, in a 41 mm steel case with brushed flanks and a polished bezel, under a silver plated dial with applied indices and the vertical 12 and 6 subdial layout. Copies of this Portugieser Chronograph are graded on four things: the movement inside, how close the subdials sit to the original spacing, the case finishing, and the dial hardware. Get those four right and the watch reads correctly on the wrist.

What the IW371619 reference actually is

IW371619 sits inside the Portugieser Chronograph 3716 family, the two register chronograph line that has anchored the Portugieser collection for years. The numbers that matter: a 41 mm case, sapphire crystal on the front, a display back, leaf shaped hands, applied Arabic numerals, and a printed railroad minute track around the dial edge. The chronograph minutes sit at 12 and the running seconds sit at 6, which is the layout every serious copy has to reproduce.

Reference numbers inside the 3716 family differ by dial color, metal, and strap, so a dial has to match the reference it claims to copy. This is where most replicas slip. Factories reuse one dial casting across several reference numbers, and a numeral finish or a subdial ring that belongs to a different reference is the first thing an experienced eye catches.

Option 1: quartz and mecha quartz copies

These are the entry tier. The case is often close enough in silhouette, but the engine underneath is not.

  • Pros: lowest cost of any tier, light on the wrist, accurate timekeeping, easy to replace if it dies.
  • Pros: good for a costume, a photo shoot, or a watch that sits in a drawer most of the year.
  • Cons: the running seconds at 6 ticks instead of sweeping, which is the single loudest tell on a Portugieser.
  • Cons: subdial hands often sit at the wrong height, and the pushers feel hollow.
  • Cons: case thickness is frequently off by a millimeter or more.

Use case: a buyer who wants the silhouette for a one off event and has no interest in the movement. If you plan to hand the watch to anyone who knows watches, skip this tier.

Option 2: A7750 based automatic copies

The Valjoux 7750 family is the workhorse behind a large share of replica chronographs, and it is the reason this tier exists at all.

  • Pros: a real automatic chronograph with a sweeping seconds hand and genuine pusher action.
  • Pros: any competent watchmaker can service the base movement, and parts are not exotic.
  • Pros: widely available, so replacement and repair are simple.
  • Cons: the 7750 places running seconds at 9 in its native form, so builders modify the movement or add a transfer gear to reach the 12 and 6 layout. That gear train can make the small seconds stutter.
  • Cons: the added hardware pushes case thickness past the original, and rotor noise is common.

Use case: someone who wears the watch daily and wants a real automatic without paying the top tier. Accept a slightly uneven small seconds hand and the thicker profile.

Option 3: clone 69355 style automatic copies

This is the top pick for most buyers. The movement is laid out to place the running seconds at 6 from the start, so no transfer gear sits between the dial and the movement.

  • Pros: correct in line 12 and 6 layout with a smooth small seconds hand.
  • Pros: slimmer case that lands much closer to the original profile, which changes how the watch sits under a cuff.
  • Pros: the display back shows a movement with finishing and bridge shapes that read closer to the genuine calibre.
  • Cons: fewer watchmakers will touch it, and spare parts depend on the seller.
  • Cons: costs the most, and quality still varies between batches.

Use case: the buyer who wants the closest match, wears the watch often, and would rather buy once. Ask which movement is inside before you commit, and ask for a photo of the caseback.

Criterion: dial, hands, and subdial spacing

Dial detail is where a copy either convinces or fails, and it is the part you can judge from photos alone.

  • Applied numerals: check thickness, polish at the edges, and whether they sit flat against the dial.
  • Railroad track: the printed minute track should be crisp and even, with no bleeding into the dial color.
  • Subdials: compare the ring diameter and the distance between the two registers against reference photos. Crowded or shrunken subdials are a giveaway.
  • Hands: leaf hands should reach the minute track and match in width at the base.
  • Date window: many 3716 dials have none at all, so any added aperture has to be checked against the reference.

Criterion: case, crystal, and strap

Move your eye around the case before you look at the dial. The transition between brushed and polished surfaces on the lugs should be sharp, not soft and rounded from over polishing. The crystal should have anti reflective coating that reads faint blue, not a heavy purple mirror. The crown should sit flush with the case band and turn with light resistance. On the strap side, look at stitching density, whether the leather has a grain pattern that matches the reference, and whether the buckle engraving is stamped deep or shallow.

What to check when the watch arrives

  1. Start the chronograph and let it run ten minutes, then check that the reset snaps back to zero on both registers.
  2. Watch the small seconds at 6 for a full minute. It should sweep without visible stutter.
  3. Wind the watch and tilt it near your ear. A soft rotor spin is normal, a grinding scrape is not.
  4. Check the crystal for distortion at an angle and confirm the crown screws down or pushes in fully.
  5. Compare the dial against reference photos in daylight, not under warm indoor light.

Keep one thing in mind: a replica is not the original watch, and no copy will match the real thing under a loupe. The goal is a watch that looks right on the wrist, runs properly, and does not embarrass you when someone asks about it. Buy the tier that matches how often you will wear it, and spend the extra money on the movement before you spend it on a nicer box.