Short answer
The IW371648 is a reference in IWC's Portugieser Chronograph line, and replica iw371648 watches range from cheap quartz lookalikes to decent automatic copies that use the same two-register layout. If you want one that holds up on the wrist, buy the version with an automatic chronograph movement, a 41mm case and domed sapphire that has real anti-reflective coating. Skip anything where the subdials sit in the wrong place or the printing looks flat.
What the original actually is
The Portugieser Chronograph is a 41mm stainless steel watch with a clean, round case, slim lugs and a dial built around two counters, one at 12 and one at 6. The current generation runs IWC's caliber 69355, a column wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, roughly 46 hours of reserve and a 4Hz beat. Water resistance is modest at 30m, which is normal for this family. Sapphire crystal front and back. No date window in most versions, which is part of why the dial reads so clean.
Dial color and finish change between reference numbers in the same family, so confirm the exact IW371648 photos before you commit. Replica sellers mix reference numbers freely.
Where copies get it wrong
- Subdial position. On the original the two counters are pushed outward toward the printed chapter ring. Cheap copies pull them inward to fit a smaller movement, and the whole dial looks cramped.
- Dial printing. The minute track and numerals should be crisp and thin. On cheap versions the printing bleeds and the numerals are too heavy.
- Case profile. The original has a soft bevel along the lugs. Copies often have a flat, stamped look with sharp edges.
- Pushers. Chronograph pushers should feel like they have a defined start and stop, not mush.
- Crystal. Flat mineral glass kills this watch. The original is domed and nearly invisible at an angle.
Movements to look for
Three tiers show up in the market. Quartz copies are cheap and the seconds hand ticks, which is a giveaway on a watch with a running small seconds. Basic Asian automatic chronographs keep time and sweep, but the chronograph action is coarse and the subdial at 12 may not be a true 30-minute totalizer. The better copies run a decorated automatic chronograph with a column wheel, close in layout to the 69355, and put the correct function under each counter.
Ask the seller which movement is inside and whether the 12 o'clock subdial counts chronograph minutes. If they cannot answer, that tells you something.
Size and wear
41mm across, about 13mm thick, and a lug-to-lug around 47mm. It wears larger than the numbers suggest because the dial is almost all open space, and the thin bezel pushes the crystal out to the edge. On a 6.5 inch wrist it reads as a full-size watch. Strap options are easy since it takes a 20mm band, and the original ships on alligator, so a decent leather strap makes a bigger visual difference than most case upgrades.
Before you order
- Ask for real photos of the exact watch, not catalog renders.
- Check the subdial spacing against a photo of the original, side by side.
- Confirm the movement type and the power reserve claim.
- Ask about shipping method and whether the watch is packed with the strap off the case, which reduces damage in transit.
- Look at the bracelet or strap hardware if you are buying the steel version. Clasps are where cheap copies show first.
Bottom line
This reference is a simple design, which makes it hard to fake well and easy to fake badly. The dial spacing and the crystal are the two things that separate a copy that passes at arm's length from one that does not. Spend on those, not on packaging.