Short answer
Fake IW323723 watches exist and they sell in three rough tiers. The bottom tier is quartz or a low-grade automatic inside a case that photographs well and feels hollow in the hand. The middle tier runs a dependable Japanese or Chinese automatic and copies the proportions closely. The top tier is where the money sits: cloned movements, sapphire with coating on both faces, brushed and polished surfaces that hold up under a loupe. None of them is an IWC, none carries an IWC warranty, and none can be sent to IWC for service. That last point matters more than most buyers expect.
What the search term usually means
Two questions hide behind the same phrase. One is "is the watch in this listing genuine," usually asked after someone spots a bargain. The other is "is this replica worth what the seller wants," asked by someone who already knows it is a copy and wants to avoid overpaying for a poor one.
The first question gets answered with paperwork, a movement shot, and a dealer or service center. The second gets answered with specifications and measurements. This guide is mostly about the second, plus the tells that help with the first.
Start with the factory numbers, not the photos
Pull the spec for the reference from the manufacturer's own listing and write down four numbers: case diameter, case thickness, lug width, and the calibre number. Those four numbers decide most of the argument. Replicas often add half a millimetre to a full millimetre of thickness, because the movement inside is thicker than the original or the caseback is machined without the curve of the real one. A watch that runs over spec sits high on the wrist and looks wrong in profile, which is the exact angle listing photos avoid.
Lug width is the second check. If the original takes a 21 mm strap and the replica ships with a 20 mm, the spring bars will rattle and the end links will never sit flush against the case.
Where replicas give themselves away
In rough order of how often I look for them:
- Date wheel. Font, weight, and alignment are the hardest things to copy. A date that sits low in the window or uses a generic typeface is the most common tell.
- Dial printing. Real printing holds crisp edges at 10x magnification. Replicas show ink spread, uneven letter spacing, or a logo that reads slightly too bold.
- Applied indices. Soft edges, uneven lume fill, and lume that reads greener or whiter than the hands.
- Crystal coating. Plenty of replicas skip the inner anti-reflective layer, so the dial looks flat and picks up a blue or purple sheen from certain angles.
- Crown and tube. Shallow or off-center engraving, gritty threads, and a crown that does not seat with a clean stop. This is also the part most likely to fail first.
- Bracelet fit. Gaps between the end links and the case, brushing that runs the wrong direction, a clasp with thin engraving.
- Caseback. Engraving depth, the shape of the reference stamp, the finish of the inner curve.
Questions to ask before you pay
- What movement is inside, by name and calibre? "Swiss movement" on its own means nothing.
- What is the measured case thickness in millimetres, with calipers visible in the photo?
- What is the lug width, and does the bracelet take the original spring bar size?
- Is the crystal sapphire, and does it have coating on the inside surface?
- Are the hands painted or blued steel? On many references that answer changes the price band.
- What is the return policy if the watch does not match the listed numbers?
A seller who will not photograph the caseback, the crown, and the date window at close range is telling you something.
The movement question
Most thin sport references from that era ran on a base calibre from ETA, modified and renamed by the brand. The IWC calibre 30110 is the well-known example: an ETA 2892-A2 underneath. That matters for replicas in two ways. First, a 2892 or a Sellita SW300 keeps the case thin, which is why the better replicas use one. Second, a clone of a base calibre is a known quantity, so parts and servicing are findable at any independent watchmaker, unlike a decorated movement with a brand name laser-etched onto the rotor.
Living with a replica
Assume no water resistance beyond splashes unless a watchmaker has pressure-tested it. Assume the crown and gaskets are the weak point. Assume resale value is close to zero. If those three things are acceptable, the top tier delivers the look and the wrist presence for a fraction of the price, and the middle tier delivers most of that for less. If they are not acceptable, save for the original. The gap between a good replica and a used genuine watch is smaller than the gap between a good replica and a bad one, in terms of how often you will think about it.