The quickest way to separate a fake IW371704 from an original is to check three things at once: the subdial layout, the date font, and the movement behind the caseback. The genuine IWC Portugieser Chronograph ref. IW371704 uses a 40.9 mm stainless steel case, a silver plated dial, a 30 minute counter at 12 o'clock, small seconds at 6, and a date window at 3. Counterfeits fail at least one of those points, and most fail two.
What are the main differences between a fake IW371704 and the original?
Case proportions, dial printing, and movement finishing are the three areas where replicas slip. Run this checklist before you open the watch.
Fake IW371704 Price Comparison: Buyer's Guide
- Subdials: genuine 30 minute counter at 12, running seconds at 6. Many fakes swap them or fit a 12 hour totalizer at 6.
- Date window: original has a thin, sharply printed disc and a beveled aperture. Fakes show thick numerals or an off center window.
- Hands: original leaf shaped feuille hands are polished and correctly pitched. Fakes are flatter, wider, or set too high above the dial.
- Pushers: original chrono pushers are slightly domed and screw down smoothly. Fakes feel gritty and sit proud of the case.
- Weight: genuine steel models on a bracelet land near 150 g. Cheap fakes feel light because the case is plated brass or thin steel.
How do you check the case and dimensions?
Measure the case across the bezel without the crown. An original IW371704 measures about 40.9 mm wide and roughly 12.3 mm thick, with a 20 mm lug width. Fakes often run 41.5 to 42 mm because the counterfeit case is built around a stock movement spacer.
Look at the lug profile from the side. Original lugs curve down toward the wrist with a soft polished bevel. Counterfeit lugs are straighter, thicker, and blend into the case with a visible step.
What dial details give a fake away?
Print quality is the hardest element for a replica factory to match. Under a loupe, the original railroad minute track is a single crisp line with even spacing, while fakes show fuzzy edges, merged ticks, or uneven gaps around the subdials.
Applied numerals on the genuine dial carry polished bevels and sit with a small shadow gap. Fakes use thicker numerals, duller polishing, or painted markers that sit flat on the surface.
Read the logo and text closely. IWC and Schaffhausen should be sharp, evenly spaced, and identical in stroke weight. On fakes, letters look bolded or the spacing drifts beneath the 12.
How do you inspect the movement?
If the watch has a display back, the movement is the clearest tell. The original runs on IWC caliber 79320, a modified Valjoux 7750 base with Cotes de Geneve finishing, blued screws, and a signed rotor. Fakes run a stock or lightly decorated 7750 clone with rough brushing, wrong engraving, or a rotor that lacks the correct script.
Start and reset the chronograph several times. The original snaps back to zero instantly and starts with no stutter. A fake hesitates on reset or the seconds hand creeps forward after starting.
Does weight and feel matter?
Yes, but only as a secondary check. A genuine steel IW371704 on a bracelet has real heft, and the bracelet links articulate with no rattle. A fake can match that weight with a tungsten insert, so never judge on weight alone.
What about price and paperwork?
Original IW371704 examples trade on the secondary market in the mid four figures in USD, depending on box, papers, and service history. A price far below market is the strongest signal of a counterfeit, particularly when the seller avoids returns.
Ask for the reference number engraved between the lugs and the caseback markings. Serial fonts on originals are fine, deep, and consistent. Fakes use laser engraving that looks shallow, dotted, or uneven.
FAQ
Are high end super clones of the IW371704 hard to spot?
They are harder, but they still fail on dial printing and movement finishing. A 10x loupe on the minute track and a look at the rotor engraving resolves most cases.
Do all fakes use the same movement?
No. Budget versions use quartz or a basic automatic, mid tier fakes use an Asian 7750, and top tier fakes use a decorated clone. Movement tier tracks price tier.
Can a replica pass as an original on the wrist?
From across a room, sometimes. Up close, the printing, hand finish, and pusher feel give it away to anyone who has handled the real reference.