Short answer
A listing for a "Portugieser 44mm" points to one IWC line: the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar. IWC lists that case at 44.2mm wide and 14.9mm thick. A replica at that size copies the case, the four subdials, and the moon phase aperture. Measure the case first. Read the movement second.
Fake Portugieser 44mm Comparison: Top Pick and Criteria
Case numbers
- Width: 44.2mm. A caliper photo from the seller settles it.
- Thickness: 14.9mm.
- Crystal: sapphire with anti-reflective coating on both faces. Copies often coat one face, which shows a blue tint under a lamp.
- Lug width: check it against the reference number. The Portugieser line runs 20mm to 22mm across references.
Movement checks
The genuine Perpetual Calendar runs calibre 52610. IWC rates the power reserve at 7 days, or 168 hours. Copies at 44mm use a modified Valjoux 7750 or an Asian clone. Power reserve on those movements runs about 40 hours. Two checks follow. Pull the crown, set the time, and let the watch sit. A copy stops on day two. Then look at the rotor through the back glass. Genuine rotors carry a gold medallion and engraved text. Copies use printed plates or stickers.
Calendar and moon phase
A perpetual calendar tracks leap years. Copies at this size use an annual module or a simple calendar wheel. Test it. Set the date to the 30th and advance the hands past midnight. The genuine watch jumps to the 1st. Many copies show the 31st. The moon phase is a second tell. A true moon phase disc turns once per 29.5 days. A day and night disc turns once per 24 hours and shows a sun and a moon on one disc.
Finish and paperwork
Genuine cases show sharp inner angles at the lugs and a bevel that runs the full length of the flank. Copies show a softer edge and a wider gap at the lug joint. Ask for a photo of the caseback engraving. On the genuine watch the reference and serial numbers sit in a deep etch with clean edges. Price is the last filter. The steel Portugieser Perpetual Calendar sells in five figures at retail. A 44mm replica sells for $300 to $1,200 depending on movement and finish.
Legal note
US law treats trafficking in counterfeit goods as a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. 2320. Customs and Border Protection seizes counterfeit watch shipments at ports of entry. Buyers lose the goods and the payment.
Questions for the seller
- What is the case width in millimeters, measured with a caliper?
- Which movement is inside, and what is the measured power reserve?
- Does the moon phase disc turn once per day or once per lunar month?
- Is the caseback sapphire or steel?
- Does the date jump from the 30th to the 1st?